NEW YORK, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- New York civilian fire deaths in 2006 are their lowest in almost 100 years, the New York Post reported Friday.
The Fire Department of New York told the newspaper that with a few days left in the year, 79 people have died as a result of fire, down 24 percent from last year. Fire deaths averaged around 300 during the 1970s and 1980s. In the past decade, the number has averaged 100.
"This is a remarkable accomplishment for the city, the department and every firefighter," Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta told the Post.
The department cites increased fire safety education as a cause for the decline in deaths. The last five years have reported the lowest number of deaths since department record keeping began in 1916, the Post reported.
The numbers do not account for the thousands killed during the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, as the department considers the attacks an act of war.
