Fire killed 3,700 and injured 16,600 people in 2019.
Direct property losses due to fire reached $14.8 billion a year.
Firefighters paid a high price for this fire record as well; in 2019, 62 firefighters died on duty.
America’s fire losses today represent a dramatic improvement from more than 40 years ago. In 1971, our nation lost more than 12,000 residents and 250 firefighters to fire. Acting to stop these tragic losses, Congress passed the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act in 1974, and created the National Fire Prevention and Control Administration (NFPCA), now the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), and the National Fire Academy (NFA).
Since that time, through data collection, public education, research and training efforts, USFA has helped to reduce fire deaths and make our communities and residents safer.