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Residential Building Intentional Fire Trends (2014-2023)

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National estimates

The 2023 national estimates for residential building intentional fires and losses show that there were:

17,200 fires.
290 deaths.
600 injuries.
$631,100,000 in dollar loss.

Overall trends

Overall trends for residential building intentional fires and losses for the 10-year period of 2014 to 2023 show the following:

A 20% increase in fires.
A 3% decrease in deaths.
In 2017, the peak in the estimate of fire deaths included 12 reported multifatality fire incidents.
A 4% increase in injuries.
A 26% increase in dollar loss.^*
A reported $110,000,000 under-construction apartment complex fire in Waltham, Massachusetts, contributed to the 2017 dollar-loss peak. A reported $80,000,000 under-construction apartment and hotel complex fire in St. Paul, Minnesota, contributed to the 2020 dollar-loss peak.

^*This overall constant dollar-loss trend takes inflation into account by adjusting each year's dollar loss to its equivalent 2023 value.

Fires, deaths, injuries and dollar loss

Residential building intentional fires (2014-2023)

	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
Fires	15800	15600	15200	15700	15900	15800	18200	18200	18500	17200

Residential building intentional fire deaths (2014-2023)

	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
Deaths	235	290	260	370	255	265	185	275	265	290

Residential building intentional fire injuries (2014-2023)

	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
Injuries	625	650	625	700	700	750	725	700	675	600

Residential building intentional fire dollar loss (2014-2023)

Year	Dollar loss
2014	497300000
2015	505300000
2016	514600000
2017	918100000
2018	675200000
2019	525000000
2020	1062800000
2021	614300000
2022	613200000
2023	631100000

Fire estimate summaries present basic data on the size and status of the fire problem in the U.S. as depicted through data reported to the U.S. Fire Administration's (USFA's) National Fire Incident Reporting System from incidents reported by local response agencies. Each Fire Estimate Summary addresses the size of the specific fire or fire-related issue and highlights important trends in the data.

Fire estimate summaries are based on the USFA's National Estimates Methodology for Building Fires and Losses PDF. The USFA is committed to providing the best and most current information on the U.S. fire problem and continually examines data received from participating fire departments and the analytical methods used to fulfill this goal. Because of this commitment, data collection strategies and methodological changes are possible and do occur. Previous estimates on specific issues (or similar issues) may have used different methodologies or data definitions and, therefore, may not be directly comparable to current estimates.