National estimates
The 2023 national estimates for the leading causes of nonresidential building fire dollar loss show that there were:
- $881,200,000 loss from other unintentional, careless fires.
- $354,400,000 loss from electrical malfunction fires.
- $349,100,000 loss from intentional fires.
- $287,700,000 loss from other equipment fires.
Overall trends
Overall trends in the leading causes of fire dollar loss* for the 10-year period of 2014 to 2023 show the following:
- Other unintentional, careless fires as the leading cause of nonresidential building fire dollar loss in 9 years out of the 10-year period.
- A 51% increase in nonresidential other unintentionally or carelessly set fire dollar loss.
A $38,000,000 Bartlett, Illinois, warehouse fire and an $81,000,000 manufacturing fire in Portage, Wisconsin, contributed to the 2022 and 2023 dollar-loss peaks, respectively. - A 1% decrease in nonresidential electrical malfunction fire dollar loss.
- A 47% increase in nonresidential equipment malfunction fire dollar loss.
A $26,465,000 San Francisco, California, building supply warehouse fire with several exposures and a $17,000,000 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, fire reported in a mercantile or business property contributed to the increase in nonresidential intentional fire dollar loss in 2020. A $53,000,000 reported construction site fire in Aurora, Colorado, contributed to the increase in fire dollar loss in 2023. - A 72% increase in nonresidential other equipment fire dollar loss.
A $170,000,000 Earlimart, California, fire reported in a manufacturing property contributed to the 2021 dollar-loss peak. - A 19% increase in nonresidential equipment malfunction fire dollar loss. A $25,000,000 reported Carthage, Arkansas, manufacturing fire contributed to the 2022 dollar-loss peak.
- A $67,800,000 reported Hoboken, New Jersey, manufacturing fire contributed to the 2021 nonresidential exposure fire dollar-loss peak.
Leading causes of nonresidential building fire dollar-loss (2014-2023)
2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Other unintentional, careless | 496.9 | 682.6 | 685.0 | 583.5 | 613.9 | 516.1 | 634.8 | 609.6 | 947.1 | 881.2 |
Electrical malfunction | 379.4 | 500.9 | 374.3 | 536.7 | 453.1 | 489.5 | 501.4 | 564.3 | 389.9 | 354.4 |
Intentional | 249.0 | 239.1 | 261.6 | 278.3 | 197.3 | 211.9 | 631.4 | 234.3 | 269.1 | 349.1 |
Other equipment | 177.8 | 298.3 | 286.0 | 283.5 | 425.4 | 329.1 | 259.2 | 754.9 | 320.1 | 287.7 |
Equipment malfunction | 254.2 | 257.8 | 197.2 | 288.6 | 288.4 | 306.8 | 304.0 | 238.7 | 428.3 | 188.8 |
Cause under investigation | 262.3 | 217.9 | 375.6 | 245.4 | 138.0 | 281.5 | 194.8 | 304.8 | 241.7 | 187.6 |
Other Heat | 292.6 | 215.7 | 236.8 | 209.4 | 189.8 | 209.4 | 178.3 | 179.7 | 216.6 | 158.7 |
Exposure | 187.3 | 191.0 | 320.2 | 178.0 | 127.8 | 245.6 | 306.4 | 598.7 | 192.7 | 151.1 |
Natural | 203.5 | 198.7 | 240.4 | 188.5 | 151.2 | 324.1 | 205.0 | 170.8 | 267.1 | 138.1 |