Understanding drivers of fire risk with people experiencing homelessness

Abstract

Fire hazards affecting people who are unhoused span natural and built environments, social circumstances, and human behavior. Identifying key drivers of fire risk and burn injury can inform injury prevention and control initiatives. We conducted 12 key informant interviews with burn patients who were unhoused. Deductive and inductive strategies were used to code transcripts. Corcoran’s conceptual model of fire risk was applied in order to group factors into environmental, social, and behavioral categories. The most frequently used fire sources were propane, hand sanitizer, and other alcohol-based liquids. Unsafely contained open flames and improper propane tank storage were frequently identified hazards. Participants described the interplay of environmental, social, and behavioral factors that need to be accounted for when addressing fire hazards. For example, the use of propane heaters inside tents is common because it is effective in warming living spaces and limits the risk of having equipment stolen. This project identified specific environmental risks, socioeconomic risks, and their interplay with identified fire hazards as foundational to injury control for people experiencing homelessness. Injury prevention strategies need to be evaluated within the complex environments of homelessness (e.g., exposure to severe weather, unsafe and potentially violent living conditions, substance use, social marginalization, and limited access to injury prevention media).