U.S. highway vehicle fires by year
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NFPA members: Download NFPA's U.S. Vehicle Fire Trends and Patterns report (PDF, 251 KB), June 2010.
A complete overview of vehicle fire patterns and trends. This report addresses highway vehicles, rail transport vehicles, water transport vehicles, aircraft, and heavy equipment and special vehicles.
| Year |
Highway vehicle fires |
Civilian deaths |
Civilian injuries |
Direct property damage
(In billions)
As reported |
Direct property damage
(In billions)
In 2011 dollars |
| 1980 |
456,000 |
650 |
2,850 |
$0.5 |
$1.3 |
| 1981 |
453,000 |
770 |
2,900 |
$0.5 |
$1.2 |
| 1982 |
433,000 |
575 |
3,250 |
$0.5 |
$1.2 |
| 1983 |
435,500 |
670 |
3,400 |
$0.6 |
$1.3 |
| 1984 |
437,000 |
530 |
3,250 |
$0.6 |
$1.4 |
| 1985 |
437,000 |
770 |
3,250 |
$0.7 |
$1.4 |
| 1986 |
438,000 |
665 |
2,850 |
$0.7 |
$1.4 |
| 1987 |
451,000 |
755 |
2,900 |
$0.7 |
$1.5 |
| 1988 |
459,000 |
800 |
2,750 |
$0.8 |
$1.5 |
| 1989 |
415,500 |
560 |
2,750 |
$0.8 |
$1.4 |
| 1990 |
415,000 |
645 |
3,025 |
$0.8 |
$1.4 |
| 1991 |
406,500 |
530 |
2,675 |
$0.8 |
$1.4 |
| 1992 |
385,500 |
665 |
2,750 |
$0.8 |
$1.3 |
| 1993 |
402,000 |
540 |
2,400 |
$0.9 |
$1.4 |
| 1994 |
402,000 |
555 |
2,325 |
$1.0 |
$1.5 |
| 1995 |
386,000 |
490 |
2,275 |
$1.0 |
$1.5 |
| 1996 |
395,000 |
550 |
2,075 |
$1.1 |
$1.6 |
| 1997 |
377,000 |
450 |
1,950 |
$1.1 |
$1.5 |
| 1998 |
358,500 |
545 |
2,050 |
$1.1 |
$1.6 |
| 1999 |
345,000 |
450 |
1,600 |
$1.1 |
$1.5 |
| 2000 |
325,000 |
450 |
1,325 |
$1.2 |
$1.5 |
| 2001 |
327,000 |
470 |
1,750 |
$1.3 |
$1.6 |
| 2002 |
307,000 |
540 |
1,700 |
$1.2 |
$1.5 |
| 2003 |
286,000 |
455 |
1,400 |
$1.1 |
$1.3 |
| 2004 |
266,500 |
520 |
1,300 |
$1.0 |
$1.2 |
| 2005 |
259,000 |
500 |
1,450 |
$1.0 |
$1.2 |
| 2006 |
250,000 |
445 |
1,075 |
$1.0 |
$1.1 |
| 2007 |
227,500 |
365 |
1,500 |
$1.1 |
$1.2 |
| 2008 |
207,000 |
350 |
850 |
$1.2 |
$1.2 |
| 2009 |
190,500 |
260 |
1,455 |
$1.1 |
$1.1 |
| 2010 |
184,500 |
285 |
1,440 |
$1.0 |
$1.0 |
| 2011 |
187,500 |
270 |
1,020 |
$1.0 |
$1.0 |
Highway vehicles include any vehicle designed to operate normaly on highways, such as automobiles, motorcycles, buses, trucks, and trailers, but not manufactured homes on foundations.
Direct property damage figures do not include indirect losses, like business interruption. Inflation adjustment to 2011 dollars is done using the consumer price index.
Source: Fire Loss in the United States 2011, Michael J. Karter, Jr., September 2012 and previous reports in the series.
Updated: 9/12