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Home Fire Safety Facts
The American Red Cross responded to more than 74,000 disasters in communities across the United States last year and 93 percent of these were fire related.
Fires kill more Americans each year than all natural disasters combined, and affect people from all backgrounds and geographic locations.
Nationally, the number of home fires is on the rise with the number of fires increasing 8 percent since 2000. The average cost of a home fire in 2006 was more than $17,000.
In 2005, 74 percent of home fire deaths occurred in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
In 2006, a home fire was reported every 80 seconds, and someone dies from a home fire every 204 minutes.
Heating fires are the second leading cause of home fires.
Smoking is the leading cause of home fire deaths.
Sources: American Red Cross, U.S. Fire Administration, and the National Fire Protection Association.
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