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Residential Building Other Unintentional, Careless Fire Trends (2015-2024)

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National estimates

The 2024 national estimates for residential building other unintentional, careless fires and losses show that there were:

  • 34,400 fires.
  • 550 deaths.
  • 1,500 injuries.
  • $2,370,200,000 in dollar loss.

Overall trends

Overall trends for residential building other unintentional, careless fires and losses for the 10-year period of 2015 to 2024 show the following:

  • 40% increase in fires.
  • 38% increase in deaths.
    • From 2018 to 2024, there were multiple reported multifatality fire incidents that may have contributed to the increase in the estimates of fire deaths.
  • 18% increase in injuries.
    • In 2020, 2021 and 2023, there were numerous multiple-injury fire incidents that may have contributed to the increase in the estimate of fire injuries. The 2020 multiple-injury fire incidents included a high-rise apartment building fire in New York with 29 injuries.
  • 63% increase in dollar loss.*
    • The 2021 high-dollar-loss fires included a $20,000,000 fire in California. The 2022 high-dollar-loss fires included a $10,900,000 fire in Michigan and a $10,400,000 fire in Washington. The 2023 high-dollar-loss fires included a $12,000,000 fire in Texas. The 2024 high-dollar-loss fires included a $21,000,000 fire in California.
* The overall dollar-loss trend takes inflation into account by adjusting each year's dollar loss to its equivalent 2024 value.

Fires, deaths, injuries and dollar loss (2015-2024)

Residential building other unintentional, careless fires (2015-2024)

Residential building other unintentional, careless fires (2015-2024)
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Fires 24500 24200 26400 28600 27200 27800 29800 33000 31500 34400

Residential building other unintentional, careless fire deaths (2015-2024)

Residential building other unintentional, careless fire deaths (2015-2024)
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Deaths 440 480 435 545 585 500 575 665 625 550

Residential building other unintentional, careless fire injuries (2015-2024)

Residential building other unintentional, careless fire injuries (2015-2024)
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Injuries 1350 1325 1300 1450 1650 1800 1700 1375 1600 1500

Residential building other unintentional, careless fire dollar loss (2015-2024)

Residential building other unintentional, careless fire dollar loss (2015-2024)
Year Dollar loss
2015 1645800000
2016 1533100000
2017 1768200000
2018 1974400000
2019 1927500000
2020 2031100000
2021 2249600000
2022 2453700000
2023 2553700000
2024 2370200000