The fire problem in the United States, on a per capita basis, is one of the worst in the industrial world. Thousands of Americans die each year in fires, tens of thousands of people are injured, and property losses reach billions of dollars. To put this in context, the annual losses from floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and other natural disasters combined in the United States average just a fraction of the losses from fires. The public in general, the media, and local governments, however, are generally unaware of the magnitude and seriousness of fire to communities and to the country.

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