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Topical Fire Report Series December 2024 | Volume 23, Issue 1

Multiple-Fatality Fires in Residential Buildings (2021-2023)

At a Glance

Each year, from 2021 to 2023, an estimated average of
200
multiple-fatality fires in residential buildings

were reported within the United States.

These fires caused an estimated annual average of:
720 deaths,
125 injuries
and
$42 million
in property loss.

Less than one-tenth of a percent of residential building fires involved multiple fatalities.

However, these fatalities accounted for 26% of all fatalities that resulted from residential building fires.


One- and two-family dwellings accounted for 81% of multiple-fatality fires in residential buildings.

Multiple-fatality fires in residential buildings occurred most frequently from midnight to 6 a.m.

This 6-hour period accounted for 53% of the multiple-fatality residential building fires.

Multiple-fatality fires in residential buildings were more prevalent in the cooler months, peaking in January at 14%.