Heating equipment is a leading cause of fires in U.S. homes. Heating equipment caused 15% of home structure fires in 2011-2015, ranking as the second leading cause behind fires caused by cooking equipment.
The leading factor contributing to home heating fires (28%) was failure to clean, principally creosote from solid-fueled heating equipment, primarily chimneys.
The leading factor contributing to ignition for home heating fire deaths (53%) was heating equipment too close to flammable items, such as upholstered furniture, clothing, mattress, or bedding.
Home heating equipment fires also accounted for nearly one-fifth (19%) of civilian deaths (third behind fires caused by smoking materials and cooking), 12% of civilian injuries (second behind cooking equipment), and 16% of direct property damage (third behind electrical distribution and lighting equipment and cooking equipment).
Space heaters are the type of equipment most often involved in home heating equipment fires, (43%). Significantly, the fires involving space heaters accounted for 85% of the civilian deaths and 78% of civilian injuries in home fires caused by heating equipment, as well as over half (53%) of direct property damage.
The peak months for home heating fires are the cold weather months of December, January, and February (48%) with fires in March and November responsible for a disproportionate high share of heating equipment fires.
The leading factor that contributed to the failure of home heating equipment fires was:
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Failure to clean
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Mechanical failure or malfunction
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Heat source too close to combustibles
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Electrical failure or malfunction
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Equipment unattended
Chimney & Furnace Fires
The compiled information below is according and to:
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The U.S. Fire Administration (an entity of the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency): https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/outreach/heating.html
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National Fire Protection Association: https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/By-topic/Safety-in-the-home/
Please visit these sights for more detailed information
on how to protect your family and home:
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From 2013-2015, an average of 45,900 home heating fires occurred in the United States each year. These fires caused an annual average of approximately 205 deaths, 725 injuries and $506 million in property loss.
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Heating was the second leading cause of home fires after cooking.
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Home 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 four-hour period accounted for 29 percent of all home heating fires.
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Home heating fires peaked in January (21 percent) and declined to the lowest point from June to August.
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Confined fires — fires confined to chimneys, flues or fuel burners — accounted for 75 percent of home heating fires.
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Twenty-nine percent of the nonconfined home heating fires — fires that spread past the object of origin — happened because the heat source (like a space heater or fire place) was too close to things that can burn.
Safety Tips:
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Have all furnaces, chimneys and heating equipment cleaned and inspected annually before cool weather arrives.
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Have water heaters inspected annually.
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Move all combustible objects or material away from heating equipment, fireplaces.
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Clean clothes dryers vent systems regularly.
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Clean dryer filters vents after every use.
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Use caution when placing portable heating equipment near things that can burn, such as upholstered furniture, clothing, mattress, or bedding.
For more information, please download and read these reference materials:
