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National estimates
The 2021 national estimates for the leading causes of nonresidential building fire dollar loss show that there were:
- $671,300,000 loss from other equipment fires.
- $542,100,000 loss from other unintentional, careless fires.
- $532,400,000 loss from exposure fires.
- $501,800,000 loss from electrical malfunction fires
Overall trends
Overall trends in the leading causes of fire dollar loss for the 10-year period of 2012 to 2021 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 132% increase in 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 5% increase in nonresidential other unintentionally or carelessly set fire dollar loss.
- A 261% increase in exposure fire dollar loss.
A $67,800,000 reported Hoboken, New Jersey, manufacturing fire contributed to the 2021 dollar-loss peak. - A 26% increase in nonresidential electrical 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 intentional fire dollar loss in 2020.
*The overall constant dollar-loss trends take inflation into account by adjusting each year's dollar loss to its equivalent 2021 value.
Leading causes of nonresidential building fire dollar-loss (2012-2021)
2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Other equipment | 335.6 | 178.6 | 158.2 | 265.2 | 254.3 | 252.1 | 378.3 | 292.7 | 230.5 | 671.3 |
Other unintentional, careless | 392.6 | 655.7 | 441.9 | 607.0 | 609.2 | 518.9 | 546.0 | 458.9 | 564.5 | 542.1 |
Exposure | 100.5 | 173.3 | 166.6 | 169.8 | 284.8 | 158.3 | 113.6 | 218.4 | 272.5 | 532.4 |
Electrical malfunction | 371.3 | 434.1 | 337.4 | 445.5 | 332.9 | 477.3 | 403.0 | 435.3 | 445.9 | 501.8 |
Cause under investigation | 164.3 | 161.2 | 233.3 | 193.7 | 334.0 | 218.2 | 122.7 | 250.4 | 173.2 | 271.1 |
Equipment malfunction | 320.6 | 237.8 | 226.0 | 229.2 | 175.4 | 256.7 | 256.4 | 272.8 | 270.3 | 212.2 |
Intentional | 317.5 | 221.3 | 221.4 | 212.6 | 232.6 | 247.5 | 175.4 | 188.5 | 561.5 | 208.4 |
Other Heat | 213.3 | 171.1 | 260.2 | 191.8 | 210.6 | 186.3 | 168.8 | 186.2 | 158.5 | 159.8 |
Natural | 207.6 | 114.4 | 181.0 | 176.7 | 213.8 | 167.6 | 134.4 | 288.2 | 182.3 | 151.9 |