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Nonresidential Building Fire Dollar-Loss Causes (2014-2023)

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.
*The overall constant dollar-loss trends take inflation into account by adjusting each year's dollar loss to its equivalent 2023 value.

Leading causes of nonresidential building fire dollar-loss (2014-2023)

(in $millions)
2014201520162017201820192020202120222023
Other unintentional, careless496.9682.6685.0583.5613.9516.1634.8609.6947.1881.2
Electrical malfunction379.4500.9374.3536.7453.1489.5501.4564.3389.9354.4
Intentional249.0239.1261.6278.3197.3211.9631.4234.3269.1349.1
Other equipment177.8298.3286.0283.5425.4329.1259.2754.9320.1287.7
Equipment malfunction254.2257.8197.2288.6288.4306.8304.0238.7428.3188.8
Cause under investigation262.3217.9375.6245.4138.0281.5194.8304.8241.7187.6
Other Heat292.6215.7236.8209.4189.8209.4178.3179.7216.6158.7
Exposure187.3191.0320.2178.0127.8245.6306.4598.7192.7151.1
Natural203.5198.7240.4188.5151.2324.1205.0170.8267.1138.1