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Residential Building Fire Dollar-Loss Causes (2011‑2020)

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National estimates

The 2020 national estimates for the leading causes of residential building fire dollar loss show that there was:

  • $1,675,800,000 loss from other unintentional, careless fires.
  • $1,135,900,000 loss from electrical malfunction fires.
  • $902,700,000 loss from intentional fires.

Overall trends

Overall trends in the leading fire dollar loss causes for the 10-year period of 2011 to 2020 show the following:

  • Other unintentional, careless was the leading cause of residential fire dollar loss for the 10-year period.
  • A 45% increase in residential other unintentionally or carelessly set fire 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.
  • An 18% increase in residential electrical malfunction fire dollar loss.*
    In 2018 and 2019, there were 32 and 14 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. The 2019 high-dollar-loss fires included a $26,400,000 hotel fire in New Orleans, Louisiana.
  • A 39% increase in residential intentional fire dollar loss.*
    An $80,000,000 under-construction apartment and hotel complex fire in St. Paul, Minnesota, contributed to the 2020 dollar-loss peak.
  • The spike in the 2016 residential exposure fire dollar loss is attributed in part to the Gatlinburg, Tennessee, wildfires.
*This overall constant dollar-loss trend takes inflation into account by adjusting each year's dollar loss to its equivalent 2020 value.

Leading causes of residential building fire dollar loss (2011-2020)

(in $millions *)
2011201220132014201520162017201820192020
Other unintentional, careless1240.71261.71156.51200.51357.91264.91458.91629.01590.31675.8
Electrical malfunction1175.1918.11027.01016.01036.5978.11116.91265.11223.21135.9
Open flame695.5711.9624.3672.6672.6573.8668.6745.6653.3726.3
Other heat563.3656.3492.9512.6724.6432.5552.4651.3530.9671.9
Natural559.5707.1414.4529.6494.5505.6494.5533.3523.4446.5
Intentional554.0600.6525.3422.4429.2437.1779.8573.5445.9902.7
Exposure407.2336.0613.2431.3469.01255.9541.8322.7414.9397.4