NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Whether it’s because of decorations overloading the electrical sockets, candles being left unattended, or turkeys staying in the oven too long, people are reportedly 50% more likely to die in a house fire during the holidays.
Florida-based injury lawyers Anidjar & Levine analyzed data from the U.S. Fire Administration to determine which states had the highest number of deaths and injuries for every 1,000 residential fires. The law firm’s digital public relations agency, Journo Research, shared the results of that study with News 2, as well as the reasons for the fire risk in the states with the most deaths.
Alaska came in at No. 1 because it saw 25.5 deaths and 64.4 injuries — which is more than triple the national average of 19.8 injuries — for every 1,000 residential fires. Not only does the Last Frontier experience long winter months with extended periods of darkness, causing many people to rely on artificial lighting and space heaters, but many communities are isolated, so emergency services’ response times can be longer.