13 House Fire Statistics and Facts – 2024 Update
-
- Last updated:
Note: This article’s statistics come from third-party sources and do not represent the opinions of this website.
House fires are a serious problem that is only increasing. Whether you live in California or Maine, house fires are an issue that you need to consider before tragedy strikes.
As you will learn below, house fires are all too common and often lead to thousands of dollars of damage, medical bills, and lost lives. Scroll down to learn 13 key house fires statistics and facts, as well as answers to frequently asked questions about house fires.
Click below to jump ahead:
- Frequency of House Fires
- Injuries, Deaths, and Costs Associated with House Fires
- Causes of House Fires
Top 13 House Fire Statistics
- There was over 1.3 million fires in 2020.
- Almost 26% of reported fires happened in the home.
- In 2018, Texas had the most fatal house fires per capita
- House fires are down by 3% but deaths related to house fires are up by 24%.
- 75% of civilian fires deaths and 72% of civilian fire injuries were all caused by home fires.
- In 2019, nearly 4000 Americans died from house fires, and another 16,600 are injured.
- A fire-related injury happens every 32 minutes and a fire-related death happens every 142 minutes.
- Almost 50 active firefighters died while responding to a fire in 2019.
- Having a functioning smoke alarm doubles the chances of surviving a house fire.
- Fires have been responsible for a loss of $14.8 billion.
- 50% of house fires are caused by cooking accidents.
- Most house fires caused by cooking happen on Thanksgiving Day.
- Arson is a more common cause of house fires than smoking materials.
Frequency of House Fires
Often, many people hear about house fires and think that it will never happen to them. Although it’s true that you might never see a house fire in your life, house fires are more common than you might think.
1. There was over 1.3 million fires in 2020.
(U.S. Fire Administration)
Over a million fires in one year is a staggering number. Of that number of fires, about 350,000 were house fires. The rest were commercial fires, wildfires, and vehicle fires.
2. Almost 26% of reported fires happened in the home.
(National Fire Protection Association)
Fires in the home are, unfortunately, more common than people think. A study that covered a 5-year period (2015-2019) showed that over a quarter of reported fires happen in the home, and the causes for those fires vary.
3. In 2018, Texas had the most fatal house fires per capita.
(Security Sales)
Out of the 50 states, Texas had the most deaths by house fires in 2018. It also had 9 deaths due to cooking fires – also the most in any of the states. North Dakota had the fewest house fires per capita.
(U.S. Fire Administration)
Surprisingly, house fires are down by 3% since 2010. However, deaths related to house fires are up by 24%. It is predicted that the reason for this is due to more house fires being caused by wildfires. Since wildfires are more difficult to escape, they lead to more deaths.
Injuries, Deaths, and Costs Associated with House Fires
House fires are damaging in more ways than one. They can lead to injuries, high bills, and even death.
5. 75% of civilian fires deaths and 72% of civilian fire injuries were all caused by home fires.
(National Fire Protection Association)
Too many people are injured or die because of house fires. Since there are so many causes of house fires, this increases the chance a person can get injured or die from one. Precautions are necessary to avoid these tragedies.
6. In 2019, nearly 4000 Americans died from house fires, and another 16,600 were injured.
(U.S. Fire Administration)
To further show just how dangerous house fires can be, the number of deaths caused by house fires has been increasing each year. In addition to those thousands of deaths, another over 16,000 are injured.
(NSC Injury Facts)
Because of how many deaths and injuries happen from house fires, an injury caused by a house fire happens every 32 minutes, whereas death from a house fire happens every 142 minutes. So, you can anticipate one person dying from a house fire every hour and a half.
8. Almost 50 active firefighters died while responding to a fire in 2019.
(NSC Injury Facts)
Civilians are not the only individuals who die from a house fire. The brave men and women who put themselves in the line of danger can also die from a house fire. In 2019, 48 active firefighters died while on duty.
9. Having a functioning smoke alarm doubles the chances of surviving a house fire.
(SF Fire Department)
Having a smoke alarm is one of the most critical ways to protect yourself from a house fire. Fire departments estimate that you are nearly twice as likely to survive if you have one functioning smoke alarm in your home.
10. Fires have been responsible for a loss of $14.8 billion.
(U.S. Fire Administration)
House fires can do more damage than just to your body. In 2019 alone, fires were responsible for $14.8 billion worth of damage. Of course, this isn’t just house fires, but house fires still cause a big chunk of this damage.
Causes of House Fires
Fires don’t just start from nothing. Although there are many potential causes for a house fire, about half of all house fires are caused by cooking appliances or cooking accidents. It’s important to know the most common causes of house fires so that you can protect your home accordingly.
11. 50% of house fires are caused by cooking accidents.
(U.S. Fire Administration)
Most house fires are caused by cooking accidents. In fact, 50% of all house fires are caused this way. No other cause comes close to accounting for as many house fires as cooking accidents do.
12. Most house fires caused by cooking happen on Thanksgiving Day.
(Insurance Information Institute)
Most house fires caused by cooking happen on Thanksgiving, but Christmas Day and the 4th of July are two other holidays that see a lot of cooking-related house fires. This is simply due to how many people are cooking these days.
13. Arson is a more common cause of house fires than smoking materials.
(National Fire Protection Association)
One of the most common pieces of advice you will hear to prevent house fires is properly disposing of smoking materials.
Even though smoking materials are responsible for 5% of house fires, intentional fires make up more house fires. This means that your house is more likely to burn down from arson than smoking materials.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t care about your smoking materials. Even though smoking materials only cause a small portion of house fires, you are most likely to die from a house fire caused by smoking materials than other causes.
In fact, 23% of civilian deaths are caused by smoking material fires. In comparison, 20% of civilian deaths are caused by cooking fires.
Frequently Asked Questions About House Fires
How many house fires are there per year?
On average, there are about 350,000 house fires every year within the United States.
(NSC Injury Facts)
How many people have died from house fires?
Every year, it is estimated that around 4000 Americans die from house fires.
(SF Fire Department)
When do most house fires happen?
Most house fires happen on the weekends between the hours of 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM. Most house fires happen during the fall and winter. This is interesting if you compare it to other fire types, which are much more common in the summer due to high heat and fireworks.
(American Red Cross)
What is the best way to protect my home from a house fire?
The best way to protect your home from a house fire is to invest in working smoke alarms and to never leave a cooking appliance or fire unattended. It’s also a good idea to create a fire escape plan so that your family knows what to do in case something happens.
(American Red Cross)
How do I create a fire escape plan?
A fire escape plan will help you leave your house in case it catches on fire. Escape plans should have more than one escape route in case smoke or fire blocks the original route. Your escape plan should also come with ladders that can be thrown out windows if you live in a 2-story or more home.
(American Red Cross)
Conclusion
These statistics leave no doubt in anyone’s mind: a house fire is an incredibly dangerous scenario that is not uncommon in America. Because of how devastating house fires can be, it’s important that you familiarize your family and home with the tools and plans to fight house fires and their effects.
At the very least, make sure your home has a working fire alarm and a working fire extinguisher. From there, invest in other tools, such as an escape plan, to ensure that everyone in your home can evacuate the home quickly and efficiently in the case of a fire.
Contents
