 In the developed world , adult males have twice the mortality as females from burns . This is most probably due to their higher risk occupations and greater risk @-@ taking activities . In many countries in the developing world , however , females have twice the risk of males . This is often related to accidents in the kitchen or domestic violence . In children , deaths from burns occur at more than ten times the rate in the developing than the developed world . Overall , in children it is one of the top fifteen leading causes of death . From the 1980s to 2004 , many countries have seen both a decrease in the rates of fatal burns and in burns generally . 
