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

Topical Fire Report Series July 2018 | Volume 19, Issue 3

Nonresidential Building Fires (2014-2016)

These topical reports are 

designed to explore facets 

of the U.S. fire problem as 

depicted through data 

collected in the U.S. Fire 

Administration’s National 

Fire Incident Reporting 

System. Each topical report 

briefly addresses the 

nature of the specific fire or 

fire-related topic, highlights 

important findings from 

the data, and may suggest 

other resources to consider 

for further information. 

Also included are recent 

examples of fire incidents 

that demonstrate some 

of the issues addressed in 

the report or that put the 

report topic in context.

Findings

ĵ From 2014 to 2016, an estimated 100,300 nonresidential building fires were reported 

to United States fire departments each year and caused an estimated 90 deaths; 

1,350 injuries; and $2.4 billion in property losses per year.

ĵ National estimates for 2014 to 2016 show that nonresidential buildings accounted 

for 20 percent of the total dollar loss from all fires.

ĵ Cooking was the leading cause of all nonresidential building fires (30 percent). Nearly 

all nonresidential building cooking fires were small, confined fires (94 percent).

ĵ Outside and special properties accounted for the most nonresidential building 

fires (22 percent), while storage buildings accounted for the most nonresidential 

building fire deaths (24 percent).

ĵ Nonresidential building fires occurred most frequently from 1 to 7 p.m.

ĵ Nonconfined nonresidential building fires most often started in vehicle storage 

areas (9 percent).

ĵ In 59 percent of nonconfined nonresidential building fires, the fire extended 

beyond the room of origin. The leading causes of these larger fires were other 

unintentional or careless actions (22 percent) and exposures (12 percent).

ĵ Misuse of material or product (32 percent) was the leading category of factors 

contributing to ignition in nonconfined nonresidential building fires.

ĵ Smoke alarms were not present in 52 percent of the larger, nonconfined fires in 

occupied nonresidential buildings.

ĵ Automatic extinguishing systems (AESs) were reported as present in 20 percent 

of nonconfined fires in occupied nonresidential buildings.

Each year, from 2014 to 2016, fire departments responded to an estimated 100,300 fires in nonresidential buildings 

across the nation.1,2 These fires resulted in an annual average of 90 deaths; 1,350 injuries; and $2.4 billion in property 

losses. Although national estimates for 2014 to 2016 show that nonresidential building fires represented only 

8 percent of all fires, 3 percent of fire deaths and 9 percent of fire injuries, they accounted for 20 percent of the total 

dollar loss from all fires.3 Nonresidential building fires can also have a significant economic impact on a community 

as they may lead to lost jobs and closed businesses. In addition, because many nonresidential buildings are places 

where a large number of people gather, they hold the greatest potential for a mass casualty incident to occur.

The term “nonresidential buildings,” a subset of nonresidential structures, includes enclosed structures and fixed 

portable or mobile structures. The majority of nonresidential fires, deaths and injuries occur in buildings, and that 

is where prevention efforts are most often targeted. Specifically, nonresidential buildings include assembly places; 

eating and drinking establishments; educational and institutional facilities; stores and offices; detached garages; 

basic industry, manufacturing and storage facilities; as well as outside and other miscellaneous nonresidential 

buildings. They also include institutions, such as prisons, nursing homes, juvenile care facilities, and hospitals — 

though many people may temporarily reside there for short (or long) periods of time. 
TFRS Volume 19, Issue 3 | Nonresidential Building Fires (2014-2016)

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This report addresses the characteristics of all nonresidential building fires as reported to the U.S. Fire Administration’s 

(USFA’s) National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS). The focus is on fires reported from 2014 to 2016, the most 

recent data available at the time of the analysis.4 NFIRS data are used for the analyses throughout this report.

For the purpose of this report, the term “nonresidential fires” is synonymous with “nonresidential building fires.” 

“Nonresidential fires” is used throughout the body of this report; the findings, tables, figures, headings and endnotes 

reflect the full category, “nonresidential building fires.”

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.5 Confined fires rarely result in serious injuries or large content 

losses and are expected to have no significant accompanying property loss due to flame damage.6

Of the two classes of severity, nonconfined fires accounted for 52 percent of nonresidential fires. The smaller, confined 

fires accounted for the remaining 48 percent of nonresidential fires. Trash or rubbish fire was the predominant type 

of confined fire in nonresidential buildings (Table 1).

Table 1. Nonresidential building fires by type of incident (2014-2016)

Incident type Percent

Nonconfined fires 52.1

Confined fires 47.9

Cooking fire, confined to container 18.3

Chimney or flue fire, confined to chimney or flue 1.3

Incinerator overload or malfunction, fire confined 0.5

Fuel burner/boiler malfunction, fire confined 1.9

Commercial compactor fire, confined to rubbish 0.7

Trash or rubbish fire, contained 25.2

Total 100.0

Source: NFIRS 5.0.

Loss measures

Table 2 presents losses, averaged over the three-year period from 2014 to 2016, of reported nonresidential and 

residential building fires.7 The average number of fatalities and injuries per 1,000 nonresidential fires was notably 

lower than the same loss measures for residential building fires. Fire evacuation procedures may be more likely to be 

in place in nonresidential buildings than in homes, which may be one reason for the lower rates of death and injury. 

Additionally, fire codes often require inspections of nonresidential buildings. These inspections are not as prevalent 

for residential buildings (especially one- and two-family dwellings). This may be another reason for the lower rates 

of fire incidence, death and injury in nonresidential buildings. Finally, occupants of nonresidential buildings are more 

likely to be awake and alert during all hours of the day as they typically relocate to residential buildings to sleep. As 

a result, occupants of nonresidential buildings are better able to identify incidents and quickly take action or take 

preventive measures before an incident occurs.

Nonresidential fires, however, tended to be the most costly fires. This was especially true for nonconfined 

nonresidential fires. The higher property-loss values may be due to nonresidential buildings often being larger and 

therefore more expensive than residential buildings. In addition, the contents of nonresidential buildings are more 

likely to have a higher value than the contents of residential buildings.
TFRS Volume 19, Issue 3 | Nonresidential Building Fires (2014-2016)

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Table 2. Loss measures for nonresidential and residential building fires (three-year average, 2014-2016)

Measure Nonresidential 

building fires

Confined 

nonresidential 

building fires

Nonconfined 

nonresidential 

building fires

Residential 

building fires

Average loss:

Fatalities/1,000 fires 1.1 0.0 2.1 5.8

Injuries/1,000 fires 8.7 2.1 14.8 25.6

Dollar loss/fire $33,380 $460 $63,600 $17,490

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 2014 and 2015 dollar-loss values were adjusted to 2016 dollars.

Property use

Figure 1 presents the percentage distribution of fires and fire losses by major nonresidential property use category 

(e.g., assembly places, eating and drinking establishments, educational facilities, etc.).8 Buildings on outside and 

special properties accounted for 22 percent of nonresidential fires. The second and third leading property use 

categories, stores and offices (18 percent) and storage facilities (16 percent) respectively, accounted for an additional 

34 percent of nonresidential fires. Storage buildings accounted for 24 percent of the fire deaths, followed by stores 

and offices (18 percent) and assembly buildings (17 percent).9 In addition, 22 percent of injuries and 26 percent of 

dollar losses associated with nonresidential fires occurred in stores and offices.
TFRS Volume 19, Issue 3 | Nonresidential Building Fires (2014-2016)

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Figure 1. Nonresidential building fires and fire losses by property use (2014-2016) Property use

Percent

0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0 30.0 35.0

Other nonresidential

Outside, special properties

Detached garage

Storage

Manufacturing

Basic industry

Stores, offices

Institutional

Educational

Eating, drinking

Assembly

Fires

Deaths

Injuries

Dollar loss

6.5

17.0

3.5

8.8

8.6

0.9

8.8

4.6

0.0 3.8

2.0

6.5

4.3

12.6

2.5

17.9

17.8 21.7

25.9

2.4

2.2

2.6

4.9

4.8

4.3

12.4

20.0

15.9

23.5

19.9

4.5

11.3

9.3

3.2

21.8

12.6

6.8

3.9

6.4

6.1

4.0

14.6

3.0

6.0

Source: NFIRS 5.0.

Notes:	 1. Total percentages of fires, injuries and dollar losses do not add up to 100 percent due to rounding.

2. The 2014 and 2015 dollar-loss values were adjusted to 2016 dollars.

When nonresidential building fires occur

As shown in Figure 2, nonresidential fires occurred most frequently from 1 to 7 p.m., accounting for 34 percent of the 

fires.10 Fires then declined throughout the night, reaching the lowest point during the early to midmorning hours (3 to 

6 a.m.). Nonresidential fire incidence was similar to that of residential building fires, with the exception of residential 

building fire incidence peaking in the early evening hours.
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Figure 2. Nonresidential building 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.

3.1 2.8 2.53.1

3.8

4.2

4.6

5.0 5.3

5.7 5.5 5.6

5.9

5.8 5.6 5.3

4.9

4.3 3.8

3.3

2.4 2.3 2.4

Percent of 

2.7

nonresidential building fires

Time of alarm

Nonresidential building fires

Residential building fires

Source: NFIRS 5.0.

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

Figure 3 illustrates that, unlike residential building fires which followed a seasonal trend and were markedly higher 

in the cooler months, nonresidential fires occurred without much variation throughout the year. Nonresidential fire 

incidence was only slightly higher in the months of January, March and April, and was lowest in September. 

Figure 3. Nonresidential building fires by month (2014-2016)

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0

12.0

November

December

October

September

August

July

April

May

June

March

February

January

9.1

8.3 8.7

8.1 8.6

7.7 7.4 7.9

8.4

7.7

9.0 9.1

Percent of 

nonresidential building fires

Month of year

Nonresidential building fires

Residential building fires

Source: NFIRS 5.0.
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Causes of nonresidential building fires

Cooking was the leading cause and accounted for 30 percent of all nonresidential fires, as shown in Figure 4. Nearly 

all of these cooking fires (94 percent) were small, confined fires with limited damage.

The next four causes combined accounted for 36 percent of nonresidential fires: other unintentional or careless 

actions (11 percent); intentional actions (9 percent);11 heating (8 percent); and electrical malfunctions, such as 

short circuits or wiring problems (8 percent).12 Unintentional or careless actions include misuse of material or 

product; abandoned or discarded materials or products; heat source placed too close to combustibles; and other 

miscellaneous, unintentional actions.

Comparatively, cooking (50 percent) and heating (11 percent) were the leading causes of residential building fires from 

2014 to 2016. However, a higher percentage of residential building fires resulted from cooking.

Figure 4. Causes of nonresidential building fires (2014-2016) Causes

Percent of nonresidential building fires

0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0 30.0 35.0 40.0 45.0

Unknown

Cause under investigation

Other unintentional, careless

Equipment misoperation, failure

Exposure

Natural

Other equipment

Other heat

Open flame

Appliances

Electrical malfunction

Cooking

Heating

Smoking

Playing with heat source

Intentional

Percent of nonresidential building 

fires with cause determined

Percent of all nonresidential building fires

9.2

6.0

0.3

0.2

2.1

1.4

8.0

29.5

19.2

7.7

5.0

4.3

2.8

6.1

3.9

5.1

3.3

4.7

3.1

3.5

2.3

4.3

2.8

3.0

2.0

10.5

6.8

1.6

1.0

34.8

5.2

Source: NFIRS 5.0.

Notes:	 1. Causes are listed in order of the USFA Structure Fire Cause Hierarchy for ease of comparison of fire causes across different aspects of the fire problem. Fires

are assigned to one of 16 cause groupings using a hierarchy of definitions, as shown in this figure. A fire is included in the highest category into which it fits. If

it does not fit the top category, then the second one is considered, and if not that one, the third, and so on. For example, if the fire is judged to be intentionally

set and a match was used to ignite it, it is classified as intentional and not open flame because intentional is higher in the hierarchy.

2. Totals do not add up to 100 percent due to rounding.
TFRS Volume 19, Issue 3 | Nonresidential Building Fires (2014-2016)

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When looking at the different categories of property use (e.g., assembly, eating and drinking, education, etc.), there were 

some differences in leading fire causes as shown in Table 3. As for all nonresidential fires, cooking was, by far, the leading 

cause for assembly (40 percent), eating and drinking (63 percent), educational (49 percent), institutional (70 percent), 

stores and offices (32 percent), and other nonresidential (27 percent) building fires. The leading causes for basic industry, 

manufacturing, storage, detached garage, and outside or special property fires, however, were different than cooking. 

The leading cause for industrial fires was other unintentional or careless action (16 percent). For manufacturing fires, 

the leading causes were heating (17 percent) and other equipment (17 percent). Other unintentional or careless actions 

(24 percent) were the leading causes of storage fires, while exposure (19 percent), other unintentional or careless actions 

(16 percent), and intentional actions (10 percent) were the leading causes of detached garage fires. Finally, intentional 

actions (25 percent) were the leading causes of outside or special property fires.

Table 3. Leading causes of nonresidential building fires by property use (2014-2016)

Property use category Leading fire causes Percent

(unknowns apportioned)

Assembly

Cooking

Intentional 

Heating

39.8

11.0

9.6

Eating, drinking

Cooking

Heating

Electrical malfunction

62.9

7.1

6.0

Educational

Cooking

Intentional

Heating

49.4

15.0

10.1

Institutional

Cooking

Appliances

Heating

69.5

5.7

4.9

Stores, offices

Cooking

Electrical malfunction

Heating

31.6

11.4

9.4

Basic industry

Other unintentional, careless

Heating

Electrical malfunction

15.7

13.7

12.8

Manufacturing

Heating

Other equipment

Equipment misoperation, failure 

16.7

16.5

12.2

Storage

Other unintentional, careless

Open flame 

Exposure

23.5

11.2

9.8

Detached garage

Exposure

Other unintentional, careless

Intentional

19.4

15.6

10.3

Outside, special properties

Intentional

Cooking

Other unintentional, careless

25.0

14.8

10.8

Other nonresidential

Cooking

Other unintentional, careless

Intentional

26.6

20.0

10.8

Source: NFIRS 5.0.
TFRS Volume 19, Issue 3 | Nonresidential Building Fires (2014-2016)

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Fire spread in nonresidential building fires

In 55 percent of nonresidential fires, the fire was limited to the object of origin (Figure 5). Included in these fires are 

those coded as “confined fires” in the NFIRS. Additionally, 31 percent of fires extended beyond the room of origin.

Figure 5. Extent of fire spread in nonresidential building fires (2014-2016)

8.3

Fire spread

Percent of nonresidential building fires

0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0 60.0 70.0

Beyond building of origin

Limited to building of origin

Limited to floor of origin

Limited to room of origin

Limited to object of origin 55.4

13.5

2.7

21.9

6.4

Source: NFIRS 5.0.

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

Confined fires

The NFIRS allows abbreviated reporting for confined fires, and many reporting details of these fires are not required, 

nor are they reported. (Not all fires limited to the object of origin are counted as confined fires.)13 For example, a fire 

contained to a chair or clothes dryer is not defined as a “confined fire” in the NFIRS because of the greater potential 

for spread. Unlike fires in pots or chimneys, there is no container to stop the fire, even though the fire did not spread 

beyond the object of origin.

As previously discussed, it is known that confined fires accounted for 48 percent of all nonresidential fires (Table 1). 

Trash or rubbish fires accounted for 53 percent of these confined fires, while cooking fires — those cooking fires 

confined to a pot on the stove, for example — accounted for an additional 38 percent. 

Confined nonresidential fires occurred most frequently in the late afternoon and evening hours from 4 to 7 p.m. In 

addition, like all nonresidential fires, confined nonresidential fires occurred without much variation throughout the 

year with a slight peak occurring in July.

Nonconfined fires

The next sections of this topical report address nonconfined nonresidential fires — the larger and more serious 

fires — where more detailed fire data are available, as they are required to be reported in the NFIRS.

Causes of nonconfined nonresidential building fires

While cooking was the leading cause of nonresidential fires overall, it only accounted for 3 percent of all nonconfined 

nonresidential fires. Other unintentional or careless action (17 percent) and electrical malfunction (13 percent) were 

the leading causes of nonconfined nonresidential fires (Figure 6). Other leading causes of nonconfined nonresidential 

fires were intentional action, a group that includes fires commonly called arson fires (10 percent); and open flame, a 

group that includes candles, matches and lighters (9 percent).
TFRS Volume 19, Issue 3 | Nonresidential Building Fires (2014-2016)

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Figure 6. Causes of nonconfined nonresidential building fires (2014-2016) Causes

Percent of nonconfined nonresidential building fires

0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0 30.0 35.0

Unknown

Cause under investigation

Other unintentional, careless

Equipment misoperation, failure

Exposure

Natural

Other equipment

Other heat

Open flame

Appliances

Electrical malfunction

Cooking

Heating

Smoking

Playing with heat source

Intentional

Percent of nonconfined nonresidential 

building fires with cause determined

Percent of all nonconfined nonresidential 

building fires

9.6

6.9

0.5

0.3

2.1

1.5

5.4

3.0

2.2

13.3

9.6

7.2

5.2

8.6

6.2

7.4

5.3

5.4

3.9

5.3

3.8

7.4

5.3

5.0

3.6

17.2

12.5

2.6

1.9

27.8

3.9

Source: NFIRS 5.0.

Notes:	 1. Causes are listed in order of the USFA Structure Fire Cause Hierarchy for ease of comparison of fire causes across different aspects of the fire problem. Fires

are assigned to one of 16 cause groupings using a hierarchy of definitions, as shown in this figure. A fire is included in the highest category into which it fits. If

it does not fit the top category, then the second one is considered, and if not that one, the third, and so on. For example, if the fire is judged to be intentionally

set and a match was used to ignite it, it is classified as intentional and not open flame because intentional is higher in the hierarchy.

	 2. Total of all nonconfined nonresidential building fires does not add up to 100 percent due to rounding.

There were also differences in leading fire causes for nonconfined nonresidential fires than for all nonresidential fires 

when looking at the different categories of property use (Table 4). For example, while the three leading causes of 

all nonresidential fires in assembly places were cooking (40 percent), intentional action (11 percent), and heating (10 

percent), the three leading causes of nonconfined nonresidential fires in assembly places were electrical malfunction 

(19 percent), intentional action (17 percent), and other unintentional or careless action (10 percent). In addition, while 

the three leading causes of all nonresidential fires in institutional facilities were cooking (70 percent), appliances (6 

percent), and heating (5 percent), the leading causes of nonconfined nonresidential fires in institutional facilities were 

appliances (21 percent), electrical malfunction (17 percent), and intentional action (11 percent).
TFRS Volume 19, Issue 3 | Nonresidential Building Fires (2014-2016)

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Table 4. Leading causes of nonconfined nonresidential building fires by property use category (2014-2016)

Property use category Leading fire causes Percent

(unknowns apportioned)

Assembly

Electrical malfunction

Intentional

Other unintentional, careless

18.7

17.1

10.4

Eating, drinking

Cooking

Electrical malfunction

Other unintentional, careless

19.3

15.8

10.8

Educational

Intentional

Electrical malfunction

Appliances

28.8

15.1

10.7

Institutional

Appliances

Electrical malfunction

Intentional

21.0

17.3

11.1

Stores, offices

Electrical malfunction

Appliances

Other unintentional, careless

19.3

14.3

11.2

Basic industry

Other unintentional, careless

Electrical malfunction

Natural

20.0

16.5

10.0

Manufacturing

Equipment misoperation, failure

Other unintentional, careless

Other equipment

16.4

12.9

12.6

Storage

Other unintentional, careless

Open flame

Exposure

24.8

11.5

10.4

Detached garage

Exposure

Other unintentional, careless

Intentional

19.7

15.9

10.2

Outside, special properties

Other unintentional, careless

Exposure

Intentional

20.1

14.8

11.5

Other nonresidential

Other unintentional, careless

Intentional

Other heat

34.0

11.6

11.4

Source: NFIRS 5.0. 

Where nonconfined nonresidential building fires start (area of fire origin)

Vehicle storage area (9 percent) was the leading area of fire origin in nonconfined nonresidential fires, as shown in 

Table 5. Other storage areas (7 percent), cooking areas and kitchens (6 percent), and exterior wall surfaces (6 percent) 

were the next most common areas of fire origin in nonresidential buildings.
TFRS Volume 19, Issue 3 | Nonresidential Building Fires (2014-2016)

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Table 5. Leading areas of fire origin in nonconfined nonresidential building fires (2014-2016)

Areas of fire origin Percent

(unknowns apportioned)

Vehicle storage area: garage, carport 8.6

Storage area, other 7.3

Cooking area, kitchen 6.3

Exterior wall surface 6.1

Source: NFIRS 5.0.

The leading areas of fire origin, however, varied among the different categories of nonresidential property use (Table 

6). For example, the leading areas of fire origin for eating and drinking establishments, as expected, were cooking 

areas and kitchens (38 percent). Also as expected, the leading area of fire origin for detached garages was vehicle 

storage area (56 percent). For both assembly places and educational facilities, however, the leading area of fire origin 

was bathrooms, checkrooms and locker rooms (9 percent and 20 percent, respectively). In addition, laundry areas 

(14 percent) and bedrooms (14 percent) were the two leading areas of fire origin for institutional facilities, while 

processing and manufacturing areas (27 percent), machinery rooms (9 percent), and other service or equipment 

areas (8 percent) were the leading areas of fire origin for manufacturing buildings.

Table 6. Leading areas of fire origin in nonconfined nonresidential building fires by property use (2014-2016)

Property use 

category

Leading area of 

fire origin — percent

 (unknowns apportioned)

Second leading area of 

fire origin — percent 

(unknowns apportioned)

Third leading area of 

fire origin — percent 

(unknowns apportioned)

Assembly

Bathroom, checkroom, 

locker room 

8.9

Cooking area, kitchen 

7.9

Exterior wall surface 

5.0

Eating, drinking Cooking area, kitchen 

37.8

Exterior wall surface 

6.8

Exterior roof surface 

4.8

Educational

Bathroom, checkroom, 

locker room 

19.5

Cooking area, kitchen 

6.4

Assembly area without 

fixed seats 

5.8

Institutional Laundry area 

14.1

Bedrooms 

13.5

Cooking area, kitchen 

9.7

Stores, offices Laundry area 

7.1

Cooking area, kitchen 

6.0

Office 

5.3

Basic industry Storage area, other 

9.8

Structural area, other 

7.8

Service or equipment area, other 

6.5

Manufacturing Processing/Manufacturing area 

26.9

Machinery room or area 

9.2

Service or equipment area, other 

8.1

Storage Storage area, other 

17.9

Supplies or tools storage area 

11.6

Vehicle storage area: 

garage, carport 

10.4

Detached garage

Vehicle storage area: 

garage, carport 

55.9

Exterior wall surface 

12.0

Outside area, other 

4.7

Outside, special 

properties

Outside area, other 

8.6

Exterior wall surface 

7.0

Storage area, other 

6.5

Other 

nonresidential

Function area, other 

14.8

Area of fire origin, other 

9.7

Outside area, other 

9.1

Source: NFIRS 5.0.
TFRS Volume 19, Issue 3 | Nonresidential Building Fires (2014-2016)

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How nonconfined nonresidential building fires start (heat source)

Figure 7 shows sources of heat categories for nonconfined nonresidential fires. Heat from powered equipment 

accounted for 45 percent of nonconfined nonresidential fires. This category includes electrical arcing (15 percent); 

heat from other powered equipment (13 percent); radiated or conducted heat from operating equipment (10 percent); 

and spark, ember or flame from operating equipment (7 percent). 

Hot or smoldering objects accounted for 17 percent of nonconfined nonresidential fires. This category includes such 

items as miscellaneous hot or smoldering objects (7 percent) and hot embers or ashes (7 percent).

Additionally, heat from open flames or smoking materials (13 percent) and heat spread from another fire (13 percent) 

accounted for 26 percent of nonresidential fires. The heat from open flame category includes such items as other 

miscellaneous open flames or smoking materials (4 percent), lighters and matches (combined, 4 percent), and 

cigarettes (2 percent). The heat spread from another fire category includes heat from direct flames (4 percent) and 

radiated heat from another fire (3 percent).

Figure 7. Sources of heat in nonconfined nonresidential building fires by major category (2014-2016)

Percent of nonconfined nonresidential building fires

0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0 60.0

Undetermined

Multiple heat sources

 including multiple ignitions

Explosives, fireworks

Chemical, natural heat source

Other heat source

Heat spread from another fire

Hot or smoldering objects

Heat from open flame

 or smoking material

Heat from powered equipment

43.0

0.6

1.0

0.6

1.1

2.6

4.6

3.7

6.5

7.2

12.6

7.4

13.1

9.4

16.5

25.5

44.8

Percent of all nonconfined nonresidential 

building fires

Percent of nonconfined nonresidential 

building fires with heat source determined

Source: NFIRS 5.0.

Note:	 Total of nonconfined nonresidential building fires with heat source determined does not add up to 100 percent due to rounding.

What ignites first in nonconfined nonresidential building fires

Of the items first ignited in nonconfined nonresidential fires where the item first ignited was determined, 34 percent 

fell under the structural component and finish category (Figure 8). This category includes structural member 

or framing and exterior sidewall covering. The second leading category of items first ignited in nonconfined 

nonresidential fires was the general materials category which accounted for 25 percent of these fires. The general 

materials category includes items such as electrical wire, cable insulation, and trash or rubbish. At 11 percent, organic 

materials was the next leading category of nonconfined nonresidential fires. This category includes items such as 

cooking materials and light vegetation, including grass and leaves. 

Electrical wire, cable insulation (10 percent), exterior sidewall covering (10 percent), and structural member or framing 

(8 percent) were the specific items most often first ignited in nonconfined nonresidential fires.
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Figure 8. Item first ignited in nonconfined nonresidential building fires by major category (2014-2016)

Percent of nonconfined nonresidential building fires

0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0 30.0 35.0 40.0 45.0 50.0

Undetermined

Adornment, recreational material, signs

Furniture, utensils

Storage supplies

Soft goods, wearing apparel

Liquids, piping, filters

Other items

Organic materials

General materials

Structural component, finish

44.4

0.7

1.2

2.5

4.5

3.3

5.9

3.3

5.9

3.6

6.5

3.7

6.6

6.3

11.3

13.7

24.6

18.6

33.5

Percent of all nonconfined nonresidential 

building fires

Percent of nonconfined nonresidential 

building fires with item first ignited 

determined

Source: NFIRS 5.0.

Note:	 Total of all nonconfined nonresidential building fires does not add up to 100 percent due to rounding.

Fire spread in nonconfined nonresidential building fires

Figure 9 shows the extent of fire spread in nonconfined nonresidential fires. Of these nonconfined fires, 41 percent 

were limited to the object or room of fire origin — in 25 percent of these fires, the fire was limited to the room of 

origin; in another 16 percent, the fire was limited to the object of origin. (Note that a fire contained to a sofa or bed 

is not defined as a confined fire because of the greater potential for spread. Unlike fires in pots or chimneys, there is 

no container to stop the fire, even though the fire did not spread beyond the object of origin.)

Additionally, 59 percent of nonconfined nonresidential fires extended beyond the room of origin. The leading causes 

of these larger fires were unintentional or careless actions (22 percent) and exposures (12 percent).

Figure 9. Extent of fire spread in nonconfined nonresidential building fires (2014-2016)

8.3

Fire spread

Percent of nonconfined nonresidential building fires

0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0

Beyond building of origin

Limited to building of origin

Limited to floor of origin

Limited to room of origin

Limited to object of origin 16.1

24.6

5.2

41.9

12.3

Source: NFIRS 5.0.

Note: Total does not add up to 100 percent due to rounding.
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Factors contributing to ignition in nonconfined nonresidential building fires

Table 7 shows the categories of factors contributing to ignition in nonconfined nonresidential fires. The leading 

category was the misuse of material or product (32 percent). In this category, the leading specific factors contributing 

to ignition were a heat source too close to combustible materials (12 percent) and abandoned or discarded materials, 

such as matches or cigarettes (7 percent).

Electrical failures and malfunctions contributed to 21 percent of nonconfined nonresidential fires. Fire spread or 

control was the third leading category at 19 percent. Exposure was the leading specific factor in the fire spread or 

control category and accounted for 11 percent of all nonconfined nonresidential fires.

Table 7. Factors contributing to ignition for nonconfined nonresidential building fires by major category 

(where factors contributing to ignition are specified, 2014-2016)

Factors contributing to ignition category Percent of nonconfined nonresidential building fires 

(unknowns apportioned)

Misuse of material or product 31.9

Electrical failure, malfunction 21.3

Fire spread or control 18.8

Mechanical failure, malfunction 10.9

Operational deficiency 8.9

Other factors contributing to ignition 5.9

Natural condition 5.3

Design, manufacture, installation deficiency 1.8

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; the total will exceed 100 percent.

Alerting/Suppression systems in nonresidential building fires

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

fires. In addition, the installation of smoke alarms and fire sprinklers is generally required in nonresidential buildings 

where an increased risk to life is present, such as hospitals, prisons, or educational facilities. They’re also required 

in nonresidential buildings that present an increased fire hazard to occupants and firefighters, such as high-rise 

buildings and industrial facilities.

Smoke alarm data is available for both confined and nonconfined fires, although for confined fires, the data is very 

limited in scope. Since different levels of data are reported on smoke alarms in confined and nonconfined fires, the 

analyses are performed separately. Note that the data presented in Tables 8 to 10 are the raw counts from the NFIRS 

dataset and are not scaled to national estimates of smoke alarms in nonresidential fires. In addition, 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 in nonconfined fires

Overall, smoke alarms were reported as present in only 24 percent of nonconfined nonresidential fires (Table 8). By 

comparison, because building codes generally require smoke alarms to be installed in locations where people sleep, 

smoke alarms were reported as present in 43 percent of nonconfined residential fires. In 56 percent of nonconfined 

nonresidential fires, there were no smoke alarms present. In another 20 percent of these fires, firefighters were 

unable to determine if a smoke alarm was present. Thus, smoke alarms were potentially missing in 56 to 76 percent 

of these fires with the ability to spread and possibly result in fatalities.
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Table 8. Presence of smoke alarms in nonconfined nonresidential building fires (2014-2016)

Presence of smoke alarms Percent

Present 23.8

None present 56.1

Undetermined 20.1

Total 100.0

Source: NFIRS 5.0.

While 21 percent of all nonconfined nonresidential fires occurred in buildings that are not currently or routinely 

occupied, these buildings — which are under construction, undergoing major renovations, 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 

4 percent of all nonconfined fires in unoccupied nonresidential buildings were reported as having smoke alarms 

that were present and that operated. As a result, the detailed smoke alarm analyses in the next section focus on 

nonconfined fires in occupied nonresidential buildings only.14

Smoke alarms in nonconfined fires in occupied nonresidential buildings

Smoke alarms were reported as present in 28 percent of nonconfined fires in occupied nonresidential buildings (Table 

9). In 52 percent of nonconfined fires in occupied nonresidential buildings, there were no smoke alarms present. In 

another 20 percent of these fires, firefighters were unable to determine if a smoke alarm was present; unfortunately, 

in 55 percent of the fires where the presence of a smoke alarm was undetermined, either the flames involved the 

building of origin or spread beyond it. The fires were so large and destructive that it is unlikely the presence of a 

smoke alarm could be determined.

When smoke alarms were present (28 percent) and the alarm’s operational status is considered, the percentage of 

smoke alarms reported as present consisted of the following:

ĵ Present and operated — 16 percent.

ĵ Present but did not operate — 8 percent (fire too small, 6 percent; alarm failed to operate, 2 percent).

ĵ Present but operational status unknown — 4 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 56 percent of the incidents and failed to operate in 6 percent. 

In 22 percent of this subset, the fire was too small to activate the alarm. The operational status of the alarm was 

undetermined in 15 percent of these incidents.15

Again, in at least 52 percent of nonconfined fires in occupied nonresidential buildings, there were no smoke alarms 

present — and perhaps more if fires without information on smoke alarms could be factored in.16 A portion of 

reported fires without smoke alarms may reflect the effectiveness of the alarms themselves: Smoke alarms do not 

prevent fires, but they may prevent a fire from being reported if it is detected at an early stage and extinguished 

before the fire department becomes involved.

If a fire occurs, properly installed and maintained smoke alarms provide an early warning signal. Smoke alarms help 

save lives and property. The 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.
TFRS Volume 19, Issue 3 | Nonresidential Building Fires (2014-2016)

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Table 9. NFIRS smoke alarm data for nonconfined fires in occupied nonresidential buildings (2014-2016)

Presence 

of smoke 

alarms

Smoke alarm operational status Smoke alarm effectiveness Count Percent

Present

Fire too small to activate smoke alarm 5,443 6.3

Smoke alarm operated

Smoke alarm alerted occupants, 

occupants responded

9,672 11.2

Smoke alarm alerted occupants, 

occupants failed to respond

389 0.5

No occupants 2,678 3.1

Smoke alarm failed to alert occupants 110 0.1

Undetermined 805 0.9

Smoke alarm failed to operate 1,430 1.7

Undetermined 3,763 4.4

None present 44,627 51.9

Undetermined 17,111 19.9

Total reported 

incidents

86,028 100.0

Source: NFIRS 5.0.

Note:	 The data presented in this table are raw data counts from the NFIRS dataset summed (not averaged) from 2014 to 2016. They do not represent national estimates

of smoke alarms in nonconfined fires in occupied nonresidential buildings. They are presented for informational purposes.

Smoke alarms in confined fires

Less information about smoke alarm status is collected for confined fires, but the data still give important insights 

about the effectiveness of alerting occupants in these types of fires. The analyses presented here do not differentiate 

between occupied and unoccupied nonresidential buildings, as this data detail is not required when reporting 

confined fires in the NFIRS. However, an assumption may be made that confined fires are fires in occupied buildings, 

as these types of fires are unlikely to be reported in buildings that are not occupied.

Smoke alarms alerted occupants in 27 percent of the reported confined nonresidential fires (Table 10). Occupants 

were not alerted by smoke alarms in 24 percent of confined nonresidential fires.17 In 49 percent of these confined 

fires, the smoke alarm effectiveness was unknown.

Table 10. NFIRS smoke alarm data for confined nonresidential building fires (2014-2016)

Smoke alarm effectiveness Count Percent

Smoke alarm alerted occupants 27,108 27.0

Smoke alarm did not alert occupants 24,200 24.1

Unknown 48,962 48.8

Total reported incidents 100,270 100.0

Source: NFIRS 5.0.

Notes:	 1. The data presented in this table are raw data counts from the NFIRS dataset summed (not averaged) from 2014 to 2016. They do not represent national

estimates of smoke alarms in confined nonresidential building fires. They are presented for informational purposes.

2. Total does not add up to 100 percent due to rounding.
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Automatic extinguishing systems in nonconfined fires in occupied nonresidential buildings

AES data are available for both confined and nonconfined fires; although, for confined fires, the data are also very 

limited in scope. In confined nonresidential building fires, an AES was present in only 2 percent of reported incidents.18

As a result, the analyses here focus on nonconfined fires. In addition, the following analyses focus on occupied 

buildings since unoccupied buildings, such as those that are under construction, are less likely to have AESs present.

Although sprinklers are required by code in many nonresidential buildings that present an increased fire hazard or 

risk to life, full or partial AESs were reported as present in 20 percent of nonconfined fires in occupied nonresidential 

buildings (Table 11). AESs were not present in 70 percent of these fires.

Table 11. NFIRS automatic extinguishing system data for nonconfined fires in occupied nonresidential 

buildings (2014-2016)

AES presence Count Percent

AES present 16,688 19.4

Partial system present 894 1.0

AES not present 59,925 69.7

Unknown 8,521 9.9

Total reported incidents 86,028 100.0

Source: NFIRS 5.0.

Note:	 The data presented in this table are raw data counts from the NFIRS dataset summed (not averaged) from 2014 to 2016. They do not represent national estimates

of AESs in nonconfined fires in occupied nonresidential buildings. They are presented for informational purposes.

Examples

The following are recent examples of nonresidential fires reported by the media:

ĵ March 2018: A 10-story office building was evacuated around 10 p.m. in Rockville, Maryland, after smoke and 

haze filled several floors. Upon arriving at the scene, firefighters investigated the smoke inside the building and 

found that a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) unit had overheated and burned. Fire crews checked 

the remainder of the building and parking garage for other signs of fire or smoke before clearing the scene. No 

injuries were reported.19

ĵ March 2018: A Rochester, New York, building was temporarily closed after a fire broke out in the area of the firstfloor bar and restaurant around 3:50 a.m. Heavy smoke was coming from both floors of the two-story building 

when firefighters arrived at the scene. The building housed both a restaurant and a barber shop. According to 

fire department personnel, the fire was contained to the restaurant, which sustained substantial fire damage. 

There was no reported fire damage to the barber shop; however, it sustained minor water damage. No one was 

injured in the blaze. The cause of the fire is under investigation.20

ĵ January 2018: Residents in Chartiers Township, Pennsylvania, were ordered to “Shelter in Place” as a precaution after 

a fire started inside a metal and wire manufacturing plant around 7:30 p.m. Upon arrival, emergency personnel 

found smoke coming from the building, and a piece of machinery on fire. Hazmat teams were also called to the 

scene as the fire was reported in a part of the building that housed various chemicals. Air quality monitoring was 

established, but no chemicals were detected in the air. The fire spread throughout the building and extended to 

the roof of the plant, resulting in a partial roof collapse onto the piece of machinery where the fire started. As it 

took crews several hours to contain the fire, the building sustained heavy damage. There were employees inside 

the facility when the fire broke out. However, everyone got out safely, and no major injuries were reported.21
TFRS Volume 19, Issue 3 | Nonresidential Building Fires (2014-2016)

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ĵ January 2018: The cause of a fire that broke out in a Boyle Heights church in Los Angeles, California, is being investigated 

as a possible arson. Firefighters responded to the incident just after 2 a.m. to find flames coming from the building. 

The fire was contained to the first floor of the church, burning the main entrance and vestibule area. Candles were 

lit in the vestibule, but firefighters reported that the candles were being burned properly according to fire code 

standards. After the fire was extinguished, vandalism was discovered on both the interior and exterior of the building, 

which prompted officials to investigate the fire as suspicious. No injuries were reported as a result of the blaze.22

NFIRS data specifications for nonresidential building fires

Data for this report were extracted from the NFIRS annual Public Data Release files for 2014, 2015 and 2016. Only 

Version 5.0 data were extracted.

Nonresidential building fires were defined using the following criteria:

ĵ Aid Types 3 (mutual aid given) and 4 (automatic aid given) were excluded to avoid counting a single incident more 

than once.

ĵ Incident Types 111 to 123 (excluding Incident Type 112):

Incident Type Description

111 Building fire

113 Cooking fire, confined to container

114 Chimney or flue fire, confined to chimney or flue

115 Incinerator overload or malfunction, fire confined

116 Fuel burner/boiler malfunction, fire confined

117 Commercial compactor fire, confined to rubbish

118 Trash or rubbish fire, contained

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

Note:	 Incident Types 113 to 118 do not specify if the structure is a building.

ĵ Property Use 100 to 399, 500 to 999, 000 to 009, NNN and UUU: 

Property Use Description 

100-159, 163-199 Assembly

160-162 Eating and drinking establishments

200-299 Educational

300-399 Health care, detention and correction

500-599 Stores and offices

600-699 Industrial, utility, defense, agriculture, mining

700 Manufacturing, processing

800-880, 882-899 Storage

881 Detached garage

900-999 Outside or special property

000-009, NNN, 

UUU

Property use, other

Note: For a complete listing of the NFIRS Property Use codes, view the NFIRS 5.0 Complete Reference Guide: https://www.usfa.fema.gov/data/nfirs/support/

documentation.html (January 2015).
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ĵ Structure Type:

Ý For Incident Types 113 to 118:

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.

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 nonresidential 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 19),” https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/

statistics/data_sources_and_national_estimates_methodology_vol19.pdf. This document also addresses the specific 

NFIRS data elements analyzed in the topical reports, as well as “unknown” data entries and missing data.

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

report, visit https://apps.usfa.fema.gov/contact/dataReportEval?reportTitle=Nonresidential%20Building%20

Fires%20(2014-2016).

Notes:

1National estimates are based on 2014 to 2016 native Version 5.0 data from the NFIRS, nonresidential structure fire loss estimates from the 

National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) annual surveys of fire loss, and the U.S. Fire Administration’s (USFA) nonresidential building fire loss 

estimates: https://www.usfa.fema.gov/data/statistics/order_download_data.html. Further information on the USFA’s nonresidential 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 2016,” September 2017, https://www.nfpa.org/news-and-research/fire-statistics-and-reports/fire-statistics/

fires-in-the-us/overall-fire-problem/fire-loss-in-the-united-states. In this topical report, fires are rounded to the nearest 100, deaths to the 

nearest five, injuries to the nearest 25, and losses to the nearest $100 million.

2In 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 “nonresidential 

structure” commonly referred to buildings where people work, gather, learn, dine, shop, etc. To coincide with this concept, the definition of a 

nonresidential structure fire for the 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 nonresidential property use. Such structures are referred to as “nonresidential buildings” to distinguish 

these buildings from other structures on nonresidential properties that may include fences, sheds and other various open structures. In addition, 

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

Nonconfined fire incidents that have a nonresidential property use without a structure type specified are considered to be invalid incidents 

(Structure Type is a required field) and are not included.

3The percentages shown here are derived from the national estimates of nonresidential building fires as explained in Endnote 1 and the summary 

data resulting from the NFPA’s annual fire loss surveys (Haynes, Hylton J.G., “Fire Loss in the United States During 2016,” NFPA, September 2017; 

Haynes, Hylton J.G., “Fire Loss in the United States During 2015,” NFPA, September 2016; Haynes, Hylton J.G., “Fire Loss in the United States 

During 2014,” NFPA, September 2015). 

4Fire 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 2014 to 2016, 68 percent of the NFPA’s annual 

average estimated 1,328,500 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.

5In the NFIRS, confined fires are defined by Incident Type Codes 113 to 118.
TFRS Volume 19, Issue 3 | Nonresidential Building Fires (2014-2016)

20

6The 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.

7The average fire death and fire injury loss rates computed from the national estimates do not agree with average fire death and fire injury loss 

rates computed from the NFIRS data alone. The fire death rate computed from national estimates is (1,000 x (90/100,300)) = 0.9 death per 1,000 

nonresidential building fires, and the fire injury rate is (1,000 x (1,350/100,300)) = 13.5 injuries per 1,000 nonresidential building fires. 

8There are 11 major nonresidential building property use categories. “Assembly” buildings are places where people gather, such as fixed-use 

recreational facilities, places of worship, public or government buildings, and ballrooms and gymnasiums, but do not include eating and drinking 

establishments. “Eating and drinking” establishments include places specializing in on-premise consumption of food, including carryout and 

drive-thru restaurants, as well as bars and nightclubs. “Educational” buildings include schools for children and adults, such as daycare; preschool; 

elementary, middle, and high school; college; and adult education centers. “Institutional” buildings include health care, detention and correctional 

facilities. “Stores and offices” include stores, specialty shops, personal services and offices. “Basic industry” buildings include industrial, utility, 

defense, agriculture and mining facilities. “Manufacturing” buildings include processing facilities and factories. “Storage” buildings include 

outside material storage areas, livestock, poultry storage, warehouses, fire stations, and commercial parking structures for vehicles, such as 

buses and trucks. “Detached garages” include parking garages, detached residential garages and detached parking structures associated with 

multifamily housing. “Outside and special properties” include facilities, such as guard posts, outside kiosks and the like. “Other nonresidential” 

buildings include nonresidential buildings not classified with any other property use category.

9In 2016, in Oakland, California, a fire at a former warehouse that had been converted to mixed-use properties with an assembly area contributed 

to the large percentage of fire deaths in assembly buildings. Thirty-five fire deaths were reported to the NFIRS as a result of this incident.

10For 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.

11Fires caused by intentional actions include, but are not limited to, fires that are deemed to be arson. Intentional fires are those fires that are 

deliberately set and include fires that result from the deliberate misuse of a heat source and fires of an incendiary nature (arson) that require 

fire service intervention. For information and statistics on arson fires only, refer to the Uniform Crime Reporting Program arson statistics from 

the U.S. Department of Justice, FBI, Criminal Justice Information Services Division, https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/ucr.

12The USFA Structure Fire Cause Methodology was used to determine the cause of nonresidential building fires. 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.

13As noted previously, confined building fires are small fire incidents that are limited in scope, are confined to noncombustible containers, rarely 

result in serious injury or large content loss, and are expected to have no significant accompanying property loss due to flame damage. In the 

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

14“Occupied” implies that the building is operational or in normal use. This includes properties that are closed or unoccupied for a brief period 

of time, such as businesses that are closed for the weekend.

15Total does not add to 100 percent due to rounding.

16Here, at least 52 percent of nonconfined fires in occupied nonresidential buildings had no smoke alarms present — the 52 percent that were 

known to not have smoke alarms and some portion (or as many as all) of the fires where the smoke alarm presence was undetermined.

17In confined fires, the entry “smoke alarm did not alert occupants” can mean no smoke alarm was present; the smoke alarm was present but 

did not operate; the smoke alarm was present and operated, but the occupant(s) was already aware of the fire; or there were no occupants 

present at the time of the fire.

18As confined fire codes are designed to capture fires contained to noncombustible containers, it is not recommended to code a fire incident as 

a small-, low- or no-loss confined fire incident if the AES operated and contained the fire as a result. The preferred method is to code the fire as 

a standard fire incident with fire spread confined to the object of origin and provide the relevant information on AES presence and operation.

19“Rockville Office Building Evacuated After HVAC Fire,” bethesdamagazine.com, March 6, 2018, http://bethesdamagazine.com/BethesdaBeat/2018/Rockville-Office-Building-Evacuated-After-HVAC-Fire/ (accessed May 7, 2018).

20Victoria E. Freile and Tina MacIntyre-Yee, “Fire Heavily Damages 3 Latinos Restaurant On West Ridge Road In Rochester,” www.

democratandchronicle.com, March 6, 2018, https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2018/03/05/restaurant-fire-west-ridge-roadrochester/394340002/ (accessed May 7, 2018).

21Amy Wadas, “Fire At Metal Manufacturing Plant Prompts ‘Shelter In Place’ Order In Chartiers Township,” pittsburgh.cbslocal.com, Jan. 18, 2018, 

http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2018/01/18/chartiers-township-dynamet-fire/ (accessed May 7, 2018).

22Erika Martin, Erin Myers, and Kareen Wynter, “Fire At Catholic Church In Boyle Heights Investigated As Suspicious After Vandalism Is Found,” 

ktla.com, Jan. 25, 2018, http://ktla.com/2018/01/25/fire-at-catholic-church-in-boyle-heights-investigated-as-suspicious-after-vandalism-is-found/

(accessed May 7, 2018).