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U.S. Fire Administration/National Fire Data Center

Fires Ignited by Lighters and 

Matches 

Topical Fire Research Series, Volume 4 – Issue 1 

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


Fires Ignited by Lighters 

and Matches 

October 2004	 Volume 4, Issue 1 

Findings 

H Together, lighters and matches ignited nearly 9% of all fires where the heat 

source for the fires was known. 

H In 2002, there were approximately 144,000 lighter− or match−ignited fires. These 

fires killed an estimated 321 people, injured 1,877 people, and caused $470 

million in property loss. 

H There were over twice as many match fires than lighter fires, but lighter fires 

killed and injured more people. 

H More match and lighter fires occur outdoors, but structure fires were the most 

deadly, injurious, and costly of all lighter and match fires. 

H The reported cause of 71% of fires ignited by lighters or matches was incendiary/ 

suspicious (arson). 

H Where age was cited as a factor in a fire’s ignition by lighters or matches, 37% of 

these fires were started by juveniles aged 10–17. 

Throughout the world, lighters and matches are prominent symbols of fire and fire ignition, transcending barriers of language, age, and culture—and for good reason. Lighters and matches ignite candles, pilot lights, campfires, cigarettes, fireplace fires, and countless other presumably safe fires. Easy to buy, easy to transport and easy to 

use, matches and lighters are convenient and effective, but can also be deadly and destructive. Although lighters 

and matches are similar in use and availability, match−ignited fires outnumber lighter−ignited fires by more than 

two to one.1 It is important to recognize that lighter− and match−ignited fires have different characteristics and an 

unequal degree of severity. 

Together, lighters and matches caused 9% of all fires where the heat source was specified, and estimates indicate that there were 144,000 reported fires ignited by lighters or matches in 2002. Combined, match and lighter 

fires were the source of ignition in fires that killed an estimated 321 civilians, injured 1,877, and caused $470 million in property loss in 2002.2 

This topical report examines the causes and characteristics of lighter and match fires, based on 2002 NFIRS 

data, and compares such characteristics with those of all fires. 

LOSS MEASURES 

Figure 1 compares the loss measures for match and lighter fires with all reported fires where the heat source is 

known. Match and lighter fires combined were more injurious and deadly, but less damaging to property than the 

average fire in 2002. However, when measured separately, lighter fires were more than twice as deadly and nearly 

three times more injurious than fires generally, but resulted in less property damage per fire. Match fires were less 

severe than the average fire across all loss measures. 

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 

U.S. Department of Homeland Security 

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FIGURE 1. LOSS MEASURES FOR 

LIGHTER− AND MATCH−IGNITED FIRES 

Loss Lighters & Lighters Matches 

Measure All Fires Matches Only Only 

$ Loss/Fire $7,447 $3,981 $7,288 $2,531 

Fatalities/1,000 Fires 2.8 3.2 6.4 1.8 

Injuries/1,000 Fires 20.8 24.9 56.7 10.9 

Source: NFIRS 5.0 only 

While matches ignited 70% of all lighter− or match−ignited fires, lighter−ignited fires killed and injured more 

people than match fires and caused more than half of reported property loss (Figure 2). 

FIGURE 2. FIRE INCIDENTS AND LOSSES FOR 

LIGHTER AND MATCH FIRES (percent) 

Ignition Source Fires Deaths Injuries Dollar Loss 

Lighters 30.5 60.9 69.4 55.8 

Matches 69.5 39.1 30.6 44.2 

Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 

Source: NFIRS 5.0 only 

WHERE FIRES OCCUR 

Figure 3 shows the leading property types of match and lighter fires as reported by the responding fire departments. In 2002, 31% of all reported fires with a known heat source occurred outdoors.3 A higher percentage 

(64%) of all lighter and match fires occur outdoors. When lighter and match fires are analyzed separately, data 

indicate that 46% of lighter fires occur in structures, and 71% of match fires occur outdoors. For both lighter and 

match fires that occur in structures, the majority originate in residential bedrooms. For lighter and match fires 

combined, structure fires were substantially more severe in terms of loss per fire than fires occurring outdoors or 

in vehicles across all loss measures (Figure 4). 

FIGURE 3. LIGHTER AND MATCH FIRES BY 

GENERAL PROPERTY TYPE (percent) 

Lighters & 

Property Type All Fires Matches Lighters Matches 

Structure 42.2 27.4 46.3 19.1 

Vehicle 26.8 9.0 7.0 9.9 

Outside/Other 31.0 63.6 46.7 71.0 

Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 

Source: NFIRS 5.0 only 

FIGURE 4. LOSS MEASURES FOR LIGHTER AND 

MATCH FIRES BY GENERAL PROPERTY TYPE 

Loss Structure Vehicle Outside & 

Measure Fires Fires Other Fires 

$ Loss/Fire $13,374 $2,801 $98 

Fatalities/1,000 Fires 10 4 0 

Injuries/1,000 Fires 75 16 5 

Source: NFIRS 5.0 only 

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CAUSES 

The leading known causes of lighter and match fires were incendiary or suspicious (which includes arson), 

open flames, and children playing (Figure 5). 

FIGURE 5. LEADING CAUSES OF LIGHTER/MATCH FIRES (percent) 

Matches or 

Leading Causes All Fires Lighters Lighters Matches 

Incendiary/Suspicious 19.4 70.8 69.5 71.3 

Open Flame, Ember, or 18.1 26.0 24.9 26.0 

Torch 

Children Playing 0.6 2.2 4.7 1.1 

Source: NFIRS 5.0 only 

Children playing fires were most deadly when ignited by matches, while incendiary/suspicious and open 

flame fires were more severe when ignited by lighters. The loss measures for each of these leading causes show 

that children playing fires had the highest per−fire rates of dollar loss, injury, and fatality of the leading causes of 

lighter and match fires (Figure 6). 

FIGURE 6. LOSS MEASURES BY LEADING CAUSE 

Loss Incendiary/ Open Flame, Children 

Measure Suspicious Ember, Torch Playing 

$ Loss/Fire $3,168 $4,702 $19,181 

Fatalities/1,000 Fires 2.5 3.7 15.5 

Injuries/1,000 Fires 15.9 37.0 133.1 

Source: NFIRS 5.0 only 

Incendiary or suspicious fires had the highest estimated lighter and match fire losses in 2002 (Figure 7). 

Although children playing fires had higher per−fire losses, the total loss estimates for children playing were less 

than the other two leading causes. 

FIGURE 7. LOSS ESTIMATES FOR LIGHTER AND 

MATCH FIRES BY LEADING CAUSE 

L&M Loss Incendiary/ Open Flame, Children 

Estimates Suspicious Ember, Torch Playing 

Fires 101,607 37,300 3,209 

Dollar Loss $264,788,654 $144,258,227 $50,635,677 

Fatalities 182 98 35 

Injuries 850 725 224 

Source: NFIRS 5.0 only 

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As illustrated in Figure 8, 72% of outside/other fires and 63% of structure fires lit with matches or lighters 

were incendiary or suspicious. The vast majority of vehicle fires lit with lighters or matches (84%) were also 

reported as incendiary or suspicious. More than one−quarter of structure and outside/other fires lit by lighters or 

matches were caused by open flame. 

TYPES OF MATCH/LIGHTER FIRES BY 

LEADING CAUSES IN 2002 (percent) 

Structure 

Vehicle 

Outside/Other 

Incendiary/ 

Suspicious 

63.0 

84.3 

72.1 

Source: NFIRS 5.0 only 

Children 

Playing 

7.0 

0.5 

0.4 

Ember, Torch 

27.8 

14.1 

26.8 

FIGURE 8. 

Propterty Type 

Open Flame, 

Incendiary and suspicious fires are sometimes started by juvenile fire−setters, indicating that lighter− and 

match−ignited fires started by young people may be an even larger problem than the children playing statistics 

indicate. One contributing factor to the predominance of children involved in lighter and match fires is smoking. If 

one or more of a child’s parents smoke, matches or lighters may be more readily available in the home. A child in 

a home with a smoker is twice as likely to be involved with fire play as a child in a home with a nonsmoker.4 

Children between the ages of 6 and 9 caused 27% of all lighter− or match−ignited fires in 2002, where age was 

noted as a factor in the fire’s ignition (Figure 9). Juveniles between the ages of 10 and 17 caused 37% of such 

fires. 

FIGURE 9. MATCH/LIGHTER FIRES IN 2002 WHERE 

AGE IS A FACTOR IN IGNITION (percent) 

Lighter and

Age Range Match Fires 

0 through 5 years 31.9 

6 through 9 years 26.5 

10 through 17 years 37.4 

18+ years 4.2 

Total 100.0 

Source: NFIRS only

WHEN FIRES OCCUR 

There was no discernable seasonal pattern for match− and lighter−ignited fires in 2002, as illustrated in Figure 

10. Both match and lighter fires peaked in April of 2002. The proportion of all fires during the summer months 

was greater than the proportion of lighter and match fires during the same period, due to a peak in natural outdoor 

fires in July. 

As shown in Figure 11, fires in the early morning hours are lowest when people are presumably asleep and 

highest in the afternoon, peaking around 3 p.m. This is consistent with the fact that most lighter and match fires 

require a human action to ignite the fire, as about 70% of both lighter/match fires and all fires take place between 

8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Incendiary/suspicious fires and children playing fires follow the same trend, peaking in the late 

afternoon and early evening hours. 

Although structure fires follow this hourly pattern as well, vehicle fires occur more often in the late night and 

early morning. This may be a function of the cause of vehicle fires (84% of lighter− or match−ignited vehicle fires 

were reported as incendiary or suspicious). Because car use declines during those hours, owners are less likely to 

be in their vehicles. 

4 
0 

2 

4 

6 

8 

10 

12 

LIGHTER/MATCH FIRE INCIDENTS BY MONTH 

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 

Lighters 

Matches 

All Fires 

FIGURE 10. 

Percent of Fires

Source: NFIRS 5.0 only 

0 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

LIGHTER/MATCH FIRE INCIDENTS BY TIME OF DAY 

Lighters 

Matches 

All Fires 

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

FIGURE 11. 

Percent of Fires 

Source: NFIRS 5.0 only 

EXAMPLES OF RECENT LIGHTER− OR MATCH−IGNITED FIRES 

Omaha, NE: In August 2001, children playing with matches ignited a 76−acre brush fire that threatened nearby 

homes; it took 3 hours and 300 firefighters to extinguish the fire.5 

Madison County, AL: In December 2003, an arsonist set fire to two residential structures and one mobile 

home. Officials believe the arsonist used a single lighter to set the fire, and suspect that the firesetter was a child or 

teenager.6 

Baldwin, NY: In December 2003, A spree of incendiary and suspicious fires, including the ignition of a mattress, the back of a Chinese restaurant, piles of leaves outdoors, and a dumpster, was linked to two teenagers, who 

officials say used only lighters and matches to start all of the fires.7 

CONCLUSION 

Despite the differences in the characteristics of lighter fires and match fires, they are grouped in this report 

because of the common uses and abundance of both. 

The widespread availability of lighters and matches pose serious fire risks. The prevalence of children playing 

fires involving lighters and matches confirms the need for adults to be more vigilant about concealing lighters and 

matches from children, while also teaching their children the dangers of fire play. Lighters and matches were the 

ignition sources of choice in 51% of all children playing fires in 2002, where the heat source was known. 

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Most importantly, lighter and match fires are two types of fires that ordinary citizens can actively seek to prevent through caution, preparation, and education. Increased education for children and adults regarding fire risks 

and the safe storage and use of matches and lighters may reduce the risk of fire from lighters or matches, as well as 

decrease the overall incidence of such fires. 

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	 Lighter and match loss estimates are based on the total number of NFIRS fires in 2002 for which the heat source was known and 

NFPA’s Fire Loss in the United States During 2002. Approximately 42% of 2002 fires in NFIRS reported a heat source. If the lighter and 

match estimates were based on all reported fires, including those with unknown heat sources, the estimates would decrease to 

59,700 fires, 158 deaths, 1,296 injuries, and $250 million in dollar loss. 

3 For all fires reported to NFIRS in 2002, including those with unknown heat sources, approximately 46% were outside or other


fires.


4 Porth, Don, “Children with Fire,” SOS Fires: Youth Intervention Project, October 1997.


5 “Child, Matches Add Up to House Fire, Injury,” Omaha World−Herald, March 1, 2001.


6 “Arson investigators offer $1,000 reward,” WAFF.com, December 2, 2003.


7	 “Two teens arrested in fire spree,” Baldwin Community Newspapers Online, December 11, 2003. 

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1601&dept_id=477132&newsid=10653172&PAG=461&rfi=9 

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