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# Residential Building Fire Death Causes (2012‑2021)

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## Main content

##### In this section

                - Reports
                - Death & Injury Risk
                - Residential Fires                   - Causes
                  - Deaths
                  - Injuries
                  - Dollar Loss
                  - Cause Under Investigation
                  - Cooking
                  - Electrical Malfunction
                  - Heating
                  - Intentional
                  - Open Flame
                  - Smoking
                  - Unintentional/Careless
                - Nonresidential Fires
                - Outside & Vehicle Fires
                - Firefighter Fatalities
                - Fire Department Registry
                - State Statistics
                - Data Sets

## National estimates

The 2021 national estimates for the leading causes of residential building fire deaths show that there were:
              - 575 other unintentional, careless fire deaths.
              - 470 cause-under-investigation fire deaths.
              - 295 electrical malfunction fire deaths.

## Overall trends

Overall trends in the leading fire death causes for the 10-year period of 2012 to 2021 show the following:
              - Other unintentional, careless was the leading cause of residential fire deaths in 8 years out of the 10-year period.
              - A 54% increase in residential other unintentionally or carelessly set fire deaths.  In 2018, there were 16 reported multifatality fire incidents, 18 in 2019, 9 in 2020 and 15 in 2021. These reported multifatality fire incidents may have contributed to the increase in the estimates of fire deaths.
              - Cause under investigation was the leading or second leading cause of residential fire deaths 5 years out of the 10-year period.
              - An 83% increase in residential cause-under-investigation fire deaths.  In 2019, there were 10 reported multifatality fire incidents, 18 in 2020 and 11 in 2021. These multifatality fire incidents may have contributed to the increase in the estimates of fire deaths.
              - A 17% decrease in residential electrical malfunction and a 5% decrease in residential smoking fire deaths.

### Leading causes of residential building fire deaths (2012-2021)

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Fire estimate summaries present basic data on the size and status of the fire problem in the U.S. as depicted through data reported to the U.S. Fire Administration's (USFA's) National Fire Incident Reporting System from incidents reported by local response agencies. Each Fire Estimate Summary addresses the size of the specific fire or fire-related issue and highlights important trends in the data.

Fire estimate summaries are based on the USFA's National Estimates Methodology for Building Fires and Losses PDF. 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, data collection strategies and methodological changes are possible and do occur. Previous estimates on specific issues (or similar issues) may have used different methodologies or data definitions and, therefore, may not be directly comparable to current estimates.

Page last reviewed: April 26, 2023

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