The BC Coroners Service has released the report and recommendations of a Death Review Panel into the deaths of child and youth victims of residential fires.

The panel, composed of experts from across the spectrum of both child-serving and fire prevention agencies, made three recommendations, aimed at:

• fire safety education;
• fire prevention; and
• better data collection regarding fire deaths.

The panel investigated the deaths of 34 children and youth who died in 22 separate fire incidents from the year 2005 through 2014.

The panel found that children under the age of 10 years were significantly more likely to die in residential fires than were those aged from 11 through 18. Almost 20% of children under age 10 who died accidentally during the period of the review were the victims of fires. An equal number of girls and boys died in the fires.

Risk factors found to increase the risk of a fire-related death included:

• substandard housing;
• overcrowded housing;
• a lower level of supervision of children; and
• a home environment where smoking was present.

The panel also noted that four of the fires were started by children under the age of 10 playing with matches or a lighter.

The full text of the report can be found on the B.C. government website: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/public-safety-and-emergency-services/death-investigation/child-death-review-unit/reports-publications/fire-related-deaths-children-youth.pdf

Michael Egilson, head of the Child Death Review Unit, stated that the next BC Coroners Service Death Review Panel will tackle the issue of Intimate Partner Violence. The panel is expected to be held in late spring or early summer of this year.

A backgrounder follows.