The residential building portion of the fire problem is of great national importance, as it accounts for the vast majority of civilian casualties. National estimates for 2011-2013 show that 83 percent of all fire deaths and 79 percent of all fire injuries occurred in residential buildings. In addition, residential building fires accounted for over half (58 percent) of the total dollar loss from all fires.

Findings from the reports

- Annually, an estimated 372,900 fires in residential buildings resulted in an average of 2,530 deaths, 13,125 injuries and $7 billion in property loss.

- Cooking, at 48 percent, was the leading reported cause of residential building fires. Nearly all residential building cooking fires were small, confined fires (91 percent).

- Residential building fires occurred most frequently in the early evening hours, peaking during the dinner hours from 5 to 8 p.m., when cooking fire incidence is high.
Smoke alarms were not present in 22 percent of nonconfined fires in occupied residential buildings. This is a high percentage when compared to the 3 percent of households lacking smoke alarms nationally. Additionally, automatic extinguishing systems were present in only 4 percent of nonconfined fires in occupied residential buildings.

- The leading reported factor contributing to ignition category was misuse of material or product (38 percent).

- One- and two-family residential building fires accounted for 65 percent of all residential building fires, representing the largest subgroup of residential building fires.

- Multifamily residential building fires accounted for 28 percent of all residential building fires.