Probability of Experiencing a Home Fire

Approximately 338,000 home structure fires occur in the United States each year, which means roughly 1 in 250 occupied homes will have a reported fire in a given year. These fires cause about 2,590 civilian deaths, 11,400 injuries, and $8.9 billion in property damage annually.

Cooking is the leading cause of home fires (49%) and home fire injuries (42%), while smoking is the leading cause of home fire deaths (23%). Other common causes include heating equipment (12% of fires), electrical distribution (7%), intentional causes (8%), and candles (4%). Winter months (December through February) see the highest fire incidence due to heating-related fires.

Working smoke alarms reduce the risk of dying in a home fire by approximately 55%. Yet about one-third of home fire deaths occur in properties with no smoke alarms, and another one-quarter occur in homes where alarms are present but not working (usually due to dead or missing batteries). Fire safety experts recommend smoke alarms on every level of the home, in every bedroom, and tested monthly. Having a practiced home escape plan doubles survival odds.