NFPA Report: Cooking Remains Top Cause of Home Structure Fires

According to a report recently released by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), cooking remains the top cause of home structure fires, both reported and unreported.  U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 371,700 home structure fires annually between 2006 and 2010. These fires cause an estimated average of 2,590 civilian deaths and $7.2 billion in direct property damage yearly.

This report was based on research by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), who also found that in 2004-2005, for every household cooking fire reported to the fire department, U.S. households experienced fifty (50) cooking equipment fires that they did not report.

Forty-two percent of reported home fires started in the kitchen or cooking area. These fires were the third leading cause of home fire deaths (15 percent) and leading cause of home fire injuries (37 percent).

Other findings from the report include:

• Almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in properties without working smoke alarms.
• Smoking materials are the leading cause of home fire deaths, followed by heating equipment and then cooking equipment.
• One-quarter (25 percent) of all home fire deaths were caused by fires that started in the bedroom; another quarter (24 percent) resulted from fires originating in the living room, family room, or den.
• Half of all home fire deaths result from incidents reported overnight between 11:00 PM and 7:00 AM.
• Home fires accounted for three-quarters (73 percent) of all reported structure fires between 2006 and 2010.
• Between 2006 and 2010, an average of one of every 310 households per year had a reported home fire.
• Home structure fires peaked around the dinner hours between 5:00 and 8:00 PM.

Estimates are based on data from the U.S. Fire Administration’s (USFA’s) National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) and the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA’s) annual fire department experience survey.

To access the complete NFPA report, please visit:

NFPA: Home Structure Fires (August 2012)

Background information:

National Fire Protection Association

Consumer Product Safety Commission

National Fire Incident Reporting System

U.S. Fire Administration