Characteristics of home fire victims

Report: NFPA's "Home Fire Victims by Age and Gender"
Author: Marty Ahrens
Issued: December 2018

Report and tables

Home fire victims by age and gender

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the fatal and non-fatal victims of reported home fires in the U.S. with information about victim age and gender. Victim age breakdowns are also provided for major fire causes. Victim factors such as activity and location when injured are also discussed.

Download the report.

Supporting tables

The tables in this document are a companion to the report of the same name. Firefighter deaths and injuries are excluded from this analysis.

Download the tables.

Report highlights

• During 2011-2015, an estimated average of 2,510 people died and 12,300 more were non-fatally injured per year in reported home¹ fires. These fires caused 80% of all fire deaths and 78% of all reported fire injuries in this five-year period.
• Although people 85 and over had the highest rate of fire death and injuries per million population, they only account for 2% of the population. Consequently, the actual number of victims that age is smaller than victims in most lower-risk age groups.
• Children under 15 accounted for 12% of the home fire fatalities and 10% of the injuries. Children under five account for 6% of the deaths and 4% of the injuries. Children below the age of 5 are now at lower risk of fire death than people over 45.
• While smoking materials were the leading cause of home fire deaths overall, this was true only for people in the 45-84 age groups.
• Heating was the leading cause of fire deaths in the under 5 and the 5-9 age groups.

• Males were more likely to be killed or injured in home fires than females and accounted for larger percentages of the victims. (57% of the deaths and 54% of the injuries).

¹Homes include one- or two-family homes and apartments or other multi-family housing.

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