Major causes

The Smoking-Material Fire Problem
John R. Hall, Jr., July 2013
Analysis of fires involving smoking materials (i.e., tobacco products), including recent trends, data from other countries, and what materials are most often ignited.

Lightning Fires and Lightning Strikes
Marty Ahrens, June 2013
This analysis of lightning fires and lightning strikes includes information on incident type, and when and where the incidents occurred. Also includes selected published incident descriptions.

Fireworks
John R. Hall, Jr., June 2013
Injury patterns and trends, including shares by type of fireworks, and fire patterns and trends, based on reports to hospital emergency rooms, and trends in fireworks-related fires.  Also includes published incidents. 

Electrical Fires
John R. Hall, Jr., April 2013
This report has sections on statistics on home and non-home structure fires involving either electrical failure or malfunction in any equipment or involving electrical distribution or lighting equipment, with separate sections for each of the major types of home electrical distribution or lighting equipment. Trends, some risk comparisons, and suggested safety tips are also included.

Home Candle Fires
Marty Ahrens, December 2012
This report includes an analysis of causes and trends in home fires involving candles, candle fire frequency in other occupancies, and selected published incident descriptions.

Home Fires Involving Cooking Equipment 
Marty Ahrens, November 2012
Analysis of patterns and trends in all measures of fire loss for all types of home cooking equipment and all fuel and power types, including leading causes of ignition and analysis of relative risks. Also provides safety tips and published home cooking fire incidents.

Home Christmas Tree and Holiday Light Fires 
John R. Hall, Jr., November 2012 
This analysis of home fires beginning with Christmas trees and holiday lights includes information on when these fires occur, area of origin, and causal factors. Also includes selected published incident descriptions.

Home Fires Involving Heating Equipment
John R. Hall, Jr., September 2012
Analysis of patterns and trends in all measures of fire loss for all types of home heating equipment and all fuel and power types, including leading causes of ignition.

Intentional Fires
Ben Evarts, January 2012
An analysis on intentional fires reported to municipal fire departments during 2005-2009. Includes information on structure, vehicle, and outside intentional fires, when and where these fires occur, and arrest and clearance information.

Children Playing With Fire
Ben Evarts, November 2011
Children who play with fire are the subject of this report, which addresses the size of the problem (overall and by property class), data from other countries, what heat sources are most often used, what items are ignited, and ages and other characteristics of victims.

Fires Caused by Spontaneous Combustion or Chemical Reaction
Ben Evarts, November 2011
This analysis of fires with "spontaneous combustion or chemical reaction" listed as the heat source includes information on incident type, and where and when the incidents occurred.  Also includes selected published incident descriptions.

Home Fires That Began With Mattresses And Bedding
Ben Evarts, October 2011
This analysis of the circumstances of home structure fires that began with mattresses and bedding includes trend data, causal factors, and a comparison of mattress and bedding fires started by smoking materials vs. fires started by candles, matches or lighters. Previously published incident descriptions are included in an Appendix. 

Home Fires That Began With Upholstered Furniture
Marty Ahrens, August 2011
This analysis of the circumstances of home upholstered furniture fire includes a comparison of upholstered furniture fires started by smoking materials vs. fires started by candles, matches or lighters, as well as an examination of smoke alarms in home upholstered furniture fires. Previously published incident descriptions are included in an Appendix.

Home Structure Fires that Began with Decorations
Marty Ahrens, November 2010
This analysis of home fires beginning with decorations includes information on when these fires occur, area of origin, recent trends and causal factors.

Natural Gas and LP-Gas Home Structure Fires
Jennifer Flynn, January 2010 
An analysis of structure fires in homes in which type of material first ignited was either natural gas or LP-gas, during 2003-2007. Fires are examined by time, day, and month, as well as leading causes, factors contributing to ignition, and extent of flame damage.

Fires and Burns Involving Home Medical Oxygen  
Marty Ahrens, August 2008
This report includes estimates of emergency room visits for thermal burns and fire department responses to home fires involving medical oxygen. A review of literature on the topic from the fire service and health care sources is included. Policy and regulatory issues are also discussed. 

Natural Gas and LP-Gas Structure Fires in Properties Other Than Homes
Jennifer D. Flynn, August 2007
An analysis of structure fires in properties other than homes in which type of material first ignited was either natural gas or LP-gas, during 2000-2004. Fires are examined by time, day, and month, as well as leading causes, factors contributing to ignition, and extent of flame damage.