Fire Statistics

The Overall Fire Picture - 2008

* There were 3,320 civilians that lost their lives as the result of fire.

* There were 16,705 civilian injuries that occurred as the result of fire.

* There were 118 firefighters killed while on duty.

* Fire killed more Americans than all natural disasters combined.

* 84 percent of all civilian fire deaths occurred in residences.

* There were an estimated 1.5 million fires in 2008.

* Direct property loss due to fires was estimated at $15.5 billion. This figure includes the 2008 California Wildfires with an estimated loss of $1.4 billion.

* An estimated 32,500 intentionally set structure fires resulted in 315 civilian deaths.

* Intentionally set structure fires resulted in an estimated $866 million in property damage.

Source: National Fire Protection Association Fire Loss in the U.S. 2008 and USFA's Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2008.

Residential Structure Fires

Residential fire incidents peak from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. during dinner preparation.  Although fire incidents drop when people sleep, deaths are at their highest late at night and in the early morning hours.  More than half of residential fire deaths occur in fires that start between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.  The peak night hours are from 2:00 to 5:00 a.m., when most people are in a deep sleep.  Seventy-four percent of deaths occur in homes with no working smoke alarm.

Year

Fires

Deaths

Injuries

Direct Dollar Loss In Millions

1999

383,000

2,920

16,425

$5,092

2000

379,500

3,445

17,400

$5,674

2001

396,500

3,140

15,575

$5,643

2002

401,000

2,695

14,050

$6,055

2003

402,000

3,165

14,075

$6,074

2004

410,500

3,225

14,175

$5,948

2005

396,000

3,055

13,825

$6,875

2006

412,500

2,620

12,925

$6,990

2007

414,000

2,895

14,000

$7,546

2008

403,000

2,780

13,560

$8,550