U.S. Fire Administration

TOPICAL FIRE RESEARCH SERIES

Volume 2, Issue 14

November 2001 (Rev. March 2002)

Construction Site Fires

FINDINGS

S Each year, an estimated 4,800 construction site fires cause $35 million

in property loss.

S Firefighters injured in construction fires are twice as likely to be hit or

struck by debris and other objects than firefighters at other fire sites.

S Fire incidence at construction sites/complexes increases as the workday progresses.

S The causes of 71% of construction site fires are arson and open flame.

Sources: NFPA and NFIRS

Each year between 1996 and 1998, an estimated 4,800 fires were reported at

construction sites or complexes. These fires are responsible for approximately 30 injuries, 10 fatalities, and $35.2 million in property loss.

1 This report addresses the causes

and characteristics of these fires.
Figure 1 compares the loss measures for construction site fires to those for all

reported fires. Construction site fires are less likely to injure or kill civilians, but cause

more damage than fires generally, possibly because they tend to have little protection

from fire (e.g., smoke alarms, sprinklers). The dollar loss per fire does not include costs

incurred as a result of construction delays caused by fire damage.

Source: NFIRS only

Figure 1. Loss Measures for Construction Site Fires

(3-year average, NFIRS data 1996–98)

CONSTRUCTION

LOSS MEASURE ALL REPORTED FIRES SITE FIRES

Dollar Loss/Fire

Civilian Injuries/1,000 Fires

Civilian Fatalities/1,000 Fires

Firefighter Injuries/1,000 Fires

$5,619 $8,643

15.7 7.5

2.4 2.3

11.0 13.4

Firefighters at construction site fires, however, face a high rate of injury—14% of all

firefighter injuries over the 3-year period.2 No firefighter casualties were reported to the

National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) between 1996 and 1998.

As shown in Figure 1, firefighters are more likely to be injured on construction sites

than in fires generally. Figure 2 compares the causes of firefighter casualties on construction sites to firefighter casualties generally. Firefighters injured on construction sites are

more likely to fall or slip or to be struck by an object such as debris or other construction

materials.

Figure 2. Causes of Firefighter Casualties:

Construction Sites vs. All Sites

(3-year average, NFIRS data 1996–98, adjusted percentage)

CAUSE

Fell/Slipped

Caught/Trapped

Struck by

Contact with/Exposure to

Overexertion

Source: NFIRS only

ALL FIREFIGHTER

CASUALTIES CASUALTIES

20 27

5 5

16 30

34 17

23 22
PROPERTY TYPES

Figure 3 lists the leading property uses associated with construction complex fires.

The leading property use is vacant construction properties. A small percentage of fires do

occur on residential, commercial, and educational properties where construction projects

are underway. Also, less than 1% of construction complex fires involve buildings slated

for demolition.

PERCENT

OF FIRES

Vacant Construction Property

Building Under Construction

Construction Site

12

11

9

Figure 3. Leading Fixed

Property Uses

(3-year average, NFIRS data

1996–98, adjusted percentage)

FIXED PROPERTY USE

Source: NFIRS only

CAUSES

Figure 4 illustrates the leading causes of construction site fires. The two dominant

causes are incendiary/suspicious (arson) (41%) and open flame (30%). Arson fires are

one and one-half times more frequent than all reported fires.

0 10 0 0 0 50

Incendiary/Suspicious

Open Flame

Smoking

Other Heat

Heating

Other Equipment

Electrical Distribution

Exposure

Children Playing

Natural

Appliances

Cooking

Figure 4. Causes of Construction Site Fires

(3-year average, NFIRS data 1996–98)

Adjusted Percent

Construction Site Fires

All Fires

Source: NFIRS only

2 3 4
SOURCES OF IGNITION

The leading sources of heat of ignition at construction sites are listed in Figure 5.

The open fire category includes rubbish fires, open incinerators, and open trash burners. The combination of open fire and cutting torch sources of ignition (18%) correspond to the high incidence of open flame fires.

Figure 5. Sources of Heat

of Ignition

(3-year average, NFIRS data

1996–98, adjusted percentage)

HEAT OF IGNITION

Matches

Cutting Torch

Open Fire

Cigarette

Source: NFIRS only

PERCENT

OF FIRES

18

9

9

5

Figure 6 highlights the leading factors influencing the ignition of construction site fires.

The prominence of incendiary/suspicious fires is not surprising. For the remainder of

fires, about 30% involve the misuse of the heat of ignition (e.g., cutting/welding too

close to combustibles). This underscores the importance of properly discarding ignition

sources and using tools in an appropriate manner.

PERCENT

OF FIRES

Incendiary/Suspicious

Cutting/Welding Too Close to

Combustibles

Abandoned, Discarded Materials

Inadequate Control of Open Fire

39

11

9

6

Figure 6. Factors Influencing

Fire Ignition

(3-year average, NFIRS data 1996–98,

adjusted percentage)

IGNITION FACTOR

Source: NFIRS only
MATERIALS IGNITED

The leading materials ignited in construction site fires are rubbish/trash; growing/living forms, including grass, trees, and brush; and structural members/framing materials.

Consistent with the predominance of arson fires, fuel—particularly gasoline—is also a

common material ignited in fires on construction sites.

WHEN FIRES OCCUR

Construction site fires are spread somewhat uniformly throughout the year (Figure

7). March and July are peak months.

Figure 7. Incidence of Construction Site

Fires by Month

(3-year average, NFIRS data 1996–98)

0 4 8 10

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Adjusted Percent

Source: NFIRS only

2 6
As shown in Figure 8, fire incidence at construction sites increases steadily over the

course of the workday (0600–1800). The pattern for arson fires at these sites, however, is

the opposite, with fire incidence more prevalent after hours. (This is consistent with

national arson trends generally.)

Figure 8. Incidence of Construction Site Fires by Time of Day

(3-year average, NFIRS data 1996–98)

Adjusted Percent

2400-01000100-02000200-03000300-04000400-05000500-06000600-07000700-08000800-09000900-10001000-11001100-12001200-13001300-14001400-15001500-16001600-17001700-18001800-19001900-20002000-21002100-22002200-23002300-2400

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

All Fires

Arson Fires Only

Source: NFIRS only

EXAMPLES

S In October 2000, a suspicious four-alarm fire destroyed a live-work loft project

under construction in California.3

S In May 2000, an accidental six-alarm fire destroyed a luxury apartment complex

under construction and heavily damaged a historic post office in Tampa, Florida. The

fire ignited when a forklift hit a utility pole and knocked down a transformer, which

fell onto combustible construction debris.

4

S In June 2000, workers using a cutting torch ignited a fire that affected 32,000

phone lines in the San Francisco area.5

S In June 1999, a crane operator was trapped above a fire at a historical renovation

project in Atlanta, Georgia. The fire department used a helicopter to rescue him.6

CONCLUSION

As with all fires, construction site fires are largely preventable. For further information, contact your local fire department or the USFA.
-

NOTES:

1. National estimates are based on data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS)

(1996-1998) and the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA’s) annual survey, Fire Loss in the

United States.

2. Fire in the United States, Twelfth Edition, U.S. Fire Administration, August 2001.

3. Reang, Putsata, “Neighbors Worry About Fire at Construction Site,” Mercury News, October 18, 2000.

4. Chachere, Vickie, “Fire Hits Construction Site in Tampa’s Ybor City,” The Associated Press, May 19,

2000.

5. Stannard, Matthew, “Third Fiasco in Three Months at BART Site,” The San Francisco Chronicle, September 13, 2000.

6. Rhodes, David, “Atlanta Mill Fire and Helicopter Rescue,” Fire Engineering, June 1999.

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