Child Fire Death Risk

For children under the age of 5, the fire death rate trend decreased 28% over the 10-year period. Children of this age group, however, have the highest fire death rates among children of all ages and, as a result, are at a higher relative risk of dying in a fire when compared to older children.

Prior to 2006, the fire death rate for young children was slightly higher than the general population. From 2011 to 2020, the fire death rates of children ages 4 and younger were less than that of the general population. This decline may be attributed, in part, to an increase in public fire education and prevention efforts.

For 2019 and 2020, the relative risk of dying in a fire for the youngest children was 50% lower than that of the general population — the lowest relative risk for this age group since the U.S. Fire Administration began tracking the relative risk of dying in a fire in the mid-1970s.

The fire death rate trend for children ages 5 to 9 decreased 6% over the 10-year period. In 2020, the relative risk of dying in a fire for this group was 70% less than that of the general population.

From 2011 to 2020, the fire death rate trend increased 15% for children ages 10 to 14. In 2020, however, the relative risk of dying in a fire for children of this age group was 80% less than that of the general population, as it also was in 2019. Although the trend in the fire death rate has increased for children of this age group, they still have the lowest relative risk of dying in a fire compared to younger children.