Stanford researcher shows structural fires are associated with inequities in immigrant and minority housing

Heating issues due to landlord negligence and housing inequities frequently lead to unsafe heating practices that result in dangerous fires. A media release following one such terrible fire that took place in the Bronx in January 2022, causing the deaths of eight children and nine adults, drew the attention of Stanford’s Spectrum KL2 Scholar Clifford Charles Sheckter, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery.

“As a burn surgeon and researcher, one of my overarching goals is to reduce fire related injury and death,” explains Dr. Sheckter. “When I read that this fire was due to a space heater in a lower income housing complex, it got me thinking about whether there was a greater connection between unsafe heating practices and structural fires.”

“As a burn surgeon and researcher, one of my overarching goals is to reduce fire related injury and death."
                          - Clifford Sheckter, MD

Dr. Sheckter began a research study that ultimately showed a significant association between the frequency of fires and the frequency of heating complaints. The study further revealed that heating complaints and fires were more prominent in districts with a greater proportion of Black and Latinx residents. The study used deidentified publicly available municipal data from 59 community districts in New York City, including tallies of heating complaints, fire incidence dispatch data, and 2020 U.S. Census data. The connection between community fires and heating complaints shows that structural fires can be predicted and prevented by addressing heating disparities in marginalized communities.

“Like many major U.S. cities, New York has laws on the books that require safe, minimal heating,” states Dr. Sheckter. “Yet, there is a gap with enforcement, and many buildings continue to lack minimal heating standards. I hope my research and amplification through media outlets brings additional awareness, so that laws can be enforced, and Americans can advocate for safe heating.”

This work has also led Dr. Sheckter to further research into fire sprinkler legislation and its effects on reducing fire related morbidity and death. 

Dr. Sheckter’s findings were published in NIH’s National Library of Medicine JAMA Network Open and the Journal of Burn Care and Research, as well as in mainstream media outlets including USA Today (see links below).

JAMA paper:
Association of Structural Fires in New York City with Inequities in Safe Heating for Immigrant Communities
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/article-abstract/2801942

JBCR paper:
The Association of Structural Fires With Heating Complaints and Race in New York City
https://academic.oup.com/jbcr/article-abstract/44/6/1316/7276261

USA Today:
Fire risk isn’t the same across NYC, study finds. These communities are in more danger. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2023/04/03/black-latino-districts-nyc-fires/11418127002/