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:

1. Cooking – 50%
2. Heating – 12.5%
3. 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

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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

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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.

Written by Patrick McCarthy