If you own a home in Ann Arbor, Jackson or anywhere in between, you know that fire safety is important – but what you may not know are these house fire statistics. When you’re armed with the right information, you can protect your house against fire and smoke damage.
House Fire Statistics Every Homeowner Should Know
Taking steps to protect your home from fire is a no-brainer, especially when you know that house fires are more likely to cause catastrophic damage than nearly any other type of disaster. Check out these house fire statistics that every homeowner should know:
- There were more than 1.2 million fires in 2019, the last year for which data is available at the time of this writing
- 3,704 people died in fires in 2019, which is an increase of 24.1 percent over 2010
- 16,600 people were injured in fires in 2019
- Fire losses totaled $14,8 billion in 2019, a huge 74.5 percent increase from 2010
Related: How to keep birds out of your dryer vents (and prevent fire)
What Causes House Fires?
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the most common causes of residential house fires in 2019 were:
- 50.2 percent: Cooking
- 9.3 percent: Heating
- 7.7 percent: Unintentional or careless causes
- 6.8 percent: Electrical malfunctions
Related: Three bad habits that put you at risk of a house fire
Of the cases in which people die in house fires, the statistics break down like this:
- 19.7 percent of the fires were unintentional or caused by carelessness
- 12.3 percent of the fires were caused by smoking
- 9.3 percent of the fires were intentional
- 7.5 percent of the fires were due to an electrical malfunction
- 17.4 percent of the fires had suspicious causes or are currently still under investigation
- 33.8 percent of the fires can be attributed to causes other than those listed here
Related: How to prevent a chimney fire
Do You Need a Disaster Remediation Expert in Washtenaw County or Jackson County?
If your home has already been damaged, we can help. Check out our services and call 734-352-9183 for your free disaster remediation quote today. We offer:
