NFPA Journal - September/October 2020 - 77

1980 estimate, while the associated
fire death estimate was only 15 percent
lower. The 2019 injury estimate was 40
percent lower than four decades earlier.
Other non-highway vehicles, such as
boats or ships, aircraft, trains, and agricultural, garden, or industrial vehicles,
were involved in an estimated 33,500
(3 percent) vehicle fires in 2019. These
fires caused 94 (3 percent) civilian
deaths, 300 (2 percent) civilian injuries,
and $584 million (4 percent) in direct
property damage. From 2018 to 2019,
other vehicle fires rose 8 percent, while
associated deaths jumped 34 percent,
injuries jumped 50 percent, and property damage increased by 23 percent.
The 2019 estimate of other non-highway
vehicle fires was more than twice the
1980 estimate. It is possible that more
such vehicles, including boats, airplanes,
construction, and garden vehicles, are in
use today. Despite this large increase in
fires, the estimate of deaths was only 4
percent higher and the injury estimate
was 76 percent lower.

Outside and unclassified
fires in 2019
The 587,000 (45 percent) outside or
unclassified non-structural, non-vehicle fires caused 80 (2 percent) civilian
fire deaths, 700 (4 percent) civilian fire
injuries, and $304 million (2 percent) in
direct property damage. Casualties are
grouped together in this broad category
and not subdivided further. A fire in
an outside or unclassified property was
reported every 54 seconds in 2019.
The 70,500 (5 percent) outside fires
involving property of value, such as
outside storage, crops, and timber,
caused $206 million (1 percent) in
direct property damage. Outside and
unclassified fires also included 244,500
(19 percent) brush, grass, and wildland
fires excluding crops and timber, and
177,500 (14 percent) outside rubbish
fires. Property damage was not collected
for these two incident types in NFPA's
survey. The remaining 94,500 (7 percent) other non-structural, non-vehicle
fires caused $98 million (1 percent) in

direct property damage. From 2018 to
2019, outside and other fires of all types
combined fell 3 percent, while associated deaths fell 20 percent, injuries fell
30 percent, and direct property damage
fell 3 percent (excluding the major
wildland/urban interface fires in 2018).
The decrease in injuries was statistically
significant. Casualty estimates were not
broken out for the specific outside fire
incident types. The estimate of outside
fires involving property of value, such as
outside storage, crops, or timber, but not
structures or vehicles, was stable, while
property damage from these incidents
fell 44 percent. Brush, grass, or wildland
fires with no value or loss involved fell
9 percent. This was statistically significant. Outside rubbish fires rose 5
percent. Other fires fell 3 percent. Direct
property damage from these other fires
fell 44 percent.
The estimate of outside and other
non-structural, non-vehicular fires was
60 percent lower in 2019 than in 1980.
The death estimate from these fires was

2019 US FIRE LOSS: KEY FINDINGS
In 2019, local fire departments responded to an estimated 1.3 million fires. These fires caused roughly 3,700
civilian fire deaths and 16,600 reported civilian fire injuries. Property damage was estimated at $14.8 billion.
Overall, it seems that most of the reduction in reported fires and fire losses occurred more than a decade ago.
While that progress was impressive, more must be done, particularly regarding home fires.
âOn average, a fire
department responded
to a fire somewhere
in the US every 24
seconds in 2019. A
home structure fire was
reported every 93 seconds, a home fire death
occurred every three
hours and 10 minutes,
and a home fire injury
occurred every 43
minutes.
âFire departments protecting populations
under 2,500 had the
highest rate of fires.
â
More than one third
(481,500 or 37 percent)
of the fires occurred in
or on structures. Most
fire losses were caused
by these fires, including
2,980 (80 percent) civilian fire deaths, 13,900
(84 percent) civilian fire

injuries, and $12.3 billion
(82 percent) in direct
property damage.
â
Only 26 percent of the
fires occurred in home
properties, including
one- or two-family
homes and apartments
or other multifamily
housing, yet these fires
caused 75 percent of
the civilian fire deaths
and 73 percent of the
civilian fire injuries.
â
About 20 percent of
fires occurred in one- or
two-family homes, yet
these fires caused 65
percent of civilian fire
deaths and 53 percent
of civilian fire injuries.
The 6 percent of fires in
apartments caused 10
percent of the civilian
fire deaths and 20 percent of the injuries.

â
Vehicle fires accounted
for 17 percent of the
fires and civilian deaths
and 12 percent of civilian injuries.

Looking closer at
was 24 percent lower in â
deaths and injuries
2019 than in 1980. For
related to home fires,
structure fire deaths, the
the casualty rate
2019 estimate for onetrends go in opposite
and two-family homes
directions for one- and
was 43 percent less
â
Neither structures
two-family homes vs.
than in 1980, and the
nor vehicles were
apartments. The death
estimate for apartments
involved in 45 percent
rate per 1,000 one- and
was 63 percent lower
of the fires. These fires
two-family home fires
than in 1980.
included brush, grass, or
was 28 percent higher
wildland fires excluding â
in 2019 compared to
Because the population
crops, timber, and other
1980, while the comhas grown, populaproperties of value (19
parable injury rate was
tion-based rates have
percent), outside rub22 percent higher. For
dropped even more.
bish fires (14 percent),
apartments, the death
outside fires involving
rate per 1,000 fires was
â
Less progress has been
property of value (5
29 percent lower than
made in preventing
percent), and other fires
in 1980, while the injury
deaths and injuries asso(7 percent).
rate was 81 percent
ciated with reported
higher. While these
fires. For overall home
â
The 2019 estimates of
rates fluctuate, the
fires, the death rate per
fires were 48 to 66 perdeath rate per 1,000
1,000 fires was 15 percent lower than in 1980
fires was consistently
cent higher in 2019 than
in most of the major
lower for apartments
in 1980, while the comincident type catewhile the injury rate
parable civilian injury
gories. Property loss,
was generally higher.
rate was 34 percent
adjusted for inflation,
higher than in 1980.

N F PA . O R G / J O U R N A L * NFPA JOURNAL

FIRE LOSS REPORT V2 DCS FINAL.indd 77

| 77

8/26/20 2:01 PM

http://NFPA.ORG/JOURNAL

NFPA Journal - September/October 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - September/October 2020