Statistical Reports: Cooking Fires
Topical Fire Report Series
The National Fire Data Center's Topical Fire Report Series explores facets of the U.S. fire problem that affect Americans in their daily lives. Primarily based on data collected through USFA's National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS), each issue briefly addresses the nature and relevance of the specific fire or fire-related problem, highlights important findings, and suggests other resources to consider for further information. Each topical report also includes recent examples of fire incidents that demonstrate some of the issues addressed in the report.
New: Restaurant Building Fires
Findings from this report:
- An estimated 5,900 restaurant building fires occur annually in the United States, resulting in an estimated average of 75 injuries and $172 million in property loss.
- The leading cause of all restaurant building fires is cooking at 59 percent and nearly all of these cooking fires (91 percent) are small, confined fires with limited damage.
- While cooking is the leading cause of all restaurant building fires as well as the smaller, confined restaurant building fires, electrical malfunction is the leading cause of the larger, nonconfined restaurant building fires.
- Nonconfined restaurant building fires most often start in cooking areas and kitchens (41 percent).
- Deep fryers (9 percent), ranges (7 percent), and miscellaneous kitchen and cooking equipment (5 percent) are the leading types of equipment involved in ignition in nonconfined restaurant building fires.
- Smoke alarms were reported as present in 44 percent of nonconfined restaurant building fires. In addition, full or partial automatic extinguishment systems, mainly sprinklers, were present in 47 percent of nonconfined restaurant building fires.
Download Restaurant Building Fires » (PDF, 829)
- Grill Fires (PDF, 141 Kb, Volume 2, Issue 3 - March 2002)
- Grill Fires on Residential Properties (PDF, 663 Kb, Volume 11, Issue 1 - May 2010)
- Kitchen Fires (PDF, 100 Kb, Volume 4, Issue 4 - October 2004)
- Restaurant Building Fires (PDF, 829 Kb, Volume 12, Issue 1 - April 2011)
- Restaurant Fires (PDF, 103 Kb, Volume 4, Issue 3 - October 2004)
- Structure Cooking Fires (PDF, 187 Kb, Volume 5, Issue 6 - August 2005)