Trend in Overall Fire Death Rates (2004-2008)See also: Older Adult Fire Death Trends | Child Fire Death Trends
On a per capita basis, fire death rates are declining, partially due to an increase in the U.S. population and an overall decline in the numbers of reported fires and fire deaths. In the case of fire deaths, fire death rates are measured by deaths per million population. Trends in fire death rates are computed to show how the rates have changed over time by smoothing fluctuations or variations in the data from year-to-year.
Overall, the trend in the fire death rate per million population decreased 10 percent from 2004-2008. The table and chart below show the decline in the fire death rate trend.
Fire Death Rates per Million Population (2004-2008)
| Year | Number of Fire Deaths | Population | Fire Death Rate (per million population) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 3,993 | 293,045,739 | 13.6 |
| 2005 | 3,983 | 295,753,151 | 13.5 |
| 2006 | 3,940 | 298,593,212 | 13.2 |
| 2007 | 3,994 | 301,579,895 | 13.2 |
| 2008 | 3,650 | 304,374,846 | 12.0 |
| 5-Year Trend (%) | -10% |
