A family awaits news about damage after a fire raced through their home. Sobering Statistics Cumulatively, residential fires do represent a major disaster, along the lines of a violent earthquake or large-scale hurricane. Fire kills more Americans each year than all natural disasters combined. While most fatal fires kill one or two people at a time, rather than dozens at once as in some hurricanes or tornadoes, fires occur far more frequently. That same year, fire caused an average of one death every 2 hours.
Winter is peak season for residential fires.
Heating units and holiday decorations lead to more indoor blazes in December and January than any other time of year. Urban areas, where homes are tightly packed and sometimes do not meet modern fire codes, are worst affected. In 1999, for example, local American Red Cross workers in Boston responded to more than 50 fires in two weeks between December 20 and January 2. Approximately 350 people were displaced and needed Red Cross assistance with temporary housing, new clothing and food. Typically, residential fires increase when the weather gets colder and daylight hours get shorter.