Residential building fire death causes

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National estimates

The 2022 national estimates for the leading causes of residential building fire deaths show that there were:

Overall trends in the leading fire death causes for the 10-year period of 2013 to 2022 show the following:

Other unintentional, careless was the leading cause of residential fire deaths in 9 years out of the 10-year period.
There was a 44% increase in residential other unintentionally or carelessly set fire deaths.
In 2018, there were 16 reported multifatality fire incidents, 18 in 2019, 9 in 2020, 15 in 2021 and 23 in 2022. These reported multifatality fire incidents may have contributed to the increase in the estimates of fire deaths.
Cause under investigation was the leading or second leading cause of residential fire deaths 6 years out of the 10-year period.
There was an 89% increase in residential cause-under-investigation fire deaths.
In 2019, there were 10 reported multifatality fire incidents, 18 in 2020, 11 in 2021 and 19 in 2022. These multifatality fire incidents may have contributed to the increase in the estimates of fire deaths.
A 10% decrease in residential smoking and a 16% decrease in residential intentional fire deaths.

	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
Other unintentional, careless	465	450	440	480	435	545	585	500	575	665
Cause under investigation	275	305	365	405	355	375	470	505	470	555
Smoking	320	325	320	375	300	390	320	330	275	295
Intentional	320	235	290	260	370	255	265	185	275	265
Electrical malfunction	335	325	290	310	200	255	225	200	295	185