Home Structure Fires

Report: NFPA's "Home Structure Fires"
Author: Shelby Hall
Issued: April 2023

Report & tables

Home Structure Fires

This report examines causes and circumstances of home structure fires reported to local fire departments in the U.S.

Download the report.

Supporting tables

The tables in this document are a companion to the report of the same name. Firefighter deaths and injuries are excluded from this analysis.

Download the tables.

Report highlights

• More than one-quarter (26%) of reported fires in 2016-2020 occurred in homes. In addition, three-quarters (75%) of civilian fire deaths and almost three-quarters (74%) of the reported injuries were caused by home fires.
• During this five-year period, US fire departments responded to an estimated average of 343,100 home structure fires per year. These fires caused an annual average of 2,610 civilian deaths; 11,090 civilian fire injuries; and $7.6 billion in direct property damage.
• Most home fires and fire casualties result from five causes: cooking, heating, electrical distribution and lighting equipment, intentional fire setting, and smoking materials.
• Over the five-year period of 2016–2020 as a whole, cooking was the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries, while smoking was the leading cause of home fire deaths.

Contact us