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Annual Report on Firefighter Fatalities in the United States

The objective of the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) study “Firefighter Fatalities in the United States” is to identify and analyze all on-duty firefighter fatalities to increase understanding of their causes and how they can be prevented. The study is intended to help identify approaches that could reduce the number of deaths in future years.

2020 annual report

Firefighter fatalities in the United States in 2020

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Data visualization: Firefighter fatality causes

causes of firefighter fatalities in 2020

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Table:

CauseFatalities
Stress or overexertion37
Exposure (COVID-19)36
Vehicle crashes15
Collapse4
Caught or trapped3
Struck by object2
Out of air2
Other2
Fall1

On-duty firefighter deaths in 2020

49 Career
44 Volunteer
9 Wildland
102

Firefighters died while on duty.

36 firefighters died from COVID-19.

72Firefighters died from activities related to an emergency incident.
29Firefighters died from heart attacks.
26Firefighters died from activities at a fire scene.
25Firefighters died from activities at a non-fire scene.
14Firefighters died while responding to or returning from emergency incidents.
7Firefighters died while participating in training activities.

On-duty firefighter fatalities, 2011-2020

Does not include COVID-19 fatalities for purposes of trend analysis
2011201220132014201520162017201820192020
Firefighter Fatalities918611097909293856566

Firefighter fatalities by age (2020)

< 211
21-254
26-305
31-355
36-407
41-4515
46-5014
51-559
56-6015
61-6510
66-7011
71-753
> 753

1986-2019 annual firefighter fatality reports