We are a Philadelphia-based non-profit established in 1973 to help keep our community safe from fires and burns and improve the lives of burn patients, survivors and their families. While our home base is in Philadelphia, we serve the counties surrounding Philadelphia, southern New Jersey and the state of Delaware.
The Burn Foundation is able to continue its important work thanks to the generosity of corporations in our community and individuals like you. If you would like to make a contribution to community safety and survivor support, please...
Hot Issue
Compulsive hoarding is not only a psychological condition that can put the hoarder's health and safety at risk, but it is also a fire hazard!
Even those of us who are simply prone to a bit of clutter should take note. Here is a snippet from an article detailing how a severe hoarding problem (and the careless disposal of a cigarette) led to a serious fire:
“Toronto Fire Chief William Stewart had anticipated a routine fire apartment fire, not a six-alarm inferno.
The 30-floor, 713-unit building was located in downtown Toronto. The fire began when a cigarette was dropped from an upper floor into the west-facing balcony of a unit on the 24th floor. As firefighters would soon learn, unit 2424 was no ordinary household. The 560-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment was stuffed with paper and possessions, and the balcony where the fire started was just as packed.
Fanned by winds with temperatures in the high 80s, the balcony fire spread into the apartment…
When [the firefighters] finally reached the door [of unit 2424], they discovered that the contents of the apartment were pressing against the door, preventing them from getting in….”
