Philadelphia, PA, June 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In 2017, there were 21 fire-related deaths in Philadelphia. While local officials suggest 2018 is seeing a sharp increase of fire fatalities, attorney Steven G. Wigrizer of Wapner Newman Wigrizer Brecher & Miller believes that more should be done to protect Philadelphians.
“Like so many safety issues, fire-related injuries and deaths are closely tied to socioeconomic factors,” Wigrizer said. “People in poorer communities are more likely to experience fires in their homes, and substandard housing plays a big role in this problem.”
A report from the U.S. Fire Administration found that there was an “inverse relationship between fire risk and income.” Poorer populations have greater fire-related injury and death risks, while wealthier groups face a much lower risk.
Wigrizer said that efforts to reduce fires should be especially concentrated in areas with substandard housing and that landlords of residential buildings should be held to the highest of standards. He said that the problem is not a lack of codes or safety requirements, but rather one of inspection and enforcement.
“All tenants should be made aware of fire risks and have working fire detectors in their homes,” Wigrizer said. “Units should regularly be inspected for fire risks, and codes should be enforced. We already have plenty of standards in place, but if they aren’t being followed, what good are they?”
Nearly half of all Philadelphians are renters, according to U.S. Census data. The Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) said it believes there are 50,000 unlicensed units in Philadelphia, only a fraction of which were investigated by L&I.
Units that aren’t inspected regularly are more likely to present risks to residents. These risks include not only fires, but also collapsing structure, leaks, contaminated water and toxic mold.
Reducing fire risks will also protect elderly Philadelphians, Wigrizer said. After the age of 50, a person’s risk for a fire-related death begins to exceed rates above that of the general population.
In 2015, adults ages 65 and older were 2.7 times more likely to die in a fire than the general population. That risk was 3.8 times greater than the general population's for adults ages 85 and older.
Wigrizer said that there are several groups working hard to bring light to the issue and combat the problem.
“Thanks in part to a FEMA grant, the Philadelphia Fire Department installed 30,000 smoke detectors last year at no charge to residents,” Wigrizer said. “Our fire department knows that prevention is the only real way to completely eliminate the threat of a fire.
“Philadelphia’s fire officials are sounding the alarm about this problem,” he said. “If we don’t heed their warning, more Philadelphia residents will lose their lives in these preventable fires.”
About Wapner Newman Wigrizer Brecher & Miller:
For over 30 years, the law firm of Wapner, Newman, Wigrizer, Brecher & Miller has been helping victims of serious personal injury and wrongful death. We serve personal injury victims throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, with offices in Philadelphia, West Conshohocken, Allentown, and Marlton. For more information, call 1-800-529-6600.