ST PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota public safety officials say fire deaths in 2020 were up 13% over the previous year, and the causes of those fires are hauntingly familiar.
Preliminary numbers compiled by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety State Fire Marshal Division (SFMD) say 53 people perished in fires across the state last year, the most since 2017 -- when fires claimed 68 lives.
The leading cause of fatal fires is careless smoking. SFMD says at least seven people died due to smoking, a number that could go up as investigators determine official fire causes. To reduce your risks if you smoke, state fire officials suggest the following:
- Smoke outside and extinguish cigarettes in a sturdy ashtray filled with sand or water.
- Do not discard cigarettes in potted plants, leaves, mulch or other vegetation.
- Do not smoke while on oxygen.
- Avoid smoking while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Cooking was the second leading cause of fatal fires across the state, claiming at least five lives in 2020. Here are suggestions for lowering your fire risks while cooking:
- Never leave food cooking on the stovetop unattended.
- Stay and look while you cook. Have something in the oven and need to leave the kitchen? Set a timer and bring it with you.
- Keep items like oven mitts, aprons, paper towels and anything else that can burn at least 3 feet from heat sources in the kitchen.
The 2020 SFMD data shows people ages 50 and above accounted for 68% of Minnesota's fire fatalities, 23% of those who died had alcohol in their systems, and 22% of the homes or businesses involved in a fatal fire did not have working smoke alarms.
There is a bit of good news: SFMD says the fire death rate in Minnesota has dropped 63 percent since the 1970s, and that number can continue to go down if residents do some simple things. They include keeping space heaters three feet away from a combustion source, not leaving candles unattended, installing and testing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors regularly, and creating a family escape plan.
