Fire in the United States
The U.S. has one of the highest fire death rates in the industrialized world. For 1997, the U.S. fire death rate was 15.2 deaths per million population.
Between 1993 and 1997, an average of 4,500 Americans lost their lives and another 26,500 were injured annually as the result of fire.
Fire is the third leading cause of accidental death in the home; at least 80 percent of all fire deaths occur in residences.
Direct property loss due to fires is estimated at $8.5 billion annually.