Mississippi Fire Deaths Totaled 80 in 2010

Fire deaths in Mississippi totaled 80 in 2010, according to the state fire marshal’s office.

Chief Deputy Fire Marshal Ricky Davis tells The Clarion-Ledger that his office investigated 69 of the fatal blazes. Davis says the 2009 totals were higher at 89, with 70 investigated by the fire marshal’s office.

Davis says there were six fire deaths investigated last year in Washington County. Harrison, Winston and Sunflower counties had five deaths each, while Hinds, Lauderdale and Pearl River counties had four each.

He says the leading cause of fire-related death in Mississippi in 2010 was cooking, followed closely by heating sources such as space heaters and fireplaces.