NFIRS Data Snapshot

Halloween Fires (2014-2016)

For each year from 2014 to 2016, an estimated 10,100 fires were reported to fire departments in the United States 

over a three-day period around Halloween and caused an estimated 30 deaths, 125 injuries and $102 million in 

property loss.1

Loss measures for Halloween and non-Halloween fires (three-year average, 2014-2016)

Loss measure Halloween fires (Oct. 30-Nov. 1) Non-Halloween fires

Average loss:

Fatalities/1,000 fires 2.7 2.3

Injuries/1,000 Fires 11.4 9.9

Dollar loss/fire $10,580 $9,870

Source: National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) 5.0.

The average number of fatalities and injuries per 1,000 Halloween fires was slightly higher than the same loss measures 

for all other fires. The average dollar loss per Halloween fire was also slightly higher than per non-Halloween fire.2

Halloween fires by general property type 

(2014-2016)

Other

5.8%

Outside

38.4%

Vehicle

15.1%

Nonresidential

8.5%

Residential

32.2%

Source: NFIRS 5.0.

In terms of numbers of Halloween fires, the largest general 

property type category was outside fires (38 percent) followed 

by residential fires (32 percent). Residential Halloween fires, 

however, resulted in the most deaths (68 percent), injuries 

(79 percent) and property loss (51 percent).

National Fire Data Center

16825 S. Seton Ave.

Emmitsburg, MD 21727

https://www.usfa.fema.gov/data/statistics/
Halloween fires occurred most 

frequently in the afternoon 

and early evening hours, 

peaking between 6 p.m. and 

7 p.m. Fires then declined, 

reaching the lowest point 

during the early morning 

hours of 4-7 a.m.

Halloween fires by time of alarm (2014-2016)

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

6.0

7.0

8.0

11 p.m. - Mid

10 - 11 p.m.

9 - 10 p.m.

1 - 2 p.m.2 - 3 p.m.3 - 4 p.m.4 - 5 p.m.5 - 6 p.m.6 - 7 p.m.7 - 8 p.m.8 - 9 p.m.

12 - 1 p.m.

11 a.m. - 12 p.m.

10 - 11 a.m.

9 - 10 a.m.

1 - 2 a.m.2 - 3 a.m.3 - 4 a.m.4 - 5 a.m.5 - 6 a.m.6 - 7 a.m.7 - 8 a.m.8 - 9 a.m.

Mid - 1 a.m.

2.92.5 2.1 1.7 1.8

2.6 2.7

3.4 3.7

4.9 5.2

6.0 6.4 6.9 6.7 6.4

7.4

5.9 5.5

4.5

3.7 3.3

2.0 1.8

Time of alarm

Percent

Source: NFIRS 5.0.

The leading causes of Halloween residential fires were: cooking (53 percent), heating (11 percent), other unintentional, 

careless actions (6 percent), and electrical malfunctions (6 percent).

For Halloween fire safety tips, please visit: https://www.nfpa.org/safety-information/for-consumers/holidays/

halloween-safety/halloween-safety-tips and https://www.safekids.org/halloween.

For additional fire statistics, please visit https://www.usfa.fema.gov/data/statistics/.

Sources: NFIRS and the National Fire Protection Association.

Notes:	 1	 Halloween fires are defined as fires that occurred on Oct. 30, Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. Fires are defined by Incident Types 100-173 (all fires excluding Incident Type 110).

Aid Types 3 (mutual aid given) and 4 (automatic aid given) were excluded to avoid double counting of incidents. Estimates of fires are rounded to the nearest 100,

deaths to the nearest five, injuries to the nearest 25, and losses to the nearest million.

	 2	 The average loss measures computed from the NFIRS data in the table above will differ from the average loss measures computed from national estimates.

Average loss for fatalities and injuries is computed per 1,000 fires. Average dollar loss is computed per fire and rounded to the nearest $10. The 2014 and

2015 dollar-loss values were adjusted to 2016 dollars.