The 1,039 non-residential fires that occurred from 1991 to 1998 accounted for 20 percent of the structure fires in that time period. When spread over seven years the cost of damages may not seem particularly high, but a study by the United States Fire Administration found that economic impact on communities from fires is six to twelve times the property damage. These costs include the interruption of business, temporary lodging, loss of tax base on damaged structures, medical expenses, the costs of fire insurance, as well as public fire services and built-in fire protection systems. There are also less tangible costs such as physiological impact on victims. The non-residential fires, unlike residential fires, defy grouping into many clear patterns, because there is a wide variety of properties in this category and a lower frequency of incidents.
Some patterns do, however, emerge when viewed over the seven-year period.
In addition to taking measures to prevent fires, the installation of smoke detectors, alarm systems and sprinklers in non-residential structures often significantly reduce these losses.