While the number of house fires has declined steadily over the past 40 years, fires today cause far more damage. In fact, the average fire loss per house in 2020 was $23,562, compared to $12,214 in 1980. [1] Fortunately, your homeowners insurance can pay to rebuild your house or replace your belongings after an expensive fire.
House fires statistics and facts
$8.4 billion in property damage was caused from house fires in 2020 [2]
49% of house fires are caused by cooking accidents [3]
3% of house fires are caused by wildfires, but they cause 11% of all house fire losses [4]
$78,838 is the average home insurance house fire claim [5]
20% of fires occur between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. [6]
3.5 minutes is all it takes for a house fire to reach over 1,100℉ [7]
48% of Thanksgiving Day house fires occur between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. [8]
How many house fires are there per year?
Around 356,500 house fires occurred in 2020. Below is a further breakdown of house fire facts and figures by the year. [9]
28,400 was the average number of house fires started intentionally from 2015 to 2019 [10]
2,580 civilian deaths occurred from house fires in 2020 [11]
264,500 house fires occurred in one- or-two storied homes in 2019 [12]
75,000 apartment fires occurred in 2019 [13]
86,000 apartment fires occurred in 2020 [14]
1,100 fires in residential buildings were caused by portable heaters from 2017-2019 [15]
What is the biggest cause of house fires?
Here are the top five leading causes of residential fires from 2015 to 2019, according to the NFPA. [16]
Cause | Average number of house fires | Average direct property losses |
|---|
Cooking | 169,400 | $1.2 billion |
Heating equipment | 45,800 | $1 billion |
Electrical fires | 32,000 | $1.3 billion |
Intentional | 28,400 | $554 million |
Smoking materials | 16,300 | $511 million |
While cooking was the leading cause, electrical fires brought the most damage. Smoking materials were the fifth leading cause of house fires, but they caused more deaths than any of the others.
Does homeowners insurance cover house fires?
Yes, homeowners insurance covers just about every cause of house fires, including wildfires and kitchen fires. If your house is damaged or destroyed by a fire, homeowners insurance can pay to rebuild your home and replace any damaged belongings. Your policy can also pay for temporary lodging, restaurant meals, and other living expenses while your home is being rebuilt or repaired.
→ Learn more: Homeowners insurance and fire coverage
Frequently asked questions
What is the number one cause of house fires?
Cooking fires are the number one cause of house fires by far, causing on average 169,400 house fires per year from 2015 to 2019, according to the NFPA. Heating equipment is the second leading cause of house fires, resulting in 45,800 house fires on average from 2015 to 2019.
How common are house fires?
A house fire occurs every 89 seconds on average nationwide, according to the NFPA.
How many homes catch fire each year?
According to the NFPA, about 356,500 house fires occurred in 2020. In 2019, around 264,500 house fires occurred.
Authors
Kara McGinley is a former senior editor and licensed home insurance expert at Policygenius, where she specialized in homeowners and renters insurance. As a journalist and as an insurance expert, her work and insights have been featured in Forbes Advisor, Kiplinger, Lifehacker, MSN, WRAL.com, and elsewhere.
Pat Howard
Managing Editor & Licensed Home Insurance Expert
Pat Howard is a managing editor and licensed home insurance expert at Policygenius, where he specializes in homeowners insurance. His work and expertise has been featured in MarketWatch, Real Simple, Fox Business, VentureBeat, This Old House, Investopedia, Fatherly, Lifehacker, Better Homes & Garden, Property Casualty 360, and elsewhere.
Expert reviewer
Ian Bloom, CFP®, RLP®, is a certified financial planner and a member of the Financial Review Council at Policygenius. Previously, he was a financial advisor at MetLife and MassMutual.
Questions about this page? Email us at editorial@policygenius.com.
