Compared to other common causes of death (see below), a home fire might not be one of the grim reaper’s favorites, but it still wreaks havoc in the United States every year. A home fire can go from a small spark to a raging inferno in under five minutes. In 2013, 1.24 million fires in the USA caused 3,240 deaths, almost 16,000 injuries, and $11.5 billion in damages, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. The National Interagency Fire Center — which compiles annual statistics for federal and state agencies — reports that more than 10 million acres were destroyed by wildfires in 2015. With warm weather and many fire-prone regions experiencing droughts, we take a closer look at home fire facts as well as the most common causes.
Top 3 Most Common Causes of Home Fires:
- Cooking – 50%
- Heating – 12.5%
- Electrical – 6.3%
Home Fire Deaths Compared to Most Common Causes of Death:
- Fire – 3,275
- Heart Disease – 614,348
- Cancer – 591,699
- Chronic Lower Respiratory Diseases – 147,101
- Accidents – 136,053
More Home Fire Resources:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention > www.cdc.gov
- National Interagency Fire Center > www.nifc.gov
- U.S. Fire Administration > www.usfa.fema.gov
More From Issue 15
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- Review: Goal Zero Yeti 400 Portable Power Station
- Paleo Prepper: Is the Caveman Diet Realistic for SHTF?
- Pocket Survival Book Buyer’s Guide – Small Books for Big Trouble
- Pick Up Chicks: A Guide to Raising Egg-Laying Chickens
- Out of the Smoke: 5 Survival Lessons from Elite Firefighters
- Flame On: Portable Stove Buyer’s Guide
- Forever Foods: 10 Long-Lasting Survival Foods
- Eye for an Eye: Hurricane Preparedness & Survival
- H2O Hygiene – Water Filter & Purifier Buyer’s Guide
- Big-Bore Airgun Faceoff
- Angle-Head Flashlights
- Why Activated Charcoal Needs to be in Your Survival Pack
Read articles from the next issue of Recoil Offgrid: Issue 16
Read articles from the previous issue of Recoil Offgrid: Issue 14
Check out our sister publications on the web: Recoil | Gun Digest | Blade
Editor’s Note: This article has been modified from its original print version for the web.
