News reports often tell us that the cause of a certain house fire is under investigation, but we rarely get a follow-up that reveals the results of that investigation. So…what are the statistics when it comes to the causes of house fires?
Top five causes of all home fires (in the United States)…
5. Electrical Systems – About 40,000 fires annually
4. Misc. household equipment, not catgorized elsewhere (say an iron, or a candle) – About 45,000 fires annually.
3. Arson – About 55,000 fires annually.
2. Heating Equipment – about 75,000 fire annually.
1. Cooking and cooking equipment – almost 100,000 fires annually.
Now for some addtional interesting statistics…
Top five causes of fires in the home that result in fatalities…
5. Electrical Systems – About 350 fatal fires a year
4. Children playing with fire – About 370 fatal fires a year, often the children themselves.
3. Heating Equipment – About 480 fatal fires a year
2. Arson – About 610 fatal fires a year
1. Smoking – About 820 annual deaths!
(Notice cooking isn’t even on the list. Most fatal fires start when the adults of the house are unaware of the fire, usually because they are asleep. That’s why working smoke alarms are so important in the home.)
I hope this was what you were looking for. Here is some source information. The NFPA site breaks it down much further…
February 16th, 2010 at 7:02 pm
Many times it’s something like a dropped cigarette, an electrical outlet that has been overloaded, or an improperly used space heater that has caught something on fire.
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February 16th, 2010 at 7:09 pm
Kitchen fires are probably #1
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February 16th, 2010 at 7:52 pm
candles are high on that list.
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February 16th, 2010 at 8:02 pm
well, 1 of the most common is in the kitchen and a grease fire is very common.
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February 16th, 2010 at 8:52 pm
One that some people take for granted is NOT cleaning out the filter on the dryer after every load. I always clean mine each time I use the dryer and NEVER leave the house when the dryer is running. I’ve seen more than a few house fires listed in the newspaper that have been caused by dryers.
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February 16th, 2010 at 9:27 pm
I’m not sure but there are over 15,600 dryer fires a year – so clean out your lint traps and never leave the house with the dryer going.
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February 16th, 2010 at 9:33 pm
Usually, faulty wiring, a clogged lint trap in your dryer and grease fires are the most common causes.
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Was engaged to a firefighter!
February 16th, 2010 at 9:51 pm
Top five causes of all home fires (in the United States)…
5. Electrical Systems – About 40,000 fires annually
4. Misc. household equipment, not catgorized elsewhere (say an iron, or a candle) – About 45,000 fires annually.
3. Arson – About 55,000 fires annually.
2. Heating Equipment – about 75,000 fire annually.
1. Cooking and cooking equipment – almost 100,000 fires annually.
Now for some addtional interesting statistics…
Top five causes of fires in the home that result in fatalities…
5. Electrical Systems – About 350 fatal fires a year
4. Children playing with fire – About 370 fatal fires a year, often the children themselves.
3. Heating Equipment – About 480 fatal fires a year
2. Arson – About 610 fatal fires a year
1. Smoking – About 820 annual deaths!
(Notice cooking isn’t even on the list. Most fatal fires start when the adults of the house are unaware of the fire, usually because they are asleep. That’s why working smoke alarms are so important in the home.)
I hope this was what you were looking for. Here is some source information. The NFPA site breaks it down much further…
References :
http://virtual.clemson.edu/groups/FieldOps/Cgs/firesaf.htm
http://www.nfpa.org/itemDetail.asp?categoryID=952&itemID=23186&URL=Research%20&%20Reports/Fire%20statistics/Causes