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U.S. Fire Administration/National Fire Data Center

School Fires 

Topical Fire Research Series, Volume 4 – Issue 6


December 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


School Fires 

December 2004	 Volume 4, Issue 6 

Findings 

H In 2002, 37% of all school structure fires and 52% of middle and high school 

structure fires were incendiary or suspicious. 

H Fatalities from school fires are rare, but injuries per fire were higher in school 

structure fires than non−residential structure fires on average. 

H The leading area of fire origin was the school lavatory. 

H Kindergarten through high school fires increased at the beginning and end of the 

academic year. School fires peaked in July 2002 due to a spike in elementary 

school fires. 

There were an estimated 14,300 fires at non−adult schools1 in 2002, causing $103.6 million in property damage and 122 injuries2 Of these, 6,000 (42%) were structure fires. Nearly half of school structure fires were confined to the object where the fire started, such as a small cooking fire (17%) or a fire confined to a trash can 

(26%).3 The majority of school fires occurred outdoors on school property and include trash fires (23%), other 

outdoor fires, including open fields or woods (18%), and vehicle fires (7%). 

Educational institutions are governed by strict inspection and fire/life safety codes. Most schools built since the 

late 1970s are required to have sprinkler and other fire/smoke alarm systems. This is a likely explanation why, as 

shown in Figure 1, no deaths from school structure fires were reported in 2002 and such fires were less damaging 

than non−residential fires generally. Fires in schools were, however, more injurious than other non−residential 

structure fires. 

FIGURE 1. LOSS MEASURES FOR SCHOOL STRUCTURE FIRES 

(NFIRS 2002) 

All Non−Residential School 

Loss Measure Structure Fires Structure Fires 

$ Loss/Fire $21,505 $15,956

Injuries/1,000 Fires 14.4 22.0

Fatalities/1,000 Fires 1.1 0.0 

Source: NFIRS 5.0 only 

CAUSES 

As shown in Figure 2, the leading cause of school structure fires on average is incendiary/suspicious activity, 

which includes arson fires, and accounts for 37% of all school structure fires and 52% of middle and high school 

structure fires. Cooking is the second leading cause of school structure fires on average, followed by heating, open 

flame, and other heat. Structure fires in preschools and day care centers are predominantly caused by cooking 

(74%) and heating (12%). 

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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0 

Incendiary/Suspicious 

Cooking 

Heating 

Open Flame 

Other Heat 

CAUSES OF SCHOOL STRUCTURE FIRES (NFIRS 2002) 

Percent 

Average, Non−Adult Schools 

Middle, Junior, or High Schools 

Kindergarten or Elementary Schools 

Preschools, Day Care 

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 

FIGURE 2.

Source: NFIRS 5.0 only 

Children may be the ones involved in setting arson fires in schools; unfortunately this cannot be determined 

from NFIRS data alone. As shown in Figure 3, the greatest percentage of fires occur in middle and high schools, 

followed by elementary schools. This distribution does not imply an associated age for a juvenile involved in the 

firesetting, but does suggest the potential for middle− and high school−age involvement. 

FIGURE 3. ALL SCHOOL FIRES BY SCHOOL 

TYPE (NFIRS 2002) 

Middle, Junior,


or High School


(48.3%)


Preschool, 

Day Care 

(8.4%) 

Non−Adult School, 

Other 

(6.5%) 

Kindergarten or 

Elementary School 

(36.9%) 

Source: NFIRS 5.0 only 

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WHEN FIRES START 

Figure 4 illustrates the cumulative incidence of all school fires by month and school type. The peak month for 

school fires in 2002 was July, driven by a sharp increase in fires at elementary schools. It may be that elementary 

schools were more attractive targets for incendiary or suspicious fires during the summer when few school staff 

are on site. Elementary, middle, and high schools had above average fire incidence in the spring and fall—typically 

the end and beginning of the academic year. Fire incidence was at its lowest between November and February, in 

the middle of the academic year. Fires at preschools and day care centers moderately increased during the academic year. 

FIGURE 4. CUMULATIVE SCHOOL FIRES BY MONTH AND TYPE (NFIRS 2002)


12 

10 

8 

Percent 6 

4 

2 

0 

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

Non−Adult Schools, Other Preschools, Day Care Kindergarten or Elementary Schools Middle, Junior, or High Schools

Source: NFIRS 5.0 only 

Seventy−eight percent of school fires occur during the school week and 22% on weekends. Fifty−five percent of 

fires occur between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., the hours students are most likely to be in school (Figure 5). Thirty percent 

of fires occur between 5 p.m. and midnight; 15% occur between midnight and 8 a.m. This pattern is consistent for 

all of the major cause categories. 

0 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

ALL SCHOOL FIRES BY TIME OF DAY (NFIRS 2002) 

Percent 

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. 

2 a.m. 10 a.m. 

Source: NFIRS 5.0 only 

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WHERE FIRES START 

Figure 6 shows that bathrooms are where the highest percentage of school fires originate, typically in bathroom trash cans, which contributes to the predominance of incendiary or suspicious fires. Older students smoking 

in bathrooms may also increase the risk of such fires. These areas present children with a place to set a fire without 

having to contend with constant adult supervision. Kitchens are the second leading area of origin for structure 

fires, reflecting cooking fires, and outdoor areas are the second leading area of origin for all school fires, which 

include fires set in outdoor dumpsters and fields. 

FIGURE 6. LEADING AREAS OF ORIGIN OF SCHOOL FIRES 

(NFIRS 2002)

 Structure Fires All School Fires 

Bathroom 23% Bathroom 12% 

Kitchen 9% Outside Area, Other 12%

Assembly Area < 100 Persons 6% Open Area, Field 8%

Source: NFIRS 5.0 only 

MATERIAL IGNITED 

The most common materials ignited in school structure fires are paper, plastic, wood, and fabric. These materials reflect the high incidence of both incendiary and trash fires, are consistent with the materials commonly used 

by juvenile firesetters, and are common materials in and around schools. 

EXAMPLES 

In the fall of 2004, the city of Baltimore, MD, experienced an increase in school fires, typically in a “trash can, 

a locker, a bathroom, or a stairwell,” which increased the frequency of school evacuations. The increase in incendiary fires was attributed to a high student/teacher ratio and lack of supervision.4 

In October, 2002, vandals broke into a middle school classroom in Abilene, TX, on a Sunday morning and set 

a fire to “a teacher’s desk, on some textbooks and in a wastebasket.” Indications were that the vandals also 

attempted to break into a second classroom.5 

In April, 2002, Howell High School in Howell, MI, was closed temporarily due to five incendiary fires that 

were set throughout the building in the early morning hours on the last day of spring break. A door had been 

forced open and a flammable liquid had been poured on books, carpets, and inside classrooms. Water from the 

building’s automatic sprinkler system caused additional damage.6 

CONCLUSION 

Like most fires, those in schools are largely preventable through increased supervision, outreach, and technological innovation. For further information, particularly on juvenile firesetter intervention programs, contact your 

local fire department or the U.S. Fire Administration. 

To request additional information or comment on this report, visit 

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

Notes: 1	 For purposes of this report, “non−adult school fires” include all fires occurring on property used for non−adult education, from


day care through high school.


2	 School loss estimates are based on 2002 data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) and NFPA’s Fire Loss in the 

United States During 2002. At the time of this report, NFIRS is continuing to transition from version 4.1 to 5.0. Due to issues related 

to accurate conversion of version 4.1 data to version 5.0, this report is based on version 5.0 data only. 

3 Distribution statistics and per−fire losses are based on 2002 NFIRS data.


4 “Baltimore School Fires Spike,” The Washington Times, November 12, 2004.


5 “Middle School Fire an Arson,” KTXS News, October 31, 2002.


6 “Arson Fire Closes Howell School,” The Detroit News, April 9, 2002.


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