The National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control, established pursuant to Public Law 90–259, has made an exhaustive and comprehensive examination of the Nation’s fire problem, has made detailed findings as to the extent of this problem in terms of human suffering and loss of life and property, and has made ninety thoughtful recommendations.

The United States today has the highest per capita rate of death and property loss from fire of all the major industrialized nations in the world.

Fire is an undue burden affecting all Americans, and fire also constitutes a public health and safety problem of great dimensions. Fire kills 12,000 and scars and injures 300,000 Americans each year, including 50,000 individuals who require extended hospitalization. Almost $3 billion worth of property is destroyed annually by fire, and the total economic cost of destructive fire in the United States is estimated conservatively to be $11,000,000,000 per year. Firefighting is the Nation’s most hazardous profession.