Cleveland Has Lowest Fire Fatalities Since 1898

The city of Cleveland, Ohio, had just five fire fatalities in 2010, the lowest number in more than a century.

Cleveland Fire Chief Paul Stubbs says the deaths came in a year when city received more than 60,000 fire alarm calls. Stubbs says the last time the number was so low was in 1898, when the city recorded about 1,100 fire alarms.

Stubbs says the goal is to have zero fatalities. He says the use of translators helped the city reach immigrant communities with fire-safety messages. He also credited the American Red Cross for its work in fire safety.