Residential Building Fire Dollar-Loss Causes (2015-2024)

Overall trends

Overall trends in the leading causes of fire dollar loss for the 10-year period of 2015 to 2024 show the following:

• 63% increase in residential other unintentionally or carelessly set fire dollar loss.

  • Other unintentional or careless was the leading cause of residential fire dollar loss every year for the 10-year period.
  • 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.
• 25% increase in residential electrical malfunction fire dollar loss.

  • The 2022 high-dollar-loss fires included an $11,000,000 fire in Missouri.
• 175% increase in residential smoking fire dollar loss.

  • The 2024 high-dollar-loss fires included a $274,000,000 fire in North Carolina
• 23% increase in residential open-flame fire dollar loss.

  • A $110,000,000 fire in Massachusetts and an $80,000,000 fire in Minnesota contributed to the 2017 and 2020 residential intentionally set fire dollar-loss peaks, respectively.
  • The spike in the 2016 residential exposure fire dollar loss was attributed in part to wildfires in Tennessee.