Fire
Use of alternative heating equipment such as wood stoves and space heaters explains much of the high rural fire-related death rate; fires in rural areas are twice as likely to be caused by heating sources as fires in non-rural areas. Deaths due to cooking equipment, appliances and electrical fires are also more common in rural areas. Remoteness and slower emergency response times are problems in detecting and extinguishing rural fires. In addition, having a higher proportion of homes made of wood makes the extent of flame damage sustained by residential structures worse in rural areas. Fire death rates in the most rural communities (population under 2,500) are roughly double the national rate.