Facts + Statistics: Fire

 

Fire losses

Great strides have been made in constructing fire-resistant buildings and improving fire-suppression techniques, both of which have reduced the incidence of fire. However, in terms of property losses, these advances have been somewhat offset by increases in the number and value of buildings.

On average in 2018, a fire department responded to a fire every 24 seconds in the United States, according to the National Fire Protection Association. A structure fire occurred every 63 seconds, a home fire occurred every 87 seconds, and an outside property fire occurred every 52 seconds. Fires occurred in highway-type vehicles every 2 minutes and 54 seconds.

 

Fire Losses In The United States, By Line Of Insurance, 2018 (1)

 

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(1) Estimated. Includes FAIR plan and uninsured losses.

Source: ISO®, a Verisk Analytics® business.

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Structure fires

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports that there were 499,000 structure fires in the United States in 2018, unchanged from 2017. Of note, structure fires in 2016 was the lowest number of fires since the NFPA began collecting data in 1977. Structure fires peaked at 1,098,000 in 1977 and have been trending downward over the past 40 years.

Fires in structures not related to wildfires caused $11.1 billion in property damage in 2018, up 3.7 percent from the 2017 loss of $10.7 billion. The average loss for these structure fires was $22,244, up 3.7 percent from a year ago. Wildfires resulted in $10 billion in direct property loss in 2017.

Public assembly fires include fires in eating and drinking places and other entertainment venues, houses of worship and other places where people congregate. There are approximately 7,410 structure fires in eating and drinking establishments each year, according to a NFPA report based on data between 2010 and 2014.

According to the NFPA, fires in nightclubs are among the most deadly public occupancy fires, because they contain a large number of people in one main space. The deadliest nightclub fire in world history was the 1942 Cocoanut Grove fire in Boston, Massachusetts which claimed 492 lives followed by a fire at a disco/dance hall in Luoyang, China in December, 2000 that claimed 309 lives. A January, 2013 fire at the KISS night club in Brazil ranked third, claiming 242 lives. The 2003 Station Fire in Rhode Island claimed 100 lives, and ranks as number ten.

 

Large loss fires

March 25, 2011, marked the 100-year anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire. The blaze that swept through a New York City sweatshop killing 146 garment workers ushered in a new era of fire safety in the American workplace, according to the National Fire Protection Association. The September 11, 2001, World Trade Center conflagration was the deadliest, as well as the most costly, building fire in U.S. history.

 

Holiday fire losses

Fireworks

• Fireworks start an average of 18,500 fires per year, including 1,300 structure fires, 300 vehicle fires, and 16,900 outside and other fires. These fires caused an average of three deaths, 40 civilian injuries, and an average of $43 million in direct property damage, according to the NFPA.
• In 2017 U.S. hospital emergency rooms treated an estimated 12,900 people for fireworks related injuries; 31 percent of those injuries involved injuries to hands and fingers, 22 percent involved the head, face and ears, 17 percent involved legs, 14 percent involved eyes, and 6 percent involved arms according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Home fires

• The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) says Thanksgiving Day is the peak day for home cooking fires, followed by the day before Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. In 2017, U.S. fire departments responded to about 1,600 cooking fires on Thanksgiving.

• U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated annual average of 200 home structure fires that began with Christmas trees from 2011 to 2015, according to a fact sheet from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
• On average, one out of every 32 reported home Christmas tree fires resulted in a death, compared to an average of one death per 143 reported home fires.
• Home Christmas tree fires caused an average of six civilian deaths, 16 civilian injuries and $14.8 million in direct property damage annually from 2011 to 2015.
• Electrical distribution or lighting equipment was involved in two out of five (40 percent) of the home Christmas tree structure fires. About one-quarter (26 percent) occurred because some type of heat source was too close to the tree. Decorative lights were involved in 18 percent of these incidents. Eight percent of home Christmas tree fires were started by candles.
• The top three days for home candle fires were Christmas, New Year’s Day and New Year’s Eve, according to another NFPA fact sheet.
• During 2011-2015, the NFPA estimates that 12 percent of December candle fires began with decorations. These fires caused an estimated average of one civilian death, 41 civilian injuries and $13.4 million in direct property damage per year, according to an NFPA fact sheet.
• Candle fires peaked in December (11%). January and November ranked second, each with 10% of home candle fires.
• During the five-year-period of 2011-2015, 8,690 home structure fires were caused by candles each year. They caused an annual average of 82 civilian fire deaths, 800 civilian fire injuries and $295 million in direct property damage.

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