Facts about
home heating fires. January is the peak
home fire month.
- From 2008-2010, an average of 50,100 heating fires in residential buildings occurred in the United States each year and resulted in an annual average of approximately 150 deaths, 575 injuries and $326 million in property loss.
- Heating was the second leading cause of all residential building fires following cooking.
- Residential building heating fires peaked in the early evening hours between 5 and 9 p.m. with the highest peak between 6 and 8 p.m. This 4-hour period accounted for 30 percent of all residential building heating fires.
- Residential building heating fires peaked in January (21 percent) and declined to the lowest point during the summer months from June to August.
- Confined fires, those fires confined to chimneys, flues or fuel burners, accounted for 87 percent of residential building heating fires.
- Thirty percent of the non-confined residential building heating fires occurred because the heat source was too close to things that can burn. Please keep all combustibles at least 3 feet away from all sources of heat.