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https://www.usfa.fema.gov/data/statistics/

Topical Fire Report Series October 2017 | Volume 18, Issue 8

Portable Heater Fires in Residential 

Buildings (2013-2015)

These topical reports are Findings designed to explore facets 

of the U.S. fire problem as ĵ Each year, from 2013 to 2015, an estimated 1,650 portable heater fires in residential 

depicted through data buildings were reported to fire departments within the United States. These fires collected in the U.S. Fire 

Administration’s National caused an estimated 90 deaths, 175 injuries, and $84 million in property loss.

Fire Incident Reporting ĵ Only 4 percent of heating fires in residential buildings involved portable heaters; 

System. Each topical however, portable heaters were involved in 43 percent of fatal heating fires in report briefly addresses the residential buildings. nature of the specific fire or 

fire-related topic, highlights ĵ Portable heater fires in residential buildings peaked in January (25 percent).

important findings from ĵ The leading reported factor contributing to ignition of portable heater fires in the data, and may suggest residential buildings was placing a heat source too close to combustible objects other resources to consider 

for further information. (54 percent). 

Also included are recent ĵ Portable heater fires in residential buildings most often started in bedrooms 

examples of fire incidents (37 percent). In these fires, bedding, such as blankets, sheets, and comforters, that demonstrate some 

of the issues addressed in was the leading item first ignited by portable heaters at 23 percent.

the report or that put the ĵ Smoke alarms were not present in 32 percent of portable heater fires in occupied 

report topic in context. residential buildings. Additionally, automatic extinguishing systems (AESs) were 

present in only 2 percent of portable heater fires in occupied residential buildings.

Each year, from 2013 to 2015, portable heater fires in residential buildings — a subset of heating fires in residential 

buildings — accounted for an estimated average of 1,650 fires in the U.S.1,2 These fires resulted in an annual 

average of 90 deaths, 175 injuries, and $84 million in property loss.3 The term “portable heater fires” applies to 

those fires that are caused by catalytic heaters, oil-filled heaters, or other heaters, such as electric heaters, that 

are designed to be carried or moved for use in a variety of locations.4 Portable heaters are a subset of space 

heaters — small heaters designed to heat specific areas or rooms of a building.5

While portable heater fires in residential buildings were small in number, representing only 4 percent of all heating 

fires in residential buildings, their consequences were substantial: they accounted for 43 percent of fatal heating 

fires in residential buildings. Moreover, many of these fires were preventable, as human error was a contributing 

factor to the fire. For example, placing the heater too close to combustible items or leaving the heater unattended.

As part of a series of topical reports that address fires in residential buildings, this report addresses the 

characteristics of portable heater fires in residential buildings, as reported to the National Fire Incident Reporting 

System (NFIRS). The focus is on fires reported from 2013 to 2015 — the most recent data available at the time 

of the analysis.6 NFIRS data is used for the analyses throughout this report. For a broader overview of heating 

fires, see the companion topical report, “Heating Fires in Residential Buildings (2013-2015),” Volume 18, Issue 7.

For the purpose of this report, the term “portable heater fires” is synonymous with “portable heater fires in 

residential buildings.” “Portable heater fires” is used throughout the body of this report; the findings, tables, 

charts, headings and endnotes reflect the full category, “portable heater fires in residential buildings.”
TFRS Volume 18, Issue 8 | Portable Heater Fires in Residential Buildings (2013-2015)

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Type of fire

Building fires are divided into two classes of severity in the NFIRS: “confined fires,” which are fires confined to certain 

types of equipment or objects, and “nonconfined fires,” which are fires that are not confined to certain types of 

equipment or objects. Confined building fires are small fire incidents that are limited in extent, staying within pots, 

fireplaces, or certain other noncombustible containers.7 Confined fires rarely result in serious injury or large content 

loss and are expected to have no significant accompanying property loss due to flame damage.8

Very few portable heater fires were confined fires — only 1 percent. The few fire incident records coded as “confined” 

portable heater fires in the NFIRS had sufficient data to be included in the overall analyses. As a result, the remainder 

of this report addresses all portable heater fires in residential buildings and does not distinguish between confined 

and nonconfined fires.

Loss measures

Table 1 presents losses of reported portable heater fires and all other heating fires in residential buildings (i.e., 

excluding portable heater fires) averaged over the three-year period from 2013 to 2015.9 All of the loss measures for 

portable heater fires were substantially higher than the same loss measures for all other heating fires in residential 

buildings. As discussed, portable heater fires are mostly nonconfined fires (99 percent). As expected, their associated 

loss measures are higher since nonconfined fires are generally larger fires resulting in serious injury and more content 

losses. It is also expected that the loss measures for all other heating fires in residential buildings are lower as most 

confined fires, which are smaller, rarely result in serious injury or large content losses.10

Table 1. Loss measures for portable heater fires in residential buildings (three-year average, 2013-2015)

Measure Portable heater fires in

 residential buildings

Heating fires in 

residential buildings 

(excluding portable heater fires)

Average loss:

Fatalities/1,000 fires 25.8 1.2

Injuries/1,000 fires 75.6 9.4

Dollar loss/fire $35,360 $6,660

Source: NFIRS 5.0.

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

2. The 2013 and 2014 dollar-loss values were adjusted to 2015 dollars.

Where portable heater fires in residential buildings occur

One- and two-family residences were disproportionately represented in portable heater fires (Table 2).11 One- and 

two-family residences accounted for 88 percent of portable heater fires — yet they represented only 64 percent of 

residential building fires.12 Multifamily dwellings accounted for an additional 8 percent of portable heater fires. Multifamily 

dwellings, especially older apartments, condominiums, and the like, often have building-wide heating systems and the 

need for portable heaters may be less, perhaps accounting for the differences in portable heater fire incidence.

Table 2. Portable heater fires in residential buildings by property use (2013-2015)

Property use Portable heater fires in residential buildings 

(percent)

One- or two-family residential buildings 87.7

Multifamily residential buildings 7.9

Other residential buildings 4.4

Total 100.0

Source: NFIRS 5.0.
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Most portable heater fires started in bedrooms (37 percent) or family rooms and living rooms (16 percent). Fires that 

started in other function or activity areas accounted for 7 percent of fires (Table 3).

Table 3. Leading areas of fire origin in portable heater fires in residential buildings (2013-2015)

Areas of fire origin Percent of portable heater fires in 

residential buildings (unknowns apportioned)

Bedrooms 36.8

Common room, den, family room, living room, lounge 15.7

Other function areas 6.9

Bathrooms 5.6

Vehicle storage: garage, carport 5.5

Source: NFIRS 5.0.

When portable heater fires in residential buildings occur

As shown in Figure 1, portable heater fires were relatively constant throughout the day with some slight variations. 

They were generally at their lowest in the early morning hours, roughly between 5 and 8 a.m., and at their highest 

from noon to 4 p.m. This latter four-hour period accounted for 19 percent of portable heater fires.13

Figure 1. Portable heater fires in residential buildings by time of alarm (2013-2015)

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

6.0

7.0

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.

4.0

3.7 4.0

3.4

3.8

4.6 4.6 4.5 4.7 4.7 4.9 4.7 4.6 4.7 4.7

4.1 4.0

4.7

4.0 3.7

3.3

3.8

3.4 3.3

Percent of portable heater fires

in residential buildings

Time of alarm

Source: NFIRS 5.0.

Note: Total does not add up to 100 percent due to rounding.

Figure 2 shows the pattern of portable heater fires reported to the NFIRS throughout the year. As expected, the 

number of portable heater fires increased during the late fall and winter months (November through March), peaking 

in January (25 percent). From April to September, fire incidence declined from 5 percent to less than 1 percent. This 

is not surprising as the use of portable heaters is less common during the spring, summer and early fall months.
TFRS Volume 18, Issue 8 | Portable Heater Fires in Residential Buildings (2013-2015)

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Figure 2. Portable heater fires in residential buildings by month (2013-2015)

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

November

December

October

September

August

July

April

May

June

March

February

January

25.0

19.3

2.5

0.5 0.2 0.4 0.7

5.0

13.2

16.8

11.3

5.1

Percent of portable heater fires

in residential buildings

Month of year

Source: NFIRS 5.0.

Fire spread in portable heater fires in residential buildings

Fifty percent of portable heater fires remained limited to the object or room of origin (Figure 3). When compared 

to other residential heating-related fires, portable heater fires tended to spread further throughout the home. Fifty 

percent of portable heater fires spread beyond the room of fire origin. By contrast, only 36 percent of nonconfined 

heating fires (excluding portable heater fires) in residential buildings spread beyond the room of origin. This increased 

fire spread may be, in part, why portable heater fires tended to be more serious as shown by the loss measures in 

Table 1.

Figure 3. Extent of fire spread in portable heater fires in residential buildings (2013-2015) Fire spread

Percent of portable heater fires in residential buildings

0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0 30.0 35.0 40.0 45.0

Beyond building of origin

Limited to building of origin

Limited to floor of origin

Limited to room of origin

Limited to object of origin 11.1

11.2

34.2

4.6

38.9

Source: NFIRS 5.0.
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Item first ignited in portable heater fires in residential buildings

Thirty-one percent of items first ignited in portable heater fires fell under the “soft goods, wearing apparel” category 

(Figure 4). This category includes bedding, curtains and clothing. The next leading category, “structural component 

or finish,” accounted for another 27 percent of portable heater fires. This category includes structural members or 

framing; exterior trim and finishes; interior wall coverings; insulation within the walls; and floor coverings, such as 

rugs or carpets. “Furniture, utensils” was the third leading category at 16 percent.

Figure 4. Item first ignited in portable heater fires in residential buildings by major category (2013-2015)

Percent of portable heater fires in residential buildings

0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0 30.0 35.0

Undetermined

Organic materials

Adornment, recreational material, signs

Storage supplies

Unspecified item first ignited

Liquids, piping, filters

General materials

Furniture, utensils

Structural component or finish

Soft goods, wearing apparel

Percent of portable heater fires in

residential buildings with item first

ignited determined

Percent of all portable heater fires in

residential buildings

31.4

25.0

26.5

21.1

13.1

15.2

12.1

4.7

3.8

2.4

1.9

2.1

1.7

0.6

0.5

0.5

0.4

20.6

16.4

Source: NFIRS 5.0.

Note:	 Total percentages for each distribution of portable heater fires in residential buildings do not add up to 100 percent due to rounding.

Of the fires that originated in bedrooms (Table 3), bedding (such as blankets, sheets and comforters) was the leading 

item first ignited by portable heaters (23 percent). Clothing not on a person accounted for another 13 percent.

For portable heater fires that originated in family rooms or living rooms, 24 percent were started with the ignition of 

upholstered sofas and chairs. Floor coverings, such as rugs, carpets or mats, accounted for 10 percent, while electrical 

wire and cable insulation accounted for an additional 10 percent.

Factors contributing to ignition in portable heater fires in residential buildings

Table 4 shows the leading factors contributing to ignition of portable heater fires. Placing a heat source too close to 

combustible objects was the leading contributing factor (54 percent). Unspecified electrical failure, malfunction was 

a contributing factor in 11 percent of portable heater fires, and unattended equipment was a contributing factor in 9 

percent of the fires. These three contributing factors played a role in 73 percent of residential portable heater fires.
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Table 4. Leading factors contributing to ignition for portable heater fires in residential buildings (where 

factors contributing to ignition were specified, 2013-2015)

Factors contributing to ignition Percent of portable heater fires in 

residential buildings (unknowns apportioned)

Heat source too close to combustibles 53.7

Unspecified electrical failure, malfunction 10.9

Unattended equipment 8.6

Unspecified short-circuit arc 4.8

Unspecified mechanical failure, malfunction 4.1

Source: NFIRS 5.0.

Notes:	 1.	Includes only incidents where factors that contributed to the ignition of the fire were specified.

2.	Multiple factors contributing to fire ignition may be noted for each incident.

Portable heater equipment involved in ignition

Table 5 shows the specific type of portable heater that provided the principal heat source to cause the ignition of 

the fire. Heaters including floor furnaces, wall heaters and baseboard heaters were the leading equipment involved 

in ignition in 77 percent of the reported portable heater fires in residential buildings. Oil filled heaters and catalytic 

heaters accounted for the remaining 23 percent of portable heaters involved in the ignition of these fires.

Table 5. Portable heater equipment involved in ignition in residential building fires (2013-2015)

Equipment involved in ignition

Percent of portable heater fires 

in residential buildings 

(unknowns apportioned)

Heater; includes floor furnaces, wall heaters and baseboard heaters 77.4

Heater, oil filled 13.2

Heater, catalytic 9.3

Source: NFIRS 5.0.

Note: Total does not add up to 100 percent due to rounding.

Suppression/Alerting systems in portable heater fires in residential buildings

Fire fatalities and injuries have declined over the last 35 years, partly due to new technologies to detect and extinguish 

fires. Smoke alarms are present in most homes. In addition, the use of residential sprinklers is widely supported by 

the fire service and is gaining support within residential communities.

Note that the data presented in Tables 6, 7 and 8 are the raw counts from the NFIRS dataset and are not scaled to 

national estimates of smoke alarms and sprinklers in portable heater fires. In addition, the NFIRS does not allow for 

the determination of the type of smoke alarm (i.e., photoelectric or ionization) or the location of the smoke alarm 

with respect to the area of fire origin.

Smoke alarms

As shown in Table 6, smoke alarms were reported as present in 39 percent of portable heater fires. Smoke alarms 

were not present in 33 percent of portable heater fires, and firefighters were unable to determine if a smoke alarm 

was present in another 28 percent of these fires. Additionally, smoke alarm presence was not reported in less than 1 

percent of incidents.14 Thus, smoke alarms were potentially missing in 33 to 61 percent of these fires with the ability 

to spread and possibly result in fatalities.
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Table 6. Presence of smoke alarms in portable heater fires in residential buildings (2013-2015)

Presence of smoke alarms Percent

Present 38.7

None present 32.9

Undetermined 27.9

Null/Blank 0.5

Total 100.0

Source: NFIRS 5.0.

While 7 percent of all portable heater fires occurred in residential buildings that were not currently or routinely 

occupied, these buildings — which are under construction, undergoing major renovation, vacant and the like — are 

unlikely to have alerting and suppression systems that are in place and, if in place, that are operational. In fact, only 

12 percent of all portable heater fires in unoccupied residential buildings were reported as having smoke alarms 

that operated. As a result, the detailed smoke alarm analyses in the next section focus on portable heater fires in 

occupied residential buildings only.

Smoke alarms in portable heater fires in occupied residential buildings

Smoke alarms were reported as present in 40 percent of portable heater fires in occupied residential buildings 

(Table 7). No smoke alarms were present in 32 percent of portable heater fires in occupied residential buildings, and 

firefighters were unable to determine if a smoke alarm was present in another 28 percent of these fires.

When smoke alarms were present (40 percent) and the alarm operational status was considered, the percentage of 

smoke alarms reported as present consisted of:

ĵ Present and operated — 23 percent.

ĵ Present but did not operate — 10 percent (alarm failed to operate, 7 percent; fire too small, 3 percent).

ĵ Present but operational status unknown — 7 percent. 

When the subset of incidents where smoke alarms were reported as present was analyzed separately as a whole, 

smoke alarms were reported to have operated in 59 percent of the incidents. Smoke alarms failed to operate in 18 

percent of the incidents, and in another 7 percent, the fire was too small to activate the alarm. The operational status 

of the alarm was undetermined in 16 percent of the incidents.

If a fire occurs, properly installed and maintained smoke alarms provide an early warning signal to everyone in a 

home. Smoke alarms help save lives and property. The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) continues to partner with other 

government agencies and fire service organizations to improve and develop new smoke alarm technologies. More 

information on smoke alarm technologies, performance, disposal and storage, training bulletins, and public education 

and outreach materials can be found at https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/technology/smoke_fire_alarms.

html. Additionally, the USFA’s position statement on smoke alarms is available at https://www.usfa.fema.gov/about/

smoke_alarms_position.html.
TFRS Volume 18, Issue 8 | Portable Heater Fires in Residential Buildings (2013-2015)

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Table 7. NFIRS smoke alarm data for portable heater fires in occupied residential buildings (2013-2015)

Presence of 

smoke alarms Smoke alarm operational status Smoke alarm effectiveness Count Percent

Present

Fire too small to activate smoke alarm 80 3.0

Smoke alarm operated

Smoke alarm alerted occupants, 

occupants responded 478 17.9

Smoke alarm alerted occupants, 

occupants failed to respond 16 0.6

No occupants 78 2.9

Smoke alarm failed to alert occupants 11 0.4

Undetermined 44 1.6

Smoke alarm failed to operate 190 7.1

Undetermined 174 6.5

None present 851 31.8

Undetermined 752 28.1

Total incidents 2,674 100.0

Source: NFIRS 5.0.

Notes: 1. The data presented in this table are raw data counts from the NFIRS dataset summed (not averaged) from 2013 to 2015. They do not represent national 

estimates of smoke alarms in portable heater fires in occupied residential buildings. They are presented for informational purposes.

2. Total percent does not add up to 100 percent due to rounding.

Automatic extinguishing systems in portable heater fires in occupied residential buildings

The analyses presented here also differentiate between occupied and unoccupied housing, as very few reported 

fires in unoccupied housing have AESs present. Full AESs were present in only 2 percent of portable heater fires in 

occupied housing (Table 8).

Residential sprinkler systems help to reduce the risk of deaths and injuries, homeowner insurance premiums, and 

uninsured property losses. Yet many homes do not have AESs, although they are often found in hotels and businesses. 

Sprinklers are required by code in hotels and many multifamily residences. There are major movements in the U.S. fire 

service to require sprinklers in all new homes. At present, however, they are largely absent in residences nationwide.15

The USFA and fire service officials across the nation are working to promote and advance residential fire sprinklers. 

More information on costs and benefits, performance, training bulletins, and public education and outreach 

materials regarding residential sprinklers is available at https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/technology/home_

fire_sprinklers.html. Additionally, the USFA’s position statement on residential sprinklers is available at https://www.

usfa.fema.gov/about/sprinklers_position.html.

Table 8. NFIRS automatic extinguishing system data for portable heater fires in occupied residential 

buildings (2013-2015)

AES presence Count Percent

AES present 41 1.5

Partial system present 3 0.1

AES not present 2,521 94.3

Unknown 109 4.1

Total incidents 2,674 100.0

Source: NFIRS 5.0.

Note: The data presented in this table are raw data counts from the NFIRS dataset summed (not averaged) from 2013 to 2015. They do not represent national estimates 

of AESs in portable heater fires in occupied residential buildings. They are presented for informational purposes.
TFRS Volume 18, Issue 8 | Portable Heater Fires in Residential Buildings (2013-2015)

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Examples

The following recent examples of portable heater fires reported by the media illustrate the leading factors contributing 

to ignition of these fires — unattended equipment left too close to combustibles — and the damage they cause:

ĵ March 2017: A house fire outside of Portland, Oregon, killed five children, ages 4 to 13; one adult, age 38; and 

critically burned another family member, age 39. A component of the home’s fireplace malfunctioned several days 

before the fire, causing the family to use a portable heater until they could get the fireplace repaired. Combustible 

materials placed too close to the portable heater ignited and started the devastating blaze. The one survivor was 

still in critical condition at a Portland hospital burn center.16

ĵ February 2017: After they extinguished a mattress fire of a home in Billerica, Massachusetts, firefighters determined 

the cause to be an electric space heater sitting on top of an end table directly next to the bed. The two-alarm fire 

caused significant damage to the second floor of the home, making it uninhabitable. The occupants of the home 

were downstairs when the fire ignited and escaped without injury.17

ĵ December 2016: Firefighters were dispatched about mid-day to an accidental apartment fire in Chattanooga, 

Tennessee. The firefighters contained the fire to one apartment. The fire started in the apartment’s bedroom, but 

there was smoke damage to some adjacent apartments. The cause of the fire was a portable space heater that 

was placed too close to combustibles, including a bed. No one was home at the time of the fire, and no injuries 

were reported. One person was displaced as a result of the fire, and damages were estimated at $15,000.18

NFIRS data specifications for portable heater fires in residential buildings

Data for this report were extracted from the NFIRS annual Public Data Release (PDR) files for 2013, 2014 and 2015. 

Only version 5.0 data were extracted.

Portable heater fires in residential buildings were defined using the following criteria:

ĵ Aid Types 3 (mutual aid given) and 4 (automatic aid given) were excluded to avoid double counting of incidents.

ĵ Incident Types 111, 114, 116, 120 to 123:19

Incident Type Description

111 Building fire

114 Chimney or flue fire, confined to chimney or flue

116 Fuel burner/boiler malfunction, fire confined

120 Fire in mobile property used as a fixed structure, other

121 Fire in mobile home used as fixed residence

122 Fire in motor home, camper, recreational vehicle

123 Fire in portable building, fixed location

Notes: Incident Types 114 and 116 do not specify if the structure is a building.
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ĵ Property Use Series 400, which consists of the following:

Property Use Description

400 Residential, other

419 One- or two-family dwelling

429 Multifamily dwelling

439 Boarding/Rooming house, residential hotels

449 Hotel/Motel, commercial

459 Residential board and care

460 Dormitory-type residence, other

462 Sorority house, fraternity house

464 Barracks, dormitory

ĵ Structure Type:

Ý For Incident Types 114 and 116:

f 1—Enclosed building, or 

f 2—Fixed portable or mobile structure, or

f Structure Type not specified (null entry).

Ý For Incident Types 111 and 120 to 123:

f 1—Enclosed building, or

f 2—Fixed portable or mobile structure.

ĵ The USFA Structure Fire Cause Methodology was used to determine residential building heating fire incidents.20

Heating fire incidents involving heating stoves and food were believed to be cooking fires. As a result, fires with 

equipment involved in Ignition Code 124 (stove, heating) and Item First Ignited Code 76 (cooking materials, includes 

edible materials for man or animal, excludes cooking utensils) were excluded from the heating cause category.

ĵ Equipment involved in Ignition Codes 141 to 143:

Equipment 

involved in 

ignition

Description

141 Heater; includes floor furnaces, wall heaters and baseboard heaters; excludes hot water heaters

142 Heater, catalytic

143 Heater, oil-filled

ĵ Equipment Portability Code 1 was used to identify portability.

The analyses contained in this report reflect the current methodologies used by the USFA. The USFA is committed 

to providing the best and most current information on the U.S. fire problem and continually examines its data and 

methodology to fulfill this goal. Because of this commitment, data collection strategies and methodological changes 

are possible and do occur. As a result, analyses and estimates of the fire problem may change slightly over time. 

Previous analyses and estimates on specific issues (or similar issues) may have used different methodologies or data 

definitions and may not be directly comparable to the current ones.

Information regarding the USFA’s national estimates for residential building fires, as well as the data sources used to 

derive the estimates, can be found in the document “Data Sources and National Estimates Methodology Overview 

for the U.S. Fire Administration’s Topical Fire Report Series (Volume 18),” https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/

statistics/data_sources_and_national_estimates_methodology_vol18.pdf. This document also addresses the specific 

NFIRS data elements analyzed in the topical reports, as well as “unknown” data entries and missing data.
TFRS Volume 18, Issue 8 | Portable Heater Fires in Residential Buildings (2013-2015)

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To request additional information, visit https://www.usfa.fema.gov/contact.html. To comment on this specific 

report, visit http://apps.usfa.fema.gov/contact/dataReportEval?reportTitle=Portable%20Heater%20Fires%20in%20

Residential%20Buildings%20(2013-2015).

Notes:

1In the NFIRS Version 5.0, a structure is a constructed item of which a building is one type. In previous versions of the NFIRS, the term “residential 

structure” commonly referred to buildings where people live. To coincide with this concept, the definition of a residential structure fire for 

NFIRS 5.0 includes only those fires where the NFIRS 5.0 structure type is 1 or 2 (enclosed building and fixed portable or mobile structure) 

with a residential property use. Such structures are referred to as “residential buildings” to distinguish these buildings from other structures 

on residential properties that may include fences, sheds and other uninhabitable structures. In addition, confined fire incidents that have a 

residential property use but do not have a structure type specified are presumed to occur in buildings. Nonconfined fire incidents that have 

a residential property use without a structure type specified are considered to be invalid incidents (structure type is a required field) and are 

not included.

2The term “residential buildings” includes what are commonly referred to as “homes,” whether they are one- or two-family dwellings or 

multifamily buildings. It also includes manufactured housing, hotels and motels, residential hotels, dormitories, assisted living facilities, and 

halfway houses — residences for formerly institutionalized individuals (patients with mental disabilities or drug addictions, or those formerly 

incarcerated) that are designed to facilitate their readjustment to private life. The term “residential buildings” does not include institutions, such 

as prisons, nursing homes, juvenile care facilities, or hospitals, even though people may reside in these facilities for short or long periods of time.

3National estimates are based on 2013 to 2015 native Version 5.0 data from the NFIRS, residential structure fire loss estimates from the National 

Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA’s) annual surveys of fire loss, and the USFA’s residential building fire loss estimates: https://www.usfa.

fema.gov/data/statistics/order_download_data.html. Further information on the USFA’s residential building fire loss estimates can be found 

in the “National Estimates Methodology for Building Fires and Losses,” August 2012, https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/statistics/

national_estimate_methodology.pdf. For information on the NFPA’s survey methodology, see the NFPA’s report “Fire Loss in the United States 

During 2015,” September 2016, http://www.nfpa.org/news-and-research/fire-statistics-and-reports/fire-statistics/fires-in-the-us/overall-fireproblem/fire-loss-in-the-united-states. In this topical report, fires are rounded to the nearest 50, deaths to the nearest five, injuries to the 

nearest 25, and dollar loss to the nearest $1 million.

4For purposes of this analysis, portable heater fires in residential buildings are defined as those residential buildings (defined above in endnote 2) 

for which the cause of the fire was determined to be portable heaters.

5Space heaters may be fixed (stationary) or portable. Space heaters typically include: heating and wood stoves; heaters (including portable 

kerosene heaters, portable electric heaters, oil-filled heaters, and catalytic heaters); local furnaces; and fireplace inserts.

6Fire department participation in the NFIRS is voluntary; however, some states do require their departments to participate in the state system. 

Additionally, if a fire department is a recipient of a Fire Act Grant, participation is required. From 2013 to 2015, 67 percent of the NFPA’s annual 

average estimated 1,294,500 fires to which fire departments responded were captured in the NFIRS. Thus, the NFIRS is not representative of 

all fire incidents in the U.S. and is not a “complete” census of fire incidents. Although the NFIRS does not represent 100 percent of the incidents 

reported to fire departments each year, the enormous dataset exhibits stability from one year to the next, without radical changes. Results 

based on the full dataset are generally similar to those based on part of the data.

7In the NFIRS, confined fires are defined by Incident Type Codes 113 to 118.

8The NFIRS distinguishes between “content” and “property” loss. Content loss includes losses to the contents of a structure due to damage by 

fire, smoke, water and overhaul. Property loss includes losses to the structure itself or to the property itself. Total loss is the sum of the content 

loss and the property loss. For confined fires, the expectation is that the fire did not spread beyond the container (or rubbish for Incident Type 

Code 118), and hence, there was no property damage (damage to the structure itself) from the flames. However, there could be property damage 

as a result of smoke, water and overhaul.

9The average fire death and fire injury loss rates computed from the national estimates above do not agree with average fire death and fire 

injury loss rates computed from NFIRS data alone. The fire death rate computed from national estimates is (1,000 x 90/1,650) = 54.5 deaths per 

1,000 portable heater fires in residential buildings, and the fire injury rate is (1,000 x 175/1,650) = 106.1 injuries per 1,000 portable heater fires 

in residential buildings.

10“Heating Fires in Residential Buildings (2013-2015),” USFA, October 2017, Volume 18, Issue 7, https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/

statistics/v18i7.pdf.

11“One- and two-family residential buildings” include detached dwellings, manufactured homes, mobile homes not in transit, and duplexes. 

“Multifamily residential buildings” include apartments, townhouses, rowhouses, condominiums, and other tenement properties. “Other 

residential buildings” include boarding/rooming houses, hotel/motels, residential board and care facilities, dormitory-type residences, sorority/

fraternity houses, and barracks.

12“Residential Building Fires (2013-2015),” USFA, June 2017, Volume 18, Issue 1, https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/statistics/v18i1.pdf.

13For the purposes of this report, the time of the fire alarm is used as an approximation for the general time at which the fire started. However, 

in the NFIRS, it is the time at which the fire was reported to the fire department.

14All incidents where smoke alarm presence was not reported (i.e., null/blank) were confined fires (Incident Type code 116). The NFIRS allows 

abbreviated reporting for confined fires. Many reporting details of these fires (including smoke alarm presence) are not required, and as a 

result, may not be reported.
TFRS Volume 18, Issue 8 | Portable Heater Fires in Residential Buildings (2013-2015)

12

15U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey for the United States: 2011, September 

2013, “Health and Safety Characteristics-All Occupied Units (National),” Table S-01-AO, https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/programssurveys/ahs/data/2011/h150-11.pdf (accessed May 18, 2017).

16“Mother, child die in Riddle fire caused by portable heater, bringing total to 6,” nbc16.com, March 3, 2017, http://nbc16.com/news/local/

mother-child-die-in-riddle-fire-caused-by-portable-heater-bringing-total-to-6 (accessed May 8, 2017).

17Sobey, Rick. “A house in flames, a reminder of space-heater risks,” www.lowellsun.com, Feb. 5, 2017, http://www.lowellsun.com/todaysheadlines/

ci_30775514/house-flames-reminder-space-heater-risks (accessed May 8, 2017).

18“Space heater starts afternoon apartment fire on Central Avenue,” www.chattanoogan.com, Dec. 16, 2016, http://www.chattanoogan.

com/2016/12/16/338205/Space-Heater-Starts-Afternoon-Apartment.aspx (accessed May 10, 2017).

19Heating is defined by the equipment used to heat a residential building. Incident Types 113, 115, 117 and 118 were excluded because, by 

definition, these Incident Types were not heating fires.

20The USFA Structure Fire Cause Methodology is designed for structure fires of which buildings are a subset. This methodology was used to 

determine heating as a cause of fires in residential buildings. The cause methodology and definitions can be found in the document “National 

Fire Incident Reporting System Version 5.0 Fire Data Analysis Guidelines and Issues,” July 2011, https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/nfirs/

nfirs_data_analysis_guidelines_issues.pdf.