Residential Building Other Unintentional, Careless Fire Trends (2014-2023)

National estimates

The 2023 national estimates for residential building other unintentional, careless fires and losses show that there were:

• 31,500 fires.
• 625 deaths.
• 1,600 injuries.
• $2,480,500,000 in dollar loss.

Overall trends

Overall trends for residential building other unintentional, careless fires and losses for the 10-year period of 2014 to 2023 show the following:

• A 42% increase in fires.
• A 50% increase in deaths.
  In 2018, there were 16 reported multifatality fire incidents, 18 in 2019, 9 in 2020, 15 in 2021, 23 in 2022 and 12 in 2023. These multifatality fire incidents may have contributed to the increase in the estimates of fire deaths.
• A 38% increase in injuries.
  In 2020, there were 64 reported multiple injury fire incidents, 68 in 2021 and 63 in 2023 that may have contributed to the increase in the estimate of fire injuries. The 2020 multiple injury fire incidents included a high-rise apartment building fire in Bronx, New York, with 29 injuries.
• A 76% increase in dollar loss.^*
  The 2021 high-dollar loss fires included a $20,000,000 large residential fire in Palo Alto, California. The 2022 high-dollar loss fires included a $10,900,000 house fire in Iron Mountain, Michigan, and a $10,400,000 apartment building fire in Tacoma, Washington. The 2023 high-dollar loss fires included a $12,000,000 apartment building fire in San Antonio, Texas.

* This overall constant dollar-loss trend takes inflation into account by adjusting each year's dollar loss to its equivalent 2023 value.

Fires, deaths, injuries and dollar loss (2014-2023)

• Fires
• Deaths
• Injuries
• $ Loss