ADT Home Security brings you "Good things to know about fire safety"

An ADT Home Security can provide protection for you and your loved ones, not only from theft, but also fires. Fires are a devastating event causing unnecessary death, injury and property damage each year. Here are some sobering statistics on fire loss and tips for preventing a fire in your home.

Causes of Residential Fires and Fire Deaths

-Cooking is the leading cause of home fires in the U.S.
-Arson is both the second leading cause of residential fires and residential fire deaths.
-Heating is the third leading cause of residential fires.
-Careless smoking is the leading cause of fire deaths.

Who is Most at Risk

-Senior citizens age 65 and over, and children under the age of five, have the greatest risk of fire death.
-The fire death risk among seniors over 65 is more than double; over age 75, triple; and over age 85, three and one half times the average population.
-Children under the age of 10 accounted for an estimated 22.2 percent of all fire deaths.
-Men die or are injured in fires almost twice as often as women.

What Saves Lives

-A working smoke alarm dramatically increases a person's chance of surviving a fire. Including ADT Fire monitoring with your ADT Security System provides additional fire protection.
-Over 90 percent of U.S. homes have at least one smoke alarm. However, these alarms are not always properly maintained, and as a result might not work in an emergency. There has been an increase over the last ten years in the number of fires that occur in homes with non-functioning alarms.
-It is estimated that over 39 percent of residential fires and 52 percent of residential fatalities occur in homes with no smoke alarms.
-Residential sprinklers have become more cost effective for homes. Currently, few homes are protected by them.

Source: U.S. Department of Fire Administration of the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Association.