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 house 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 Residential Fires:

1. Cooking – 50%
2. Heating – 12.5%
3. Electrical – 6.3%

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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Sources:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention > www.cdc.gov
• National Interagency Fire Center > www.nifc.gov
• U.S. Fire Administration > www.usfa.fema.gov

More From Issue 15

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• Review: Goal Zero Yeti 400 Portable Power Station
• Home Fire Facts – Infographic
• Paleo Prepper: Is the Caveman Diet Realistic for SHTF?
• Pocket Survival Book Buyer's Guide – Small Books for Big Trouble
• Pick Up Chicks: A Guide to Raising Egg-Laying Chickens
• Out of the Smoke: 5 Survival Lessons from Elite Firefighters
• Flame On: Portable Stove Buyer's Guide
• Forever Foods: 10 Long-Lasting Survival Foods
• Eye for an Eye: Hurricane Preparedness & Survival
• H2O Hygiene – Water Filter & Purifier Buyer's Guide
• Big-Bore Airgun Faceoff
• Angle-Head Flashlights
• Why Activated Charcoal Needs to be in Your Survival Pack

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