NIST study suggests frailty makes elderly more likely to die in home fires

(National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)) A new study by NIST shows scientifically for the first time that an individual's ability to respond quickly to a residential fire determines who dies and who gets injured. Home fire deaths, the NIST researchers state, are more likely among those they define as frail populations--persons who are not in robust health and primarily age 65 and older--while nonfatal injuries occur more often in adults ages 20 to 49.