Statewide Iowa — (RI) — The number of fire deaths for 2019 is expected to end up above last year’s total.
The spokesman for the State Fire Marshal’s office, Ron Humphrey says the number will end up around 50.
He says there is not one factor he can link to the increase.
He does say newer types of building materials with composite wood and other products do tend to burn faster.
He says one thing they are trying to do is continue to push everyone to install and maintain smoke detectors.
Humphrey says the smoke detectors can provide the extra seconds needed to get people safely out of a burning structure.
Humphrey says the final number could change in the last days of the year. He says a fire death is not added to the list until there is confirmation from the state medical examiner that fire was the official cause.
