NFPA Journal - Summer 2023 - 79

the items most often first ignited. This
is consistent with the leading areas of
origin associated with fire deaths: living
rooms and bedrooms. Fires in the living
room were more likely to cause death
than fires in other areas.
Home structure fires are more
common in the cooler months when
people spend more time inside, as well
as during the hours when people are
awake in the home. In 2016-2020, 46
percent of the home structure fires and
55 percent of the home structure fire
deaths occurred in the five-month span
from November to March. Reported
home fires peaked from 5-8 p.m., when
many people are coming home from
work, preparing dinner, or engaging
in other household activities. Only
one-fifth (19 percent) of the fires were
reported between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., but
these fires caused half of the home fire
deaths (49 percent).
While the number of reported home
fires and the number of home fire
deaths have been cut in half since 1980,
and population-based home fire and
home fire death rates have fallen by
roughly two-thirds, both the death rate
and injury rate per 1,000 reported home
fires have remained consistent. These
rates are higher now than they were in
1980 for homes overall, and even higher
for one- and two-family homes.
Homes are much less regulated
than most occupancies. We are doing
a better job of preventing fires than
we are of coping with fires after they
start, which is why we need to understand
how these fires happen and how
they can be prevented or mitigated.
Despite an overall downward trend in
the number of home fires, prevention
needs to remain a priority.
Key Findings
The 2021 estimate of 338,000 reported
home fires was 54 percent lower than the
estimate of 734,000 in 1980 and 5 percent
lower than the 2020 estimate of 356,500.
The decline in reported fires was sharpest
during the 1980s, continued more
slowly in the 1990s, and mostly leveled
off in the past two decades.
The 2021 home fire death toll of
2,840 was 45 percent lower than the
5,200 deaths in 1980 and 9 percent
higher than the 2020 estimate of 2,580.
While the population-based home
fire and fire death rates in 2021 were
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NFPA Journal - Summer 2023

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