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

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.