Topical Fire Report Series June 2022 | Volume 22, Issue 2

Fatal Fires in Residential Buildings 

(2018-2020)

The U.S. Fire Administration’s 

(USFA’s) topical reports are 

designed to explore facets 

of the U.S. fire problem 

as depicted through data 

collected in the USFA’s 

National Fire Incident 

Reporting System (NFIRS) 

from incidents reported by 

local response agencies. 

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 Each year, from 2018 to 2020, an estimated average of 1,900 fatal fires in residential 

buildings were reported to fire departments within the United States. These fires 

caused an estimated average of 2,745 deaths, 625 injuries and $230 million in 

property loss.

ĵ Fatal fires in residential buildings were highest between midnight to 1 a.m. (7%). 

The 8-hour peak period (11 p.m. to 7 a.m.) accounted for 45% of the fatal fires in 

residential buildings.

ĵ Fatal fires in residential buildings were more prevalent in the cooler months, 

peaking in January (14%). 

ĵ “Other unintentional, careless” action (20%) was the leading cause of fatal fires in 

residential buildings followed by “cause under investigation” (16%) and “smoking” (14%).

ĵ In 80% of fatal fires in residential buildings, the fire extended beyond the room 

of origin. 

ĵ Fatal fires in residential buildings most often started in bedrooms (27%) and 

common areas such as living and family rooms (26%). 

ĵ The leading human factor contributing to the ignition of fatal fires in residential 

buildings was being “asleep” (41%). When “asleep” was reported as a contributing 

factor to the fatal fires in residential buildings, “smoking” and “other unintentional, 

careless” actions were the leading causes. 

ĵ Smoke alarms were not present in 24% of fatal fires in occupied residential buildings. 

ĵ Automatic extinguishing systems (AESs), including residential sprinklers, were reported 

to have not been present in 90% of fatal fires in occupied residential buildings.

An estimated average of 3,620 civilian fire deaths were reported to fire departments across the country each 

year from 2018 to 2020.1 Because 76% of all civilian fire deaths occurred in residential buildings, the fatal fires in 

these types of buildings are the focus of this report.2, 3

Each year, from 2018 to 2020, an estimated average of 1,900 fatal fires in residential buildings occurred in the U.S.4, 5

These fires resulted in an annual estimated average of 2,745 deaths, 625 injuries and $230 million in property loss.6

This topical report, issued by the U.S. Fire Administration’s (USFA) National Fire Data Center (NFDC), addresses 

the characteristics of fatal fires in residential buildings as reported to the National Fire Incident Reporting System 

(NFIRS).7 The focus of this report is on fires from 2018 to 2020, the most recent data available at the time of the 

analysis. NFIRS data from the Public Data Release (PDR) files are used for the analyses throughout this report. Some 

of the characteristics examined include fire spread, area of fire origin, human factors contributing to ignition and 

alerting/suppression systems.8 The information in this report can be used not only to assess and understand the 

nature of the fatal fire problem and its implications for the targeting of prevention programs.

National Fire Data Center

16825 S. Seton Ave.

Emmitsburg, MD 21727

usfa.fema.gov
TFRS Volume 22, Issue 2 | Fatal Fires in Residential Buildings (2018-2020)

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For this report, the term “residential fatal fires” is synonymous with “fatal fires in residential buildings.” “Residential 

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

full category “fatal fires in residential buildings.”

Loss measures

Although residential fatal fires accounted for less than 1% of the overall residential fire profile, they had tremendous 

and devastating outcomes. Table 1 presents losses of reported residential fatal and nonfatal fires averaged over the 

3-year period from 2018 to 2020.9 In addition to resulting in fatalities, residential fatal fires had over 5 times the dollar 

loss per fire and over 10 times the injury rate of residential nonfatal fires. Of the residential fatal fires, 87% resulted 

in 1 civilian fatality, 10% resulted in 2 civilian fatalities, and 3% resulted in 3 or more civilian fatalities. These statistics 

reflect the destructive nature of residential fatal fires. 

Table 1. Loss measures for fatal and nonfatal fires in residential buildings (3-year average, 2018-2020)

Measure Fatal fires in 

residential buildings

Nonfatal fires in 

residential buildings

Average loss:

Fatalities/1,000 fires 1,174.2 0.0

Injuries/1,000 fires 243.4 23.5

Dollar loss/fire $98,170 $18,210

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 rounded to the nearest $10.

2. The 2018 and 2019 dollar-loss values were adjusted to 2020 dollars.

Property use

As shown in Table 2, 79% of residential fatal fires occurred in one- and two-family dwellings. This is not surprising 

since the majority of the population lives in these types of residences.10 Multifamily dwellings accounted for 15% of all 

residential fatal fires. Other residential occupancies including boarding and rooming houses, and hotels and motels, 

were a very small portion, accounting for the remaining 6% of residential fatal fires.11

Table 2. Property use for fatal fires in residential buildings (2018-2020)

Property use Percent

One- and two-family dwellings 79.4

Multifamily dwellings 14.5

Other residential buildings 5.3

Boarding, rooming houses 0.5

Hotels and motels 0.4

Total 100.0

Source: NFIRS 5.0.

Note: Total does not add up to 100% due to rounding.
TFRS Volume 22, Issue 2 | Fatal Fires in Residential Buildings (2018-2020)

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When fatal fires in residential buildings occur

As shown in Figure 1, residential fatal fires occurred most frequently late at night or in the early morning.12 From 2018 

to 2020, residential fatal fires were highest from midnight to 1 a.m. (7%). The 8-hour peak period (11 p.m. to 7 a.m.) 

accounted for 45% of residential fatal fires. Fatal fires then declined throughout the day, reaching the lowest point 

from 12 to 1 p.m. (3%). There are several possible reasons for this. First, many people are sleeping and unaware in 

the middle of the night. If smoke alarms are not present, these individuals may have a higher probability of dying 

before waking up to a fire. Second, cigarette and other smoldering fires (started by careless actions before people 

retire for the night) may go unnoticed and grow to rapidly progressing fires while they are sleeping. 

Figure 1. Fatal fires in residential buildings by time of alarm (2018-2020)

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.

6.8

6.1 6.4

4.1

3.6 3.4 3.3 3.1

2.6

3.0 3.1 3.0 3.0 3.3

3.8 3.6 3.7

4.2 4.4

5.3

5.8

4.9 4.6

5.0

Percent of fatal fires in

residential buildings

Time of alarm

Source: NFIRS 5.0. 

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

The time of alarm profile for residential fatal fires was in contrast to the alarm time profile for residential nonfatal 

fires, as shown in Figure 2. Nonfatal fires had the reverse daily cycle, with fires, predominantly caused by cooking, 

occurring during the late afternoon and evening.
TFRS Volume 22, Issue 2 | Fatal Fires in Residential Buildings (2018-2020)

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Figure 2. Time of alarm for fatal and nonfatal fires in residential buildings (2018-2020)

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.

Percent of fatal and nonfatal

fires in residential buildings

Time of alarm

Fatal residential building fires

Nonfatal residential building fires 

Source: NFIRS 5.0.

There was a much higher incidence of residential fatal fires in the cooler months twice that of the summer months. 

This could be because of increased activities indoors. Residential fatal fires peaked in January at 14% (Figure 3). Fire 

incidence then declined after January, reaching the lowest incidence in August (5%) and September (5%). In addition, 

as shown in Figure 4, residential fatal fires occurred more often on weekends similarly to when residential nonfatal 

fires occurred.

Figure 3. Fatal fires in residential buildings by month (2018-2020)

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0

12.0

14.0

16.0

November

December

October

September

August

July

April

May

June

March

February

January

14.1

10.8

7.3

6.2

6.9

4.9 5.1

7.2 7.8

9.7

11.2

9.0

Percent of fatal fires in

residential buildings

Month of year

Source: NFIRS 5.0.

Note: Total does not add up to 100% due to rounding.
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Figure 4. Fatal and nonfatal fires in residential buildings by day of week (2018-2020)

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0

12.0

14.0

16.0

18.0

20.0

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

15.1

14.4 13.2 14.5 15.0 14.0 13.8

Percent of fatal and nonfatal

fires in residential buildings

Day of week

Fatal fires in residential buildings

Nonfatal fires in residential buildings

Source: NFIRS 5.0.

Causes of fatal fires in residential buildings 

As shown in Figure 5, “other unintentional, careless” action was the leading cause of residential fatal fires at 20%.13

“Other unintentional, careless” actions include misuse of a material or product, abandoned or discarded materials 

or products, heat source placed too close to combustibles, and miscellaneous unintentional actions. “Cause under 

investigation” was the next leading cause at 16%. “Smoking” was the third leading cause at 14%.14 Although not as 

prominent as it once was, “smoking” has been a leading cause of residential fatal fires since the inception of the NFIRS. 

Multiple fatality fires, those fires resulting in 2 or more deaths, in residential buildings were most often caused by 

“other unintentional, careless” actions (20%) followed by “cause under investigation” (18%), “electrical malfunction” 

(10%), and “smoking” (8%). “Other unintentional, careless” actions, “cause under investigation,” and “smoking” were the 

leading causes of single fatality fires in residential buildings at 20%, 16% and 14%, respectively. Fires caused by “other 

unintentional, careless” actions occurred more often in residential fatal fires (20%) than in residential nonfatal fires (8%).
TFRS Volume 22, Issue 2 | Fatal Fires in Residential Buildings (2018-2020)

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Figure 5. Causes of fatal fires in residential buildings (2018-2020)

Percent of fatal fires in residential buildings

Causes

0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0 30.0 35.0 40.0 45.0 50.0 55.0

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 fatal fires in residential 

buildings with cause determined

Percent of all fatal fires in 

residential buildings

2.7

3.9

8.0

0.6

1.3

6.3

3.1

3.3

6.7

3.1

1.5

0.9

0.4

0.8

1.6

1.4

2.8

19.9

9.7

7.9

16.3

51.2

5.5

2.4

4.9

6.6

13.5

0.3

0.5

4.2

8.6

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 1 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.	A large percentage (51%) of residential fatal fire incidents reported to the NFIRS did not have sufficient information to determine the cause of the fire. The

cause analyses reflect only the 49% of incidents where enough information and detail were reported to determine the cause of the fatal fire.

	 3.	Total percent of fatal fires in residential buildings with cause determined does not add up to 100% due to rounding.

Causes of winter and summer fatal fires in residential buildings

Residential fatal fires had much higher incidence in the cooler months as shown in Figure 3. While the addition of 

heating contributed to some of the increase in overall residential fires in the cooler winter months, heating was not 1 

of the 3 leading causes of winter residential fatal fires. As shown in Table 3, the following 3 leading causes accounted 

for 53% of all residential fatal fires in December through March: “other unintentional, careless” actions (24%), “cause 

under investigation” (16%), and “smoking” (13%). “Heating” was the fourth leading cause of 7% of winter fatal fires. 

The increase in fatal fires in the winter months is more likely to be related to the increase in indoor activities, as noted 

earlier, rather than the type of fire.

Half as many residential fatal fires occurred in the warmer months of June through September as compared to the 

cooler months (Figure 3). As shown in Table 3, the 3 leading causes of summer fatal fires were the same, although 

in a different order, as those for winter fatal fires: “cause under investigation” (16%), “smoking” (14%), and “other 

unintentional, careless” actions (13%). The fourth leading cause for summer fatal fires, “intentional” (11%), was 

different than the fourth cause of winter residential fatal fires.15
TFRS Volume 22, Issue 2 | Fatal Fires in Residential Buildings (2018-2020)

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Table 3. Relative proportion of leading causes of fatal fires in residential buildings: Winter and summer 

(3-year average, 2018-2020)

Leading cause of fatal fire Percent (unknowns apportioned)

December-March June-September

Other unintentional, careless 23.9 12.8

Cause under investigation 15.5 16.4

Smoking 13.3 14.4

Intentional 11.3

Heating 7.2

Source: NFIRS 5.0.

Fire spread in fatal fires in residential buildings

As shown in Figure 6, 80% of residential fatal fires extended beyond the room of origin. These fires often occurred in 

the middle of the night when occupants were more likely to be asleep and unaware of the fire. The remaining 20% of 

residential fatal fires were confined to the room or object of origin. These smaller spreading fires are evidence that 

a fire does not have to be large to be deadly. 

Figure 6. Extent of fire spread in fatal fires in residential buildings (2018-2020) Fire spread

Percent of fatal fires in residential buildings

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 2.5

11.8

56.1

11.8

17.8

Source: NFIRS 5.0.

Where fatal fires in residential buildings start (area of fire origin)

Table 4 shows the leading areas of fire origin in residential fatal fires. These fires started most frequently in bedrooms 

(27%) and common rooms including dens, family rooms, living rooms and lounges (26%). The leading causes for 

residential fatal fires that started in bedrooms were “smoking” (21%) and “other unintentional, careless” actions (18%). 

These were the same leading causes for residential fatal fires that started in common rooms (“smoking” at 23% and 

“other unintentional, careless” actions at 18%). After bedrooms and common rooms, residential fatal fires most often 

started in cooking areas or kitchens at 17%. 
TFRS Volume 22, Issue 2 | Fatal Fires in Residential Buildings (2018-2020)

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Table 4. Leading areas of origin for fatal fires in residential buildings (2018-2020)

Area of origin Percent

(unknowns apportioned)

Bedrooms 26.6

Common room, den, family room, living room, lounge 25.6

Cooking area, kitchen 16.8

Source: NFIRS 5.0.

Note:	 Only includes fatal fires where the area of origin was specified. The area of origin was specified in 75% of reported fatal fires in residential buildings.

Human factors contributing to ignition of fatal fires in residential buildings

Human factors — the human condition or situation that allowed the heat source and combustible material to combine to 

ignite the fire — had a large impact in residential fatal fires. As shown in Table 5, the leading human factor contributing 

to the ignition of the fire was being “asleep” (41%). This finding is expected as 45% of residential fatal fires occurred 

during the 8-hour period from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. (Figure 1). When “asleep” was reported as a contributing factor to the 

fire, “smoking” and “other unintentional, careless” actions were the leading causes of these residential fatal fires. 

“Possibly impaired by alcohol or drugs,” “physical disabilities” and “age was a factor” were the next human factors 

contributing to the ignition of the fire at 24%, 20% and 11%, respectively. When these human factors were specified 

as contributing to the ignition of the fire, “smoking” and “other unintentional, careless” actions were also the leading 

causes of these residential fatal fires.

Table 5. Human factors contributing to ignition of fatal fires in residential buildings (where human factors 

contributing to ignition are specified, 2018-2020)

Human factors contributing to ignition Percent of fatal fires in residential buildings 

(unknowns apportioned)

Asleep 41.3

Possibly impaired by alcohol or drugs 24.4

Physical disabilities 20.4

Age was a factor 10.8

Possible intellectual disabilities 9.6

Unattended or unsupervised person 8.8

Multiple persons involved 3.2

Source: NFIRS 5.0.

Notes:	 1. Only includes fatal fires where human factors that contributed to the ignition of the fire were specified. At least 1 human factor contributing to ignition was

specified in 28% of reported fatal fires in residential buildings. In 69% of reported fatal fires in residential buildings, the human factor contributing to ignition

was reported as “none.”

	 2. Multiple human factors contributing to fire ignition may be noted for each incident; total will exceed 100%.

Alerting/suppression systems in fatal fires in residential buildings

Partly due to early detection and fire extinguishing systems, fire fatalities and injuries have declined over the last 40 

years. Smoke alarms are present in most homes. In addition, residential sprinkler systems have gained support from 

the fire service and many residential communities.

In this report, “smoke alarms” refer to both smoke alarms and smoke detectors.16 Smoke alarms are stand-alone 

devices with their own power source and notification capability. Smoke detectors detect smoke as a component of 

a larger system containing separate notification capability, typically in larger areas or structures.
TFRS Volume 22, Issue 2 | Fatal Fires in Residential Buildings (2018-2020)

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Note that the data presented in Tables 7 and 8 show the reported counts from the NFIRS dataset. These counts are 

not scaled to national estimates of smoke alarms or AESs in fatal fires in residential buildings. In addition, while NFIRS 

allows for the determination of the type of detector (i.e., smoke, heat or combination), 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 in fatal fires in residential buildings

Smoke alarms were reported as present in 33% of residential fatal fires. By comparison, smoke alarms were present 

in 44% of residential nonfatal fires.17 In 25% of residential fatal fires, there were no smoke alarms present. Lastly, in 

43% of these fires, firefighters were unable to determine if a smoke alarm was present (Table 6).18

Table 6. Presence of smoke alarms in fatal fires in residential buildings (2018-2020)

Presence of smoke alarms Percent

Present 32.7

None present 24.8

Undetermined 42.5

Total 100.0

Source: NFIRS 5.0.

Where the existence of a smoke alarm was undetermined, 82% of the fires spread beyond the floor of fire origin. 

Because these fires were so expansive, it may have been impossible to determine the presence of smoke alarms. 

Fires in one- and two-family housing accounted for 87% of residential fatal fires in which no smoke alarm was present. 

Multifamily housing accounted for just 7% of these fires, perhaps because they are subject to more stringent codes 

and often require the landlord or manager to maintain the detection systems. 

Fatal fires in residential buildings that were not currently or routinely occupied accounted for a small portion (5%) of 

all residential fatal fires. These unoccupied 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 6% of fatal fires in residential buildings that were unoccupied were reported as having smoke 

alarms that operated. In addition, in fatal fires in residential buildings that were unoccupied, AESs were reported as 

present in less than 1% of the fires. As a result, the detailed smoke alarm and AES analyses in the next sections focus 

on fatal fires in occupied residential buildings only.

Smoke alarms in fatal fires in occupied residential buildings

Smoke alarms were reported as present in 34% of fatal fires in occupied residential buildings. In 24% of fatal fires in 

occupied residential buildings, there were no smoke alarms present, while in 42% of fatal fires in occupied residential 

buildings, firefighters were unable to determine if a smoke alarm was present (Table 7).

When smoke alarms were present (34%) and the alarm’s operational status was analyzed, the percentage of smoke 

alarms reported as present consisted of:

ĵ Present and operated — 16%.

ĵ Present but did not operate — 7% (alarm failed to operate, 7%; fire too small, less than 1%).

ĵ Present but operational status unknown — 11%.

When only the subset of incidents where smoke alarms were reported as present was analyzed, smoke alarms were 

reported to have operated in 47% of the incidents and failed to operate in 19%. In 1% of this subset, the fire was too 

small to activate the alarm. The operational status of the alarm was undetermined in 33% of these incidents.
TFRS Volume 22, Issue 2 | Fatal Fires in Residential Buildings (2018-2020)

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At least 24% of fatal fires in occupied residential buildings had no smoke alarms present. This percentage is likely

higher considering reported fires without information on smoke alarms are not factored in.

19

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

a home. It is well documented that smoke alarms help save lives and property. The USFA continues to partner 

with other government agencies, nongovernment organizations and fire service organizations to improve and 

develop new smoke alarm technologies. More information on smoke alarm technologies, performance, training 

bulletins, and public education and outreach materials can be found at https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/

home-fires/prepare-for-fire/smoke-alarms/. Additionally, the USFA’s position statement on home smoke alarms is 

available at https://www.usfa.fema.gov/about/position-statements/.

Table 7. NFIRS smoke alarm data for fatal fires in occupied residential buildings (2018-2020)

Presence of

smoke alarms Smoke alarm operational status Smoke alarm effectiveness Count Percent

Present

Fire too small to activate smoke 

alarm 8 0.2

Smoke alarm operated

Smoke alarm alerted occupants; 

occupants responded 264 7.2

Smoke alarm alerted occupants; 

occupants failed to respond 81 2.2

No occupants 5 0.1

Smoke alarm failed to alert occupants 29 0.8

Undetermined 204 5.5

Smoke alarm failed to operate 241 6.5

Undetermined 412 11.2

None present 883 24.0

Undetermined 1,556 42.2

Total incidents 3,683 100.0

Source: NFIRS 5.0.

Notes:	 1. The data presented in this table are reported counts from the NFIRS dataset summed (not averaged) from 2018 to 2020. They do not represent national

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

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

Automatic extinguishing systems in fatal fires in occupied residential buildings

Overall, full or partial AESs — mainly sprinklers — were present in only 2% of fatal fires in occupied residential 

buildings (Table 8). As a comparison, the presence of suppression systems in nonfatal fires in occupied residential 

buildings was 5%.20
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Table 8. NFIRS automatic extinguishing system data for fatal fires in occupied residential buildings 

(2018-2020)

AES presence Count Percent

AES present 56 1.5

Partial system present 5 0.1

AES not present 3,324 90.3

Unknown 298 8.1

Total incidents 3,683 100.0

Source: NFIRS 5.0.

Notes:	 The data presented in this table are reported counts from the NFIRS dataset summed (not averaged) from 2018 to 2020. They do not represent national estimates

of AESs in fatal fires in occupied residential buildings. They are presented for informational purposes.

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

insured and uninsured property losses. Despite these advantages, many homes do not have AESs, although they are 

often found in other frequently occupied locations such as hotels and businesses. Sprinklers are required by code 

in most hotels and many multifamily residences. In addition, there are major movements in the U.S. fire service to 

require sprinklers in all new single-family homes. 

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/home-fires/prepare-for-fire/

home-fire-sprinklers/. Additionally, the USFA’s position statement on residential sprinklers is available at https://

www.usfa.fema.gov/about/position-statements/.

Examples

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

ĵ March 2022: A fatal Houma, Louisiana, house fire started in a bedroom around 9:45 p.m. on a Thursday night. 

Firefighters, who were able to extinguish the fire in about 10 minutes, reported that all residents except 1 safely 

escaped. A male resident, who did not escape, was found in the bedroom where the fire started and died at the 

scene. While the official cause of the fire has not yet been determined, investigators reportedly have not ruled 

out that it may have been caused by unsafe smoking practices involving a medical oxygen tank.21

ĵ January 2022: A midmorning house fire in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts, resulted in the death of 1 person. Upon 

arrival, a police officer rescued 1 resident who was treated at the scene and survived. The second resident, a 

30-year-old woman, was trapped in a second-floor bedroom and had to be rescued by firefighters. The woman

was taken to a local hospital but died because of her injuries. The accidental fire was caused when an immersion

water heater ignited nearby combustible items.22

ĵ January 2022: At least 12 people died, including 8 children, in a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, row house fire. 

Firefighters arrived on the scene of the fire just before 6:40 a.m. on Wednesday and had the fire under control 

50 minutes later. The 3-story row house, which was divided into 2 duplex units, had approximately 26 people 

living in it. In addition to the 12 victims who were fatally injured, 2 others were critically injured and had to be 

transported to local hospitals. 8 others were able to safely evacuate without injury. The cause of the fire is still 

under investigation, but it is reported to have started near the kitchen.23

ĵ December 2021: 1 adult died after a late-Friday afternoon house fire broke out in Tacoma, Washington. Upon 

arrival, firefighters found fire spreading up the side of the 3-story house. Firefighters located the victim inside of 

the structure after the fire was extinguished and a search could be conducted. The cause of the fire was reported 

to be an electrical wire malfunction.24
TFRS Volume 22, Issue 2 | Fatal Fires in Residential Buildings (2018-2020)

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NFIRS data specifications for fatal fires in residential buildings

Data for this report were extracted from the NFIRS annual PDR files for 2018, 2019 and 2020.25 Only version 5.0 data 

were extracted.

Fatal 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 counting a single incident more 

than once.

ĵ Incident Types 111 to 123 (excludes 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 Series 400, which consists of the following:

Property Use Description

400 Residential, other

419 One- or two-family dwelling, detached, manufactured home, mobile home not in transit, duplex

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 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.

ĵ Civilian deaths greater than zero.
TFRS Volume 22, Issue 2 | Fatal Fires in Residential Buildings (2018-2020)

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Although voluntary, the NFIRS is the world’s largest national database of fire incident information. By contributing 

to the NFIRS, the fire service is helping to make data-informed decisions ranging from local budget development to 

the identification of national preparedness initiatives. It is important that fire departments participate in the NFIRS 

and critical that the data they report are complete and accurate. This provides for sound decision-making that has 

impact on community risk and emergency response at the local level.

Analysis disclaimer

Complete or full years of data are required for statistical analyses presented in these topical reports. Although NFIRS 

data for a calendar year are often reported to the USFA throughout the year, fire departments and/or states have 

until the official cutoff date as set forth by the NFDC to submit their data to the USFA. Typically, this cutoff date is July 

1 after the end of the previous calendar year. This provides states with ample time to perform data quality checks 

and correct questionable incidents before they are set to released status in the national production database and 

Enterprise Data Warehouse. Once the data are released to the USFA, additional data quality reviews are completed 

before the data are prepared for public release.

The analyses contained in this report reflect the current methods 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 data received 

from participating fire departments and the analytical methods used to fulfill this goal. Because of this commitment 

and the variation in the quality of the reported data as well as any changes in the fire problem from year to year, 

data collection strategies and methodological changes are possible and do occur. As a result, analyses and estimates 

of the fire problem may vary over time. Previous analyses and estimates for specific issues (or similar issues) may 

have used different methodologies or different data definitions and therefore may not be directly comparable to the 

current analyses and estimates.

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

statistics/data-sources-and-national-estimates-methodology-vol22.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.

Notes: 

1

 The 2018-2020 annual average estimate of civilian fire deaths is based on data from the following National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) 

reports: Evarts, Ben, “Fire Loss in the United States During 2018,” NFPA, October 2019; Ahrens, Marty and Evarts, Ben, “Fire Loss in the United 

States During 2019,” NFPA, September 2020; Ahrens, Marty and Evarts, Ben, “Fire Loss in the United States During 2020,” NFPA, September 2021.

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, boarding houses or residential hotels, dormitories, sorority/

fraternity houses, assisted living facilities, and halfway houses — residences for formerly institutionalized individuals (patients with mental 

disabilities, 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.

3The percentage cited here is derived from the USFA’s annual average estimate of residential building fire deaths and the NFPA’s annual average 

estimate of civilian fire deaths from 2018 to 2020: ((2,745/3,620) x 100) = 75.8%.

4In 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 

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 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.

5In 2018 and 2020, there was 1 confined fire incident with a reported civilian fire death for each of these years. By definition, confined fires should 

not have reported fire deaths. As a result, these fire incidents were excluded from all fire data analyses conducted for this report.
TFRS Volume 22, Issue 2 | Fatal Fires in Residential Buildings (2018-2020)

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6National estimates are based on 2018 to 2020 native Version 5.0 data from the NFIRS, residential structure fire loss estimates from the NFPA’s 

annual surveys of fire loss, and the USFA’s residential building fire loss estimates: http://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, http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/statistics/national_estimate_methodology.pdf. For detailed 

information regarding the NFPA’s survey methodology, see the NFPA’s “Methodology Used in Calculating National Estimates from NFPA’s 2020 

Fire Experience Survey,” August 2021, https://www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/News-and-Research/Fire-statistics-and-reports/US-Fire-Problem/

Methodsfirelossandothers.ashx. In this topical report, fires are rounded to the nearest 100, deaths to the nearest 5, injuries to the nearest 25 

and dollar loss, to the nearest million dollars.

7Fire 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 2018 to 2020, 65% of the NFPA’s annual average 

estimated 1,332,800 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% 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.

8This report excludes analyses of the characteristics of the civilian fire fatalities (e.g., gender, race and age of the victim, activity prior to death, 

etc.) that resulted from these fatal fires. These characteristics are analyzed separately as part of the Civilian Fire Fatalities in Residential Buildings 

topical report.

9The 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 (2,745/1,900)) = 1,444.7 deaths per 

1,000 fatal fires in residential buildings, and the fire injury rate is (1,000 x (625/1,900)) = 328.9 injuries per 1,000 fatal fires in residential buildings. 

The national estimates are based on a sample of fire departments that report fatality totals. The NFIRS data are based on a large set of fires, 

with the data reported at the individual fire incident level. The fire death rate computed from national estimates is (1,000 x (2,700/1,800)) = 

1,500.0 deaths per 1,000 fatal residential building fires and the fire injury rate is (1,000 x (600/1,800)) = 333.3 injuries per 1,000 fatal residential 

building fires. 

10The U.S. Census Bureau showed that, in 2019, 74.6% of occupied housing units were 1-unit attached and detached structures or mobile 

homes (92.6 million), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and U.S. Census Bureau, 2019 American Housing Survey — Table 

Creator, select “2019 (Year) Housing Unit Characteristic (Table); Units by Structure Type (Variable 1); Occupancy/Vacancy Status (Variable 2),” 

https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/ahs/data/interactive/ahstablecreator.html?s_areas=00000&s_year=2019&s_tablename=TABLE0&s_

bygroup1=3&s_bygroup2=27&s_filtergroup1=1&s_filtergroup2=1 (accessed April 7). In 2019, household size was estimated at 2.61 people per 

household (https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=social%20characteristics&tid=ACSCP1Y2019.CP02). Thus, 92.6 million housing units x 2.61 

people per household = 241.7 million people. With the 2019 U.S. population given as 328.3 million, (https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/

popest/tables/2010-2020/national/totals/NST-EST2020.xlsx), approximately 73.6% of the population lived in what the NFIRS defines as one- and 

two-family housing.

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

“Multifamily residential buildings” include apartments, town houses, row houses, condominiums and other tenement properties. “Other 

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

fraternity houses, and barracks.

12For 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. 

13The USFA Structure Fire Cause Methodology was used to determine the cause of fatal 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.

14The USFA differentiates between smoking as a cause of fires and fires ignited by smoking materials. Smoking (or smoking-related fires) are 

considered a behavioral cause. Fires ignited by smoking materials are considered to be a group of fires where smoking materials were the heat 

source. The 2 sets are similar but not identical. A deliberately set fire with smoking materials as the heat source of ignition would be considered an 

“intentional” fire; a fire unintentionally set by someone smoking (cigarettes, cigars or other smoking materials) would be considered a “smoking” fire.

15Fires 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.

16Smoke alarms in the context of this report refer to both smoke alarms and smoke detectors. This distinction is not made within the NFIRS, as 

the NFIRS refers only to “detectors,” and semantically these are really “alarms.”

17Here, 44% reflects nonconfined residential nonfatal fires only. Nonconfined fires are generally large and more serious fires. Confined fires, 

defined in NFIRS as Incident Types 113 to 118, are excluded from this analysis as the NFIRS smoke alarm data elements are not required to be 

completed for these types of fires. 

18Total does not add up to 100% due to rounding.

19Here, at least 24% of fatal fires in occupied residential buildings had no smoke alarms present — the 24% 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.

20The 5% reflects nonconfined nonfatal fires in occupied residential buildings.
TFRS Volume 22, Issue 2 | Fatal Fires in Residential Buildings (2018-2020)

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21Walker, Letitia, “Fatal House Fire in Houma,” 4WWL, March 4, 2022, https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/local/fatal-house-fire-houma/289-

0a6c5359-bbcf-4672-9650-220ef39aae6b (accessed March 24).

22“Fatal Tyngsborough House Fire Ruled Accidental,” NBC 10 Boston, Feb. 1, 2022, https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/fatal-tyngsboroughhouse-fire-ruled-accidental/2631379 (accessed March 24).

23El-bawab, Nadine, “At Least 12 Dead in Philadelphia Row House Fire, Including Several Children,” ABC News, Jan. 6, 2022, https://abcnews.

go.com/US/fatal-fire-breaks-philadelphia-row-house/story?id=82086627 (accessed March 24).

24Needles, Allison, “One Found Dead After Fire Breaks Out in Tacoma Home,” The News Tribune, Jan. 1, 2022, https://www.thenewstribune.com/

news/local/article256986457.html (accessed March 24).

25The NFIRS PDR files are available for download at: https://www.fema.gov/about/openfema/data-sets/fema-usfa-nfirs-annual-data.