June 9, 2009 - Shreveport Fire Department is Looking to Reduce Apartment Fires with New Ordinance

Fires in multi-family dwellings cause the greatest potential for serious injury

The Shreveport Fire Department is expecting to get help from a new fire code ordinance that the City Council will vote on today that will require all apartment complexes to install automatic fire extinguishing systems above all stove tops. The new code defines those residences that will be affected as:

“any apartment buildings containing three or more dwelling units with no automatic sprinkler systems which contain independent cooking and bathroom facilities”

Fires in multi-family dwellings, such as apartments, cause the greatest potential for serious injury or loss of life. In apartments, it is not enough to maintain a heightened sense of awareness about fires in your residence – you can be the most fire preventive person in the city but if your neighbor is not being diligent, you and your family’s life is in danger – through no fault of your own.

● Nationally in 2007 there were more than 98,000 apartment fires, causing 515 deaths, 3,950 injuries, and more than $1 billion in property damage.

● Apartment fires in Shreveport:

- 2007 – 64 apartment fires
- 2008 – 68 apartment fires, resulting in four (4) of the seven (7) residential fire deaths, and more than two dozen injuries.
- 2009, first quarter (Jan. 1 – April 30) – 33 fires involving apartments. If this trend continues, it will result in a 48% increase in these types of fires by year’s end.

Nationally and in Shreveport, kitchen fires, specifically cooking fires are the leading cause and account for 40-50% of these fires. The new city ordinance could potentially cut the number of apartment fires in half and minimize the loss of life and property damage, according to Fire Chief Brian Crawford. Citing two examples of lives that could have potentially been saved had these devices been in place last year:

- In January of 2008 six-year old She’Je’berne Small lost her young life in an apartment fire. She had been left along with her 7-year old brother unattended. The fire stared on the stove in the kitchen when her brother tried to cook them something to eat.

- In August, 67-year-old LaVerne Smith was killed by a fire that swept from her stove while she was cooking and consumed her retirement village apartment. Ms. Smith was confined to a wheelchair at the time of the fire.

“When coupled with the existing ordinances of requiring smoke detectors, fire extinguishers and proper exiting, the installation of these devices will provide apartment residences with another layer of fire protection until we arrive on the scene”, said Crawford.

New apartment complexes in Shreveport require the installation of sprinklers but older apartments were considered cost prohibitive to make that recommendation at this time until grant or block funding could be provided to assist in supplementing the substantial cost for retrofitting the complexes.