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U.S. Fire Administration/National Fire Data Center

Kitchen Fires 

Topical Fire Research Series, Volume 4 – Issue 4


October 2004 
T O P I C A L F I R E R E S E A R C H S E R I E S


October 2004 

Kitchen Fires 

Volume 4, Issue 4 

Findings 

H There were an estimated 156,500 kitchen fires in 2002, yielding 331 fatalities, 

4,914 injuries, and $876 million in property loss. 

H On average, kitchen fires caused less property loss and were less fatal than 

structure fires in general, but resulted in more injuries. 

H Cooking caused nearly 90% of all kitchen fires. The primary factor in the ignition 

of these fires was unattended equipment, and the leading type of material first 

ignited was oil, fat, or grease. 

H Kitchen fires followed no seasonal patterns. When analyzed by time of day, 

kitchen fires peaked during the dinner period between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. 

H A smoke alarm was present and operational in 45% of kitchen fires, compared 

with 29% of all structure fires generally. 

In 2002, approximately 30% of reported structure fires first ignited in a kitchen and accounted for 12% of 

deaths, 32% of injuries, and 10% of property loss.1 As a fixture of modern homes, restaurants, institutions (e.g., 

schools), food manufacturers, and some office environments, kitchens introduce the risk of cooking fires to a 

range of structures. This topical report examines the characteristics and frequency of kitchen fires and compares 

them with structure fires and all fires generally. 

LOSS ESTIMATES AND MEASURES 

An estimated 156,500 kitchen fires in 2002 caused 331 fatalities, 4,914 injuries, and $876 million in property 

loss.2 On average, kitchen fires had similar rates of fatalities and property loss per fire as all fires generally, but 

more than two and one−half times the rate of injuries, as Figure 1 indicates. When compared with all structure 

fires, kitchen fires were less than half as deadly and costly but slightly more injurious. 

FIGURE 1. LOSS MEASURES FOR KITCHEN FIRES 

Loss Measure All Fires All Structure Fires Kitchen Fires 

$ Loss/Fire $5,832 $14,252 $4,736

Fatalities/1,000 Fires 2.4 5.1 2.0 

Injuries/1,000 Fires 12.5 30.5 31.9 

Source: NFIRS 5.0 only 

U.S. Department of Homeland Security S Federal Emergency Management Agency 

United States Fire Administration S National Fire Data Center 

Emmitsburg, Maryland 21727 

http://www.usfa.fema.gov/inside−usfa/nfdc/pubs/tfrs.shtm 

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The lower rates of death and dollar loss among kitchen fires may be related to their leading cause, which is 

cooking. Many cooking fires are confined to the cooking range or oven where they started and do not grow large 

enough to be fatal or cause serious property damage, although even small cooking fires cause injuries. 

WHERE FIRES OCCUR 

Kitchen fires typically take place in fixed structures, with 89% occurring on residential property, 4% on public 

assembly property (including restaurants), and 2% in both institutional and commercial properties.3 Among residential kitchen fires in 2002, 59% occurred in one− or two−family homes and 35% occurred in apartments, condominiums, or other multifamily residences. 

CAUSES 

The leading cause of kitchen fires was cooking, followed by other heat or flame and appliance fires, as Figure 2 

indicates. Since kitchens are primarily used for cooking—and cooking most often requires heat—this is to be 

expected. For all 2002 structure fires, cooking was also the leading cause, involving 36% of fires, followed by 

heating (17%) and open flame, sparks, or embers (10%). 

FIGURE 2. LEADING CAUSES OF KITCHEN FIRES 

Cause Percent 

Cooking 88.8 

Other Heat, Flame, Spark 2.9 

Appliances, Air Conditioners 2.1 

Source: NFIRS 5.0 only

Factors Contributing to Ignition 

In 28% of kitchen fires, no specific factor lead to ignition (Figure 3). This indicates that there is an inherent 

risk of fire from cooking activities and such fires occur under normal circumstances. The leading factor of ignition 

in kitchen fires was unattended equipment (19%), such as people leaving food in the oven or on the stove and forgetting about it, followed by misuse of material or product (7%). Additional factors leading to ignition included 

combustibles being too close to a heat source, discarded flammable materials, or appliances accidentally turned on 

or not turned off after use. 

FIGURE 3. LEADING IGNITION FACTORS IN 

KITCHEN FIRES 

Ignition Factor Percent of Fires 

None 28.4 

Equipment unattended 19.3 

Misuse of material or product 7.1 

Source: NFIRS 5.0 only

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MATERIAL IGNITED 

In most kitchen fires (51%), cooking materials, including food, were the material first ignited. More specifically, oil, fat and grease were the leading types of material ignited in kitchen fires (37%), as Figure 4 shows. This 

is not surprising as oil and grease are highly flammable and can splatter or spill during cooking. Other foods or 

starches were the second most common material ignited (14%), followed by plastics (10%) such as appliance casings, cooking utensils, or wiring. Although not statistically severe in 2002, loose or flammable clothing worn near 

open flame cooking sources has the potential to ignite and cause injury. 

FIGURE 4. MATERIAL FIRST IGNITED IN 

KITCHEN FIRES 

Material First Ignited Percent of Fires 

Oil, fat, grease, etc. 37.0 

Food, starch, flour 13.5 

Plastic 10.3 

Source: NFIRS 5.0 only

EQUIPMENT INVOLVED 

The type of equipment involved in kitchen fires varied for residential kitchens vs. non−residential kitchens 

(including restaurant, institutional, and commercial kitchens). In residential kitchen fires, 29% occurred on a cooking range compared with 14% for non−residential kitchens. A notable proportion of non−residential kitchen fires 

occurred in deep fat fryers (13%), compared with less than 1% for residential kitchens. All kitchens had a similar 

proportion of oven fires (nearly 6%). No equipment was reported for 41% of residential kitchen fires and 34% of 

non−residential kitchen fires, reflecting the high proportion of cooking fires that were confined to the oil or food 

first ignited. 

WHEN FIRES OCCUR 

Kitchen fires follow no seasonal or monthly trend; they occurred steadily throughout 2002, with a slight 

decrease in the summer months. This might be explained by a decrease in kitchen cooking during the summer, as 

many people barbecue outdoors or are on vacation. 

When analyzed by time of day, a noticeable peak in kitchen fires occurred in the 6 p.m. hour, as shown in Figure 5. The fact that the highest percentage of fires occur during the hour when many people prepare dinner is not 

surprising. This is consistent with the leading cause of kitchen fires—cooking. The fires are least prevalent in the 

late night/early morning hours, when people are asleep. 

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KITCHEN FIRES BY TIME OF DAY 

Kitchen 

Percent of Fires 

Midnight 4 a.m. 6 a.m. 8 a.m. Noon 2 p.m. 4 p.m. 6 p.m. 8 p.m. 10 p.m. Midnight 

FIGURE 5. 

All Fires 

2 a.m. 10 a.m. 

Source: NFIRS 5.0 only 

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SMOKE ALARM PRESENCE AND OPERATION 

In 45% of all kitchen fires, a smoke alarm was present and operating in the vicinity of the fire, as illustrated in 

Figure 6. No alarm was installed in 7% of fires. The fact that alarms were installed in a large proportion of homes 

with kitchen fires may partly explain the lower rates of death and property loss. However, in 43% of kitchen fire 

incidents, the presence of an alarm was not reported and is considered unknown. Among structure fires generally, 

an alarm was known to be present and operational in only 29% of fires in 2002, and no alarm was present in 21% 

of incidents. 

FIGURE 6. ALARM PRESENCE AND


OPERATION IN KITCHEN FIRES


present 

(7.0%) 

Alarm present, 

did not operate 

(4.5%) 

Alarm unknown 

(43.1%) 

No alarm 

Alarm present & operated 

(45.4%) 

Source: NFIRS 5.0 only 

EXAMPLES 

February 2004: A kitchen fire in a Daly City, CA apartment injured one man and caused $20,000 in property 

loss. The injured man was cooking something on the stove when the fire erupted, and his life was potentially saved 

by a garden−hose−wielding neighbor, who helped officials fight the blaze.4 

January 2004: A structure fire in Billings, MT was caused by a rangetop that was left on and unattended. The 

fire resulted in $65,000 in damage. No one was injured, although the family cat perished.5 

February 2004: The Clarington, WV fire chief was injured when he fell through the floor of a burning building while trying to fight a blaze. The structure caught fire because of electrical problems in the kitchen.6 

CONCLUSION 

Many kitchen fires, typically cooking fires, are preventable. Individuals can adopt measures that reduce the risk 

of such fires. First, care should be taken when cooking with oil, butter, or other greasy foods, which are highly 

flammable and can easily splatter or spill from pots and pans. Cooking aids are available to limit grease splattering, 

and individuals should be warned not to extinguish such fires with water, which reacts violently when poured on 

hot grease or oil. Small grease fires can be extinguished by placing a cover on the pan or smothering the fire with 

baking soda. Loose fitting, long−sleeved clothing such as bathrobes should not be worn while cooking, as the cloth 

may ignite and potentially cause serious injuries. 

The fact that the leading ignition factor in kitchen fires is unattended equipment should serve as a reminder to 

keep an eye on cooking materials. By simply double−checking that all dials on stoves and ovens are off when cooking concludes, people can prevent many fires. Individuals should also be cautious when leaving cooking materials 

for any period of time, such as answering the telephone. 

Fire extinguishers should be within easy reach of kitchen occupants. Many cooking fires occur under normal 

cooking conditions and cannot be anticipated. Extinguishers can prevent small fires from spreading and are especially effective on fires that cannot be doused by water—such as grease fires. 

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Finally, all homeowners and renters should ensure that smoke alarms are installed and are operating properly. 

Smoke alarms are an inexpensive and effective way of detecting fires before they get out of control. 

To request additional information or comment on this report, visit 

http://www.usfa.fema.gov/feedback/ 

Notes: 1	 Distribution statistics are based on data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS 2002). At the time of this 

report, NFIRS is continuing to transition from version 4.1 to 5.0. Due to issues related to accurately converting version 4.1 data 

to version 5.0, this report is based on data reported only in version 5.0. 

2	 Kitchen loss estimates are based on 2002 NFIRS data and national structure fire loss estimates from NFPA’s Fire Loss in the United 

States During 2002. 

3	 For purposes of this report, confined cooking fires (incident type 113) are presumed to occur in the kitchen. NFIRS Version 5.0 

does not require detailed data for confined fires, and most were reported without area of origin data. Where data are available, a 

small percentage of confined cooking fires (7%) occurred outside of the kitchen (e.g., outdoor patios, bedrooms). It is assumed 

that this small proportion of non−kitchen incidents will not significantly affect the fire patterns described in this report. 

4	 “Kitchen fire does damage,” San Mateo County Times, February 9, 2004, http://www.sanmateocountytimes.com/


Stories/0,1413,87~11268~1944880,00.html


5	 “Kitchen fire damages Billings home, kills cat,” Billings Gazette, January 30, 2004, http://www.billings−gazette.com/


index.php?t1=1&display=rednews/2004/01/29/build/local/50−catburned.inc


6	 “Blaze destroys Clarington Family’s Home,” The Intelligencer, February 7, 2004. 

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