Using data from the U.S. Fire Administration, The Hartford insurance company has compiled a list of 100 U.S. cities with the highest risk of fire. As part of its Junior Fire Marshall program, the company is donating a total of $2 million – $10, 000 to each of the school districts and $10,000 to each of the fire departments of the cities on the list.
“Since The Hartford’s beginning as a fire insurance company more than 200 years ago, we have been committed to fire prevention and safety,” The Hartford’s Chairman and CEO Christopher Swift said in a statement. “We are proud of our heritage and the legacy of the Junior Fire Marshal program, but there is still more we can do to help build safer communities. Home fires continue to be an issue today. Our goal is to empower everyday kids to become everyday heroes by providing them with the tools and training to reduce fire risk in their homes and be safe.”
Fire safety education for school age children is a key component of fire prevention. About a third of house fires reported in the U.S. each year are started by children 6-9 years old.
Every 86 seconds, a home fire is reported in the U.S, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. The 501,500 house fires reported each year result in 13,000 civilian injuries and 2,685 civilian deaths.
