Nonresidential Building Fire Dollar-Loss Causes (2014-2023)

National estimates

The 2023 national estimates for the leading causes of nonresidential building fire dollar loss show that there were:

• $881,200,000 loss from other unintentional, careless fires.
• $354,400,000 loss from electrical malfunction fires.
• $349,100,000 loss from intentional fires.
• $287,700,000 loss from other equipment fires.

Overall trends

Overall trends in the leading causes of fire dollar loss^* for the 10-year period of 2014 to 2023 show the following:

• Other unintentional, careless fires as the leading cause of nonresidential building fire dollar loss in 9 years out of the 10-year period.
• A 51% increase in nonresidential other unintentionally or carelessly set fire dollar loss.
  A $38,000,000 Bartlett, Illinois, warehouse fire and an $81,000,000 manufacturing fire in Portage, Wisconsin, contributed to the 2022 and 2023 dollar-loss peaks, respectively.
• A 1% decrease in nonresidential electrical malfunction fire dollar loss.
• A 47% increase in nonresidential equipment malfunction fire dollar loss.
  A $26,465,000 San Francisco, California, building supply warehouse fire with several exposures and a $17,000,000 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, fire reported in a mercantile or business property contributed to the increase in nonresidential intentional fire dollar loss in 2020. A $53,000,000 reported construction site fire in Aurora, Colorado, contributed to the increase in fire dollar loss in 2023.
• A 72% increase in nonresidential other equipment fire dollar loss.
  A $170,000,000 Earlimart, California, fire reported in a manufacturing property contributed to the 2021 dollar-loss peak.
• A 19% increase in nonresidential equipment malfunction fire dollar loss. A $25,000,000 reported Carthage, Arkansas, manufacturing fire contributed to the 2022 dollar-loss peak.
• A $67,800,000 reported Hoboken, New Jersey, manufacturing fire contributed to the 2021 nonresidential exposure fire dollar-loss peak.