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Residential Building Other Unintentional, Careless Fire Trends (2011‑2020)

Main content

National estimates

The 2020 national estimates for residential building other unintentional, careless fires and losses show that there were:

  • 27,800 fires.
  • 500 deaths.
  • 1,800 injuries.
  • $1,675,800,000 in dollar loss.

Overall trends

Overall trends for residential building other unintentional, careless fires and losses for the 10-year period of 2011 to 2020 show the following:

  • A 30% increase in fires.
  • A 57% increase in deaths.
    In 2018, 2019 and 2020, 16, 18 and 9 reported multifatality fire incidents (resulting in 2, 3, 4 or 5 deaths each), respectively, may have contributed to the increase in the estimate of fire deaths.
  • A 40% increase in injuries.
  • A 45% increase in dollar loss.*
    In 2018, 2019 and 2020, there were 33, 30 and 24 incidents, respectively, with a reported dollar loss of $1,000,000 or more, which may have contributed to the continued increase in fire dollar loss.
*This overall constant dollar-loss trend takes inflation into account by adjusting each year's dollar loss to its equivalent 2020 value.

Fires, deaths, injuries and dollar loss

Residential building other unintentional, careless fires

2011201220132014201520162017201820192020
Fires24900211002100022000245002420026400286002720027800

Residential building other unintentional, careless fire deaths

2011201220132014201520162017201820192020
Deaths360295465450440480435545585500

Residential building other unintentional, careless fire injuries

2011201220132014201520162017201820192020
Injuries1625105010751075135013251300145016501800

Residential building other unintentional, careless fire dollar loss

YearDollar loss
20111240700000
20121261700000
20131156500000
20141200500000
20151357900000
20161264900000
20171458900000
20181629000000
20191590300000
20201675800000
2011201220132014201520162017201820192020
Dollar loss1.21.31.21.21.41.31.51.61.61.7