Topical Fire R e s earch Series

November 2002 Volume 3, Issue 1

THANKSGIVING DAY: RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURE FIRES

FINDINGS

H	 Thanksgiving Day fires in residential structures cause more property

damage and claim more lives than residential structure fires on other

days. Surprisingly, fire injuries in residences decrease on Thanksgiving

Day.

H	 Cooking is by far the leading cause of residential structure fires on

Thanksgiving Day (42%), nearly double that of a normal day.

H The leading factor in the ignition of residential cooking fires is food left

unattended.

Source: NFPA and NFIRS

As with many U.S. holidays, fire incidence increases on Thanksgiving Day. This increase is troubling as it

applies mostly to cooking fires in the family home.

Each year, nearly 4,300 fires in the United States occur on Thanksgiving day causing 15 fatalities, about 50

injuries, and nearly $27 million in property damage. Of these fires, 1,450 are in residential structures that

claim 15 lives, injure 41, and cause an estimated $21 million in damage.1

On Thanksgiving Day, the incidence of vehicle, Figure 1. Fire Incident Types on Thanksgiving Day outdoor, and other fires decline; however, the (3-year average, NFIRS data 1996–98)

number of residential structure fires increases

from 23 percent to 36 percent of the daily average (Figure 1).

Thanksgiving Day residential structure fires

tend to cause more property damage and claim

more lives, but do not injure as many people as

residential fires occurring on the average day

(Figure 2). Dollar loss per incident rises 25 perResidential Structure

Non-Residential Structure

Vehicle

Outdoor

Other Fires/Spills/Leaks

22.9

8.6

24.0

43.3

2.2

INCIDENT TYPE

PERCENT OF

THANKSGIVING

DAY TOTAL

PERCENT OF

AVERAGE DAILY

TOTAL

35.7

7.1

19.5

35.2

2.5

Source: NFIRS only

cent on Thanksgiving Day.

The reports in the Topical Fire Research Series are published by the

Federal Emergency Management Agency

United States Fire Administration S National Fire Data Center

Emmitsburg, Maryland 21727

http://www.usfa.fema.gov/nfdc/tfrs.htm
T opi cal F i r e R esear c h S e r i e s

Causes

Cooking is the leading cause of residential

structure fires on Thanksgiving Day and is

responsible for more fires than the following four leading causes combined (Figure

3). For the average day (both in general and

for November specifically), the leading

cause of structure fires is cooking, but other

causes play more dominant roles. For example, incendiary/suspicious fires are much

more common on the average day

than on Thanksgiving.

Food left unattended is the leading

factor in the ignition of residential

cooking fires on Thanksgiving Day.

As with cooking fires in general, the

preponderance (83 percent) of

Thanksgiving Day residential structure fires are the result of incidents

involving stoves and ovens.

Thanksgiving Day has more than

double the number of residential

cooking fires than an average day

(Figure 4). The day after Thanksgiving traditionally has a substantial

decrease in such fires, perhaps

because people eat leftovers rather

than cook.

Not surprisingly, cooking is the leading cause of residential structure fire

injuries on Thanksgiving, followed

by open flame, electrical distribution,

and appliances. In contrast, the leading causes of residential fire fatalities

on Thanksgiving are smoking and

cooking (46 percent each), followed

by arson (9 percent).

Examples

Figure 2. Loss Measures for Residential Structure

Fires on Thanksgiving Day

(3-year average, NFIRS data 1996–98)

Dollar Loss/Fire

Injuries/1,000 Fires

Fatalities/1,000 Fires

$11,273

48.0

7.7

LOSS MEASURE

AVERAGE DAILY

FIRES

THANKSGIVING

DAY FIRES

$14,097

30.3

9.9

Source: NFIRS only

Figure 3. Causes of Residential Structure Fires

on Thanksgiving Day

(3-year average, NFIRS data 1996–98)

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45

Cooking

Heating

Electrical Distribution

Incendiary/Suspicious

Open Flame

Adjusted Percent

Thanksgiving Day

Average Day

Source: NFIRS only

Figure 4. Increase in Thanksgiving Day

Cooking Fires in Residential Structures

(3-year average, NFIRS data 1996–98)

0.0 0.3 0.6 0.9 1.2 1.5 1.8 2.1 2.4

Average Day

Thanksgiving Eve

Thanksgiving Day

Day After Thanksgiving

Relative Increase

Source: NFIRS only

S Thanksgiving 2001 (November 22): An early morning duplex house fire killed two adults and injured two

others. Improperly discarded smoking matrials were believed to have caused the fire, which originated in

the downstairs apartment.

2

S Thanksgiving 2000 (November 23): A fire seriously damaged a house and destroyed a garage and two

vehicles when a deep-fat fryer malfunctioned. The homeowner was in the garage attempting to deep-fat fry

a turkey when the fryer malfunctioned, igniting the fire. Nobody was seriously injured.3
-

T opi cal F i r e R esear c h S e r i e s

S Thanksgiving 2000 (November 23): A man was killed when a fire started in the kitchen and quickly moved

throughout the house. The fire was caused by an electrical malfunction in the stove clock timer. The man

was found on the floor in a downstairs bedroom toward the back of the house.

4

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. http://www.rvfd.org/incidents/november01/blanford.htm. Accessed November 14, 2002.

3. “Turkey Fryer Blamed in Syracuse Fire,” Times–Union News, November 24, 2000.

4. http://www.sigepcleveland.org/news/borowy_hero2.htm. Accessed November 7, 2002.

To review the detailed methodology used in this analysis, click

METHODOLOGY. To request additional information, or to comment on this

report, visit http://www.usfa.fema.gov/feedback/