When a fire breaks out, seconds matter. Modern homes filled with synthetic materials and lithium-ion batteries can let flames and toxic smoke spread rapidly—sometimes giving you as little as two minutes to escape safely. The deadliest errors are usually behavioral: hesitating, trying to fight a growing fire, or going back…
Backyard bonfires and grilling are the heart of summer evenings and long weekends. But outdoor flames demand smart habits. Recent data shows how quickly things can go wrong: U.S. fire departments respond to 10,000–11,000+ home fires tied to grills each year, with July the peak month; and an average of…
Children don’t need frightening stories to learn fire safety. In fact, the safest approach is calm, age-appropriate coaching that builds confidence through simple rules and playful practice. Good news helps, too: in the U.S., the relative risk of children (≤14) dying in a fire is now far lower than the…
Winter concentrates heating-related hazards. Nearly half (46%) of all U.S. home heating equipment fires happen between December and February, and heating remains a leading cause of home fires and home fire deaths. In 2023, heating caused about 8.1% of residential building fires, second only to cooking. That same year, U.S.…
Volunteers are the backbone of U.S. fire protection. In thousands of towns, volunteer firefighters leave dinner tables, classrooms, and job sites to respond to emergencies—most of which are medical in nature today. Below is a data-rich, up-to-date guide to what volunteers do, how many there are, what it takes to…
Every year, thousands of families in the United States experience Every year, thousands of families in the United States face the devastating impact of home fires. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), fire departments respond to over 350,000 home structure fires annually, resulting in billions of dollars in…
Imagine being woken in the middle of the night by the piercing sound of a smoke alarm. Your house is filling with smoke, and flames are spreading quickly. Would you and your family know exactly what to do? Sadly, for many households, the answer is no. Every year, thousands of…
Fire is one of the fastest and deadliest threats a household can face. Flames can engulf a room in just minutes, but what makes them even more dangerous is the smoke they generate. Most home fire fatalities are not caused by burns but by smoke inhalation. Smoke spreads quickly, is…
Fires are one of the most common emergencies faced by both households and workplaces. In the United States alone, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports that firefighters respond to over 1.3 million fires each year, resulting in thousands of deaths and billions of dollars in property losses. While smoke…
Every year, house fires affect thousands of families across the United States. According to national fire data, more than 350,000 residential fires occur annually, resulting in billions of dollars in property damage and thousands of injuries and deaths. The most alarming part is that these fires don’t always start with…