- Author
-
Ahrens, M.
- Title
- U. S. Fires in Selected Occupancies.
- Coporate
- National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA
- Keywords
-
fire statistics
|
building fires
|
ignition
|
heat sources
|
damage
|
home fires
|
manufactured housing
|
housing
|
apartments
|
garages
|
hotels
|
dormitories
|
public buildings
|
nursing homes
|
board and care homes
|
automobile fires
|
occupants
|
residential buildings
|
structures
- Identifiers
- home structures fires; other residential structure fires; on-residential structure fires; how national estimates are calculated; methodoloogy and definitions used in 'leading cause' tables
- Abstract
- This report provides detailed information about structure fire trends, when fires occur, leading causes, equipment involved in ignition, heat source, area of origin, item first ignited, and extent of flame damage for over a dozen occupancies. Information on reported vehicle fires and outside and other fires is also provided. The first section of the report provides some contextual background on fires by incident type and a breakdown of fires by incident type and occupancy use (property use)where the fire occurred. Summary cause tables for all structure fires and non-home structure fires are provided to enable comparison with the occupancies discussed. ABSTRACT: Although cooking equipment was involved in one-quarter (25%) of all structure fires reported to local fire departments in 1999-2002, such equipment was involved in only 15% of the non-home structure fires. The leading cause of reported non-home structure fires was intentional firesetting (18%). Thirty-eight percent of the structure fires in educational properties were intentional, as were 52% of the fires in prisons and jails. Electrical distribution equipment or lighting equipment was the leading causeof fires in mercantile properties or office buildings.