What Kills People in a Fire? Heat or Smoke?

This paper reviews the main causes of casualties in fires, investigates the composition of the smoke in typical compartment fire and assesses the contribution of each component to the overall potency of the smoke. The leading cause of death for fire victims around the world has been smoke inhalation for many decades. Also fires occurring in buildings are responsible for over 75% of total fire fatalities. Several major fire accidents, where fire toxicity was the cause of death for almost all victims, are highlighted. Statistical reviews of fire casualties for several decades in the UK and the USA show that fire toxicity is the major cause of death for fire victims. The analysis of the smoke species in a typical compartment fire with wood pallets as fuel, clearly demonstrates that acrolein is the major component of smoke responsible for incapacitation while CO is the main species responsible for the lethality.