Torch Fire in USA

8/3/2019 Torch Fire in USA

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TORCH FIRES IN THE UNITED STATES

Erin R. TwomeyFire Analysis and Research DivisionNational Fire Protection Association

August 2006

National Fire Protection Association, 1 Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02169-7471www.nfpa.org


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Abstract

During the time period 1999-2002, U.S. fire departments responded to an annual average of7,790 torch structure fires. These fires caused an annual average of 12 civilian fire deaths, 238civilian injuries, and $216 million in direct property damage.

Roughly half (47%) of all torch structure fires occurred in homes. Because torch use in onesown home is less regulated than torch use in non-home environments, the bulk of this analysisfocuses on non-home torch fires. Cutting and welding too close was the most common ignitionfactor for these fires. The most common items first ignited were 1) structural members orframing; 2) exterior roof covering or finish; 3) insulation within structural area; and 4)flammable or combustible liquids or gases, piping, or filters.

Keywords: fire statistics, torch, welding, cutting torch.

Acknowledgements

The National Fire Protection Association thanks all the fire departments and state fireauthorities who participate in the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) and theannual NFPA fire experience survey. These firefighters are the original sources of thedetailed data that make this analysis possible. Their contributions allow us to estimate thesize of the fire problem.

We are also grateful to the U.S. Fire Administration for its work in developing, coordinating,and maintaining NFIRS.

For more information about the National Fire Protection Association, visit www.nfpa.org or call617-770-3000. To learn more about the One-Stop Data Shop go to www.nfpa.org/osds or call617-984-7450.

Copies of this analysis are available from:

National Fire Protection AssociationOne-Stop Data Shop1 Batterymarch ParkQuincy, MA 02169-7471www.nfpa.orge-mail: [email protected]: 617-984-7450

Copyright 2006, National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA.


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Torch Fires in the United States, 8/06 NFPA Fire Analysis and Research, Quincy, MA1

Torch Fires in the United States

Introduction

A torch is a portable apparatus producing a hot flame by the combustion of gases and is

commonly used to cut, weld, solder or heat. Most torches are hand operated and have thepotential to start a fire when used incorrectly.

This analysis includes statistics of torch structure fires by: alarm time, alarm year, occupancy,area of origin, factor contributing to ignition, and item first ignited. Because private use oftorches is not regulated, causal information is provided about torch fires in non-homeoccupancies only. In addition to the statistical analysis, previously published incidents of torchfires dating back to 1993, taken from the Firewatch column in theNFPA Journal, are included.However, there is a distinction between statistical and anecdotal information. Statisticalinformation represents the majority of torch fires, whereas anecdotal information represents onlythe serious or unique fires, not all torch fires.

Definitions of Torch Activities

Version 5.0 of NFIRS was first introduced in 1999. Since then, an increasing share of the datahas been collected in the basic 5.0 format. Data collected in older versions has been converted tothe Version 5.0 format. Torch fires are identified by equipment involved in ignition. Thiscategory includes three separate codes for welding (331), cutting (332), and other (333) type oftorch.

A welding torch is a device that heats metal by focusing an intense flame that allows for twopieces of metal to melt together. The heat energy and high temperature needed to melt the metal

is generally obtained by the combustion of a fuel gas with oxygen in the torch.

A cutting torch is a device that cuts metal by focusing an intense flame in a small section ofmetal at a time, cutting the metal by melting it. Fuel for the flame is typically acetylene, propane,or gasoline and is combined with oxygen to create the torch.

Other torches include all types of torch activities not included in the welding and cutting torchcategories. Other types of torches include Bunsen burners, plumber furnaces, and blow torches.

Methodology

The statistics in this analysis are national estimates derived from the U.S. Fire Administrations(USFAs) National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) in combination with NFPAs annualfire department survey.

This analysis examines structure fires (incident type 110-129) occurring in or involving homes(property use 410-429) and non-homes (property use note between 410-429) that were ignited bytorches (equipment involved in ignition 331-333). Homes include one- and two-familydwellings, apartments, and manufactured homes. Because casual data is not routinely collectedfor confined structure fires (incident types 113-118), these fires were excluded from the analysis.The tables include a proportional share of fires in which the equipment involved in ignition was


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unknown or not reported. The trend tables also include 1980-1998 data collected in olderversions of NFIRS. For the older data, cutting, welding, and other torches were identified byform of ignition codes respectively.

Detailed information about NFIRS can be obtained from http://www.usfa.fema.gov. A detailed

description of how national estimates are calculated can be found in the Appendix.

An average of 7,790 torch structure fires was reported each year.This report includes national estimates of the average number of fires, casualties, and dollar lossfrom torch structure fires per year from 1999-2002. During this time an annual average of 7,790torch structure fires caused an average of 12 civilian fire deaths, 238 civilian injuries, and $216million in direct property damage per year.

These fires accounted for 1.5% of the 517,130 structure fires reported during this time period,0.4% of the 3,142 civilian fire deaths, 1.3% of the 17,729 civilian fire injuries, and 2.5% of the$8.7 billion in direct property damage.

The 3,670 torch home structure fires caused 6 civilian fire deaths, 124 civilian injuries, and $92.0million in direct property damage. Torch fires accounted for 1.0% of the 372,925 home structurefires, 0.2% of the 2,958 associated civilian fire deaths, 0.8% of the 15,304 civilian injuries, and1.7% of the $5.4 billion in direct property damage.

Torches cause a larger share of the fires and losses in the non-home environment. The 4,220 non-home torch structure fires caused 8 civilian fire deaths, 120 civilian injuries, and $126.2 millionin direct property damage. Fires started by torches accounted for 2.9% of the 144,205 non-homestructure fires, 4.3% of the 184 associated civilian fire deaths, 4.9% of the 2,425 associatedcivilian injuries, and 3.8% of the $3.3 billion in direct property damage.

Almost two-thirds (64%) of other torch structure fires occurred in homes.Roughly half (47%) of all torch structure fires occurred in residential occupancies. This waslargely due to fires involving torches other than those used for cutting or welding. Roughly two-thirds (64%) of these other torch structure fires occurred in residential properties. Almostthree-quarters of the cutting and more than half of the welding torch structure fires occurred innon-home structures.

Tables 1 through 4 show torch structure fires (for all three types of torches and each type of torchseparately) and associated occupancy, and subclasses that account for at least 1% of these fires.Residential occupancies were the leading occupancy class for all the categories of torches.Residential fires accounted for more than two-fifths (44%) of the welding torch structure firesand one-fourth (28%) of the cutting torch structure fires. Almost all of the residential firesoccurred in homes.

One-sixth of the cutting (17%) and welding (16%) torch structure fires occurred inmanufacturing properties.

All three types of reported torch structure fires hit a record low in 2002.Tables 5 through 12 show home and non-home structure fires for each type of torch by year from1980 to 2002. Home other torch structure fires occur more per year than cutting or welding


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torch structure fires. With 42% of the non-home torch structure fires, cutting torches lead inthese occupancies per year, but the difference is not so large. However, the changes introducedwith Version 5.0 of NFIRS make it hard to clearly distinguish the extent of real decreases from adecrease triggered by changes in NFIRS coding.

Overall, home torch structure fires have decreased in both home and non-home structures. Non-home cutting torch structure fires showed the greatest decrease, dropping 31% from 2001 to2002, and 82% from 1980 to 2002.

The percentage of cutting and welding torch fires in home structures has decreased since1980.In 1980, 970, or 15% of the cutting torch fires began in home structures. In 2002, 380, or 17% ofthe 2,220 cutting torch fires began in these structures. Although the share increased, cutting torchhome structure fires fell 61% from 970 in 1980 to 380 in 2002. Non-home cutting torch firesdropped 82% from 5,470 in 1980 to 970 in 2002. The non-home share of cutting torch fires fellfrom 85% in 1980 to 72% in 2002.

Welding torch home structure fires fell 22% from 870 in 1980 to 680 in 2002. In 1980, 870 or20% of welding torch fires were in home structures. In 2002, 680 or 47% were in thesestructures. The 3,450 non-home welding torch fires accounted for 80% of the total torch fires inthese structures in 1980, while 770 fires in 2002 were 53% of the total welding torch fires.

Other torch home structure fires fell 80% from 5,690 in 1980 to 1,160 in 2002. Non-homeother torch structure fires fell 70% from 2,590 in 1980 to 770 in 2002. The 770 fires accountedfor 31% of the total. Home structure fires have accounted for 64% of the other torch structurefires through most of this time period. However in 1997 and 1998, about three-fifths (60-61%) ofthese fires occurred in home structures.

The remaining tables are for non-home structures only.

Maintenance shops were the most common area of origin in non-home structure fires forcutting and welding torches, while the roof was the most common area of origin for othertorch fires.Tables 13 through 16 show the leading rooms and other areas of origin for the combined andseparate types of torch non-home structure fires. Specific areas are listed if they accounted formore than 1.0% (>0.5%) of the fires. Fires that accounted for less than 1.0% (


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common factor contributing to ignition for other torch types was heat source too close tocombustible.

Structural members and framing were frequently ignited first.The leading forms of material first ignited in cutting, welding, or other torch non-home

structure fires are shown in tables 21-24. Structural members or faming were in the top three forall types of torches.

Exterior roof coverings or finishes were first ignited in 24% of the other type of torch fires,leading the list for this category.

Non-home structure torch fires were more common during the day.Table 25 shows the alarm time for non-home structure fires caused by the three types of torchescombined. These fires are more common during the workday, peaking between 1:00 and 2:00p.m.

Factory Mutual study looked at how work fires caused by contractors.Roger Clemons, in an article in Factory MutualsRecord, reported that hot work (which caninclude more than torches) fires were often started by contractors rather than companyemployees: "Over the last five years, contractors have accounted for 66.5% of all hot worklosses at FM Global insured properties, including some that have excellent loss preventionprograms in place. This represents a nine percent increase over the previous five-year period.There are several reasons for this increase. The two most important more services are beingoutsourced and contractors are not being held accountable for their actions while on yourproperty.*

RecommendationsFires and associated losses caused by torches could be reduced if commercial torch activitieswere performed by trained workers who followed the requirements inNFPA 51B, FirePrevention During Welding, Cutting, and Other Hot Work. The increase in torch fires seen inresidential occupancies is cause to target concern on home torch use. The general public needsto be aware of the risks associated with torches when they perform their own maintenance orrenovations or use a torch to thaw pipes. When hiring contractors, safety records should beconsidered as well as cost. Although Mr. Clemons was able to identify contractor involvementin his study, it is not possible to do so with national fire statistics. Consequently, the share ofresidential fires started by homeowners or residents vs. hired contractors is not clear.

For more information on the subject, please refer to the chapter in the upcoming NFPA FireProtection Handbook, 20th edition, "Welding, Cutting, and Other Hot Work," revised by AugustF. Manz and Mark Blank. NFPAs award-winning video, Safe Hot Work Operations is based onNFPA 51B, Standard for Fire Prevention during Welding, Cutting and Other Hot Work. Thevideo helps users meet NFPA and OSHA regulations for recommended hot work proceduresthrough live action demonstrations and instructional graphics. Both may be ordered from NFPAat 1-800-344-3555 or on-line at www.nfpacatalog.org.

* Roger Clemons, "Learning from Losses,"Record, FM Global, Norwood, MA, 3rd quarter, 2000, Volume 77, #3.


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Table 1.Cutting, Welding, and Other Torch Structure Fires

by Occupancy: 1999-2002 Annual Averages

Occupancy Fires Civilian Deaths Civilian Injuries

Direct PropertyDamage

(in Millions)

Residential 3,670 (47%) 6 (45%) 124 (52%) $92.0 (43%)One- or two-family

dwelling 2,570 (33%) 4 (35%) 89 (37%) $55.0 (25%)

Apartment 950 (12%) 0 (0%) 29 (12%) $32.4 (15%)

Non-home residential 110 (2%) 6 (0%) 0 (0%) $3.5 (2%)

Manufacturing 920 (12%) 1 (6%) 46 (19%) $39.8 (18%)

Store or office 860 (11%) 3 (25%) 17 (7%) $25.9 (12%)Motor vehicle or boat sales

or service 230 (3%) 3 (25%) 6 (2%) $16.1 (7%)

Business office 200 (3%) 0 (0%) 3 (1%) $4.4 (2%)

Food and beverage sales 80 (1%) 0 (0%) 1 (1%) $0.2 (0%)

Storage 820 (10%) 2 (18%) 20 (8%) $21.1 (10%)

Warehouse 220 (3%) 1 (6%) 6 (3%) $7.4 (3%)

Vehicle storage* 230 (3%) 1 (12%) 9 (4%) $5.1 (2%)

Agricultural product 110 (1%) 0 (0%) 1 (1%) $3.0 (1%)

Shed 80 (1%) 0 (0%) 1 (1%) $1.1 (1%)

Public Assembly 350 (5%) 0 (0%) 6 (2%) $10.1 (5%)

Restaurant or cafeteria 110 (1%) 0 (0%) 4 (2%) $2.0 (1%)

Place of worship 80 (1%) 0 (0%) 1 (0%) $2.0 (1%)

Educational 240 (3%) 0 (0%) 11 (5%) $4.9 (2%)High school or middle

school 80 (1%) 0 (0%) 10 (4%) $2.2 (1%)Special Property 180 (2%) 1 (6%) 5 (2%) $7.0 (3%)

Institutional 170 (2%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $1.1 (0%)

Hospital 120 (2%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.8 (0%)

Industrial 150 (2%) 0 (0%) 4 (2%) $5.9 (3%)Unclassified or unknown-type

property 430 (5%) 0 (0%) 5 (2%) $8.1 (4%)

Total 7,790 (100%) 12 (100%) 238 (100%) $216.0 (100%)

*Vehicle storage includes dwelling garages and carports.

Note: These are national estimates of fires reported to U.S. municipal fire departments and so exclude fires reportedonly to Federal or state agencies or industrial fire brigades. National estimates are projections. Casualty and lossprojections can be heavily influenced by the inclusion or exclusion of one unusually serious fire. Fires are rounded tothe nearest ten, civilian deaths and injuries are rounded to the nearest one, and direct property damage is rounded tothe nearest hundred thousand dollars. Property damage has not been adjusted for inflation. Confined structure fires(incident type 113-118) are excluded from this analysis. This table includes a proportional share of non-confinedstructure fires in which the equipment involved in ignition was unknown or not reported. Non-confined fires in whichthe equipment involved in ignition was unknown or not reported have been allocated proportionally among fires withknown equipment involved. Sums may not equal totals due to rounding errors.

Source: NFIRS and NFPA survey.


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Table 2.Welding Torch Structure Fires




(in Millions)

Residential 930 (44%) 1 (26%) 16 (28%) $21.6 (30%)One- or two-family

dwellings 630 (30%) 0 (0%) 11 (19%) $10.8 (15%)

Apartment 250 (12%) 0 (0%) 5 (9%) $8.9 (13%)


Manufacturing 330 (16%) 0 (0%) 14 (25%) $19.9 (28%)

Storage 240 (11%) 1 (15%) 5 (9%) $5.8 (8%)

Warehouse 60 (3%) 1 (15%) 1 (1%) $1.0 (1%)

Vehicle storage* 80 (4%) 0 (0%) 4 (6%) $2.0 (3%)Agricultural product

storage 40 (2%) 0 (0%) 1 (1%) $0.6 (1%)Shed 20 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.5 (1%)

Store or office 210 (10%) 3 (60%) 4 (7%) $11.7 (16%)Motor vehicle or boat

sales or service 70 (3%) 3 (60%) 1 (1%) $9.6 (13%)

Business office 40 (2%) 0 (0%) 1 (1%) $0.7 (1%)

General retail 30 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.1 (0%)


school 20 (1%) 0 (0%) 8 (14%) $0.2 (0%)Adult education center

or college 20 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.1 (0%)

Public Assembly 80 (4%) 0 (0%) 1 (2%) $2.8 (4%)

Restaurant or cafeteria 20 (1%) 0 (0%) 1 (2%) $0.7 (1%)Institutional 60 (3%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.5 (1%)

Hospital 30 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.4 (1%)

Special property 50 (2%) 0 (0%) 4 (7%) $5.0 (1%)

Industrial 50 (2%) 0 (0%) 3 (5%) $1.0 (7%)Unclassified or unknown-

type property 90 (4%) 0 (0%) 2 (3%) $2.1 (3%)

Total 2,130 (100%) 5 (100%) 57 (100%) $71.3 (100%)


Note: These are national estimates of fires reported to U.S. municipal fire departments and so exclude fires reported

only to Federal or state agencies or industrial fire brigades. National estimates are projections. Casualty and lossprojections can be heavily influenced by the inclusion or exclusion of one unusually serious fire. Fires are roundedto the nearest ten, civilian deaths and injuries are rounded to the nearest one, and direct property damage is roundedto the nearest hundred thousand dollars. Property damage has not been adjusted for inflation. Confined structurefires (incident type 113-118) are excluded from this analysis. This table includes a proportional share of non-confined structure fires in which the equipment involved in ignition was unknown or not reported. Non-confinedfires in which the equipment involved in ignition was unknown or not reported have been allocated proportionallyamong fires with known equipment involved. Sums may not equal totals due to rounding errors.



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Table 3.Cutting Torch Structure Fires




(in Millions)

Residential 680 (28%) 0 (0%) 30 (35%) $17.4 (28%)One- or two-family

dwelling 490 (20%) 0 (0%) 22 (25%) $7.6 (12%)

Apartment 160 (7%) 0 (0%) 7 (8%) $8.2 (13%)


Manufacturing 420 (17%) 0 (0%) 28 (32%) $10.6 (17%)

Storage 390 (16%) 1 (51%) 11 (13%) $11.0 (18%)

Warehouse 110 (5%) 0 (0%) 3 (4%) $4.8 (8%)

Vehicle storage* 90 (4%) 1 (51%) 4 (5%) $1.9 (3%)

Agricultural product 70 (3%) 0 (0%) 2 (3%) $2.1 (3%)

Shed 40 (2%) 0 (0%) 1 (2%) $0.5 (1%)Unclassified storage 30 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.3 (0%)

Store or office 330 (13%) 0 (0%) 9 (10%) $8.1 (13%)Motor vehicle or boat

service or sales 110 (5%) 0 (0%) 5 (6%) $6.1 (10%)

Business office 70 (3%) 0 (0%) 1 (1%) $0.5 (1%)


Public assembly 110 (5%) 0 (0%) 3 (3%) $1.7 (3%)




school 40 (2%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $2.0 (3%)Institutional 70 (3%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.4 (1%)

Hospital 50 (2%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.3 (0%)


property 190 (8%) 0 (0%) 2 (2%) $4.2 (7%)

Total 2,420 (100%) 1 (100%) 86 (100%) $62.3 (100%)


Note: These are national estimates of fires reported to U.S. municipal fire departments and so exclude fires reportedonly to Federal or state agencies or industrial fire brigades. National estimates are projections. Casualty and loss

projections can be heavily influenced by the inclusion or exclusion of one unusually serious fire. Fires are rounded tothe nearest ten, civilian deaths and injuries are rounded to the nearest one, and direct property damage is rounded tothe nearest hundred thousand dollars. Property damage has not been adjusted for inflation. Confined structure fires(incident type 113-118) are excluded from this analysis. This table includes a proportional share of non-confinedstructure fires in which the equipment involved in ignition was unknown or not reported. Non-confined fires in whichthe equipment involved in ignition was unknown or not reported have been allocated proportionally among fires withknown equipment involved. Sums may not equal totals due to rounding errors.



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Table 4.Other Torch Structure Fires


Occupancy Fires Civilian Deaths

Civilian

Injuries


(in Millions)

Residential 2,060 (64%) 4 (75%) 78 (83%) $53.0 (64%)

One- or two-family dwelling 1,450 (45%) 4 (75%) 57 (61%) $36.6 (44%)

Apartments 540 (17%) 0 (0%) 16 (18%) $15.3 (19%)


Store or office 320 (10%) 0 (0%) 4 (4%) $6.1 (7%)

Business office 90 (3%) 0 (0%) 2 (2%) $3.1 (4%)Motor vehicle or boat service

or sales 50 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.5 (1%)


Storage 190 (6%) 1 (13%) 4 (4%) $4.3 (5%)

Vehicle storage* 70 (2%) 1 (13%) 1 (1%) $1.2 (1%)

Warehouse 50 (1%) 0 (0%) 2 (3%) $1.6 (2%)

Manufacturing 170 (5%) 1 (13%) 4 (4%) $9.2 (11%)

Public assembly 160 (5%) 0 (0%) 2 (2%) $5.6 (7%)


Place of worship 40 (1%) 0 (0%) 1 (1%) $1.9 (2%)

Educational 70 (2%) 0 (0%) 2 (2%) $1.2 (1%)

Institutional 50 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.2 (0%)

Hospital 40 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.2 (0%)



property 140 (4%) 0 (0%) 1 (1%) $1.9 (2%)

Total 3,240 (100%) 6 (100%) 94 (100%) $82.4 (100%)


Note: These are national estimates of fires reported to U.S. municipal fire departments and so exclude fires reportedonly to Federal or state agencies or industrial fire brigades. National estimates are projections. Casualty and lossprojections can be heavily influenced by the inclusion or exclusion of one unusually serious fire. Fires are rounded tothe nearest ten, civilian deaths and injuries are rounded to the nearest one, and direct property damage is rounded tothe nearest hundred thousand dollars. Property damage has not been adjusted for inflation. Confined structure fires(incident type 113-118) are excluded from this analysis. This table includes a proportional share of non-confinedstructure fires in which the equipment involved in ignition was unknown or not reported. Non-confined fires in which

the equipment involved in ignition was unknown or not reported have been allocated proportionally among fires withknown equipment involved. Sums may not equal totals due to rounding errors.



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Table 5.Home Cutting, Welding and Other Torch Structure Fires by Year, 1980-2002

Direct Property Damage(in Millions)

Year Fires Civilian Deaths Civilian Injuries As Reported In 2002 Dollars

1980 7,530 51 154 $31.0 $67.6

1981 6,840 19 114 $31.8 $63.0

1982 7,710 5 168 $35.2 $65.5

1983 7,300 13 158 $64.8 $117.3

1984 6,710 0 155 $47.4 $82.0

1985 7,590 4 189 $66.6 $111.2

1986 5,830 11 169 $53.2 $87.2

1987 5,510 4 180 $40.5 $64.0

1988 5,960 16 178 $64.2 $97.6

1989 6,790 7 168 $76.4 $110.8

1990 5,400 21 173 $137.7 $190.0

1991 4,600 6 148 $65.8 $86.9

1992 4,190 10 161 $41.1 $52.6

1993 4,500 4 157 $57.2 $70.9

1994 5,430 9 179 $62.7 $75.9

1995 4,310 13 166 $96.3 $113.6

1996 5,230 9 212 $91.3 $105.0

1997 4,320 16 141 $71.2 $79.7

1998 3,900 4 104 $58.2 $64.0

1999 4,230 8 176 $98.4 $106.3

2000 3,680 5 89 $59.8 $62.2

2001 2,760 0 121 $54.1 $55.2

2002 2,220 0 69 $97.1 $97.1

Note: These are national estimates of fires reported to U.S. municipal fire departments and so exclude fires reported only to Federal or stateagencies or industrial fire brigades. National estimates are projections. Casualty and loss projections can be heavily influenced by theinclusion or exclusion of one unusually serious fire. Fires are rounded to the nearest ten, civilian deaths and injuries are rounded to thenearest one, and direct property damage is rounded to the nearest hundred thousand dollars. Confined structure fires (incident type 113-118)are excluded from this analysis. This table includes a proportional share of non-confined structure fires in which the equipment involved inignition was unknown or not reported.



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Table 6.Home Welding Torch Structure Fires by Year, 1980-2002



1980 870 0 9 $4.6 $10.0

1981 900 0 15 $3.5 $6.9

1982 870 0 27 $3.5 $6.5

1983 730 0 27 $5.0 $9.1

1984 970 0 41 $4.9 $8.5

1985 880 0 12 $13.0 $21.7

1986 830 4 34 $6.2 $10.2

1987 860 0 34 $6.0 $9.5

1988 1,040 8 34 $9.9 $15.01989 1,080 0 15 $8.9 $12.9

1990 1,090 0 36 $13.3 $18.4

1991 990 0 37 $12.8 $16.9

1992 980 3 30 $8.0 $10.2

1993 860 0 38 $7.2 $8.9

1994 1,060 3 45 $8.8 $10.6

1995 860 0 58 $31.8 $37.5

1996 1,250 0 65 $17.0 $19.6

1997 1,100 0 26 $18.7 $20.9

1998 980 4 21 $18.7 $20.61999 1,000 0 27 $19.6 $21.2

2000 880 0 7 $17.0 $17.7

2001 730 0 17 $11.7 $11.9

2002 680 0 11 $21.6 $21.6

Note: These are national estimates of fires reported to U.S. municipal fire departments and so exclude fires reportedonly to Federal or state agencies or industrial fire brigades. National estimates are projections. Casualty and lossprojections can be heavily influenced by the inclusion or exclusion of one unusually serious fire. Fires are rounded tothe nearest ten, civilian deaths and injuries are rounded to the nearest one, and direct property damage is rounded to thenearest hundred thousand dollars. Confined structure fires (incident type 113-118) are excluded from this analysis. Thistable includes a proportional share of non-confined structure fires in which the equipment involved in ignition was

unknown or not reported.



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Table 7.Home Cutting Torch Structure Fires by Year, 1980-2002



1980 970 0 9 $4.5 $9.81981 840 12 7 $4.6 $9.11982 780 0 30 $5.2 $9.71983 790 4 27 $5.0 $9.11984 940 0 18 $8.7 $15.11985 930 0 33 $5.2 $8.71986 880 0 41 $4.9 $8.01987 800 4 26 $7.0 $11.11988 730 4 16 $15.0 $22.81989 790 4 27 $11.5 $16.71990 730 7 12 $4.4 $6.11991 730 3 10 $7.2 $9.51992 550 0 23 $3.8 $4.91993 620 4 30 $5.1 $6.31994 750 3 17 $7.5 $9.11995 650 0 26 $10.1 $11.91996 840 0 42 $17.3 $19.91997 850 0 18 $13.5 $15.11998 910 0 18 $12.1 $13.31999 790 0 36 $29.0 $31.32000 740 0 26 $10.8 $11.22001 420 0 22 $4.1 $4.22002 380 0 27 $8.7 $8.7

Note: These are national estimates of fires reported to U.S. municipal fire departments and so exclude fires reportedonly to Federal or state agencies or industrial fire brigades. National estimates are projections. Casualty and lossprojections can be heavily influenced by the inclusion or exclusion of one unusually serious fire. Fires are rounded tothe nearest ten, civilian deaths and injuries are rounded to the nearest one, and direct property damage is rounded tothe nearest hundred thousand dollars. Confined structure fires (incident type 113-118) are excluded from thisanalysis. This table includes a proportional share of non-confined structure fires in which the equipment involved inignition was unknown or not reported.



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Table 8.Home Other Torch Structure Fires by Year

1980-2002



1980 5,690 51 136 $21.9 $47.7

1981 5,100 6 92 $23.7 $46.9

1982 6,050 5 111 $26.5 $49.3

1983 5,780 9 104 $54.8 $99.2

1984 4,800 0 97 $33.8 $58.5

1985 5,780 4 144 $48.3 $80.7

1986 4,120 7 94 $42.2 $69.2

1987 3,840 0 120 $27.5 $43.5

1988 4,190 4 128 $39.3 $59.71989 4,930 4 126 $56.0 $81.2

1990 3,580 14 124 $120.0 $165.6

1991 2,880 3 101 $45.8 $60.5

1992 2,670 7 108 $29.3 $37.5

1993 3,010 0 89 $45.0 $55.8

1994 3,620 3 117 $46.4 $56.1

1995 2,800 13 82 $54.4 $64.2

1996 3,140 9 105 $57.0 $65.6

1997 2,370 16 97 $39.1 $43.8

1998 2,000 0 66 $27.4 $30.1

1999 2,450 8 113 $49.8 $53.8

2000 2,050 5 55 $32.1 $33.4

2001 1,610 0 82 $38.3 $39.1

2002 1,160 0 31 $66.8 $66.8

Note: These are national estimates of fires reported to U.S. municipal fire departments and so exclude fires reportedonly to Federal or state agencies or industrial fire brigades. National estimates are projections. Casualty and lossprojections can be heavily influenced by the inclusion or exclusion of one unusually serious fire. Fires are rounded tothe nearest ten, civilian deaths and injuries are rounded to the nearest one, and direct property damage is rounded tothe nearest hundred thousand dollars. Confined structure fires (incident type 113-118) are excluded from thisanalysis. This table includes a proportional share of non-confined structure fires in which the equipment involved inignition was unknown or not reported.



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Table 9.Non-Home Cutting, Welding and Other Torch Structure Fires by Year

1980-2002



1980 11,510 8 275 $130.7 $284.9

1981 11,290 0 339 $119.4 $236.4

1982 10,910 5 311 $86.1 $160.1

1983 9,100 24 340 $137.5 $248.9

1984 9,720 10 343 $138.1 $238.9

1985 10,860 15 251 $151.5 $253.0

1986 9,780 11 316 $119.9 $196.6

1987 9,080 12 337 $199.6 $315.4

1988 8,590 15 264 $144.3 $219.3

1989 7,550 10 226 $81.0 $117.5

1990 6,500 9 220 $100.5 $138.7

1991 6,050 3 262 $115.0 $151.8

1992 5,720 9 131 $71.6 $91.6

1993 5,750 3 182 $195.1 $241.9

1994 6,310 3 188 $137.3 $166.1

1995 5,930 25 200 $123.5 $145.7

1996 6,250 2 202 $236.1 $271.5

1997 6,490 13 191 $317.4 $355.5

1998 5,900 26 112 $151.9 $167.11999 6,120 10 181 $137.3 $148.3

2000 4,270 5 159 $137.6 $143.1

2001 3,510 16 63 $98.7 $100.7

2002 2,510 0 62 $132.5 $132.5

Note: These are national estimates of fires reported to U.S. municipal fire departments and so exclude firesreported only to Federal or state agencies or industrial fire brigades. National estimates are projections. Casualtyand loss projections can be heavily influenced by the inclusion or exclusion of one unusually serious fire. Firesare rounded to the nearest ten, civilian deaths and injuries are rounded to the nearest one, and direct propertydamage is rounded to the nearest hundred thousand dollars. Confined structure fires (incident type 113-118) areexcluded from this analysis. This table includes a proportional share of non-confined structure fires in which the

equipment involved in ignition was unknown or not reported.



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Table 10.Non-Home Welding Torch Structure Fires by Year

1980-2002



1980 3,450 3 64 $19.0 $41.4

1981 3,400 0 181 $21.5 $42.61982 3,270 0 69 $28.9 $53.8

1983 2,680 10 106 $26.8 $48.51984 2,730 3 63 $52.1 $90.1

1985 2,970 5 80 $60.3 $100.7

1986 2,710 8 92 $27.5 $45.11987 2,640 6 161 $68.3 $107.9

1988 2,520 8 69 $61.9 $94.11989 2,100 3 90 $31.6 $45.81990 1,850 3 51 $22.3 $30.8

1991 1,780 0 63 $36.6 $48.31992 1,800 5 62 $20.2 $25.9

1993 1,720 0 61 $82.5 $102.3

1994 1,860 2 46 $43.0 $52.01995 1,830 0 67 $30.6 $36.1

1996 2,130 2 67 $31.2 $35.9

1997 1,920 3 41 $46.9 $52.51998 1,730 4 38 $27.4 $30.1

1999 1,810 3 51 $41.7 $45.02000 1,220 5 51 $55.2 $57.4

2001 1,000 13 31 $27.5 $28.1

2002 770 0 31 $88.4 $88.4

Note: These are national estimates of fires reported to U.S. municipal fire departments and so exclude fires reportedonly to Federal or state agencies or industrial fire brigades. National estimates are projections. Casualty and lossprojections can be heavily influenced by the inclusion or exclusion of one unusually serious fire. Fires are roundedto the nearest ten, civilian deaths and injuries are rounded to the nearest one, and direct property damage is roundedto the nearest hundred thousand dollars. Confined structure fires (incident type 113-118) are excluded from thisanalysis. This table includes a proportional share of non-confined structure fires in which the equipment involved inignition was unknown or not reported.



17/49


Table 11.Non-Home Cutting Torch Structure Fires by Year

1980-2002



1980 5,470 5 159 $96.3 $209.91981 5,510 0 93 $36.4 $72.11982 5,090 5 144 $46.1 $85.71983 4,090 14 137 $89.8 $162.51984 4,530 6 165 $66.2 $114.51985 4,990 10 102 $67.6 $112.91986 4,570 3 174 $48.8 $80.01987 4,190 3 133 $96.6 $152.61988 3,990 8 121 $59.3 $90.11989 3,440 0 112 $34.6 $50.21990 2,920 3 117 $62.1 $85.71991 2,690 0 159 $41.2 $54.41992 2,520 5 43 $30.8 $39.41993 2,380 3 54 $27.1 $33.61994 2,800 0 69 $61.6 $74.51995 2,570 12 86 $63.4 $74.81996 2,620 0 96 $143.8 $165.41997 3,060 10 116 $255.0 $285.61998 2,850 13 41 $53.0 $58.31999 2,570 3 89 $38.7 $41.82000 1,920 0 91 $57.7 $60.02001 1,400 3 18 $52.1 $53.12002 970 0 24 $27.8 $27.8




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Table 12.Non-Home Other Torch Structure Fires by Year

1980-2002



1980 2,590 0 52 $15.3 $33.41981 2,380 0 64 $61.4 $121.61982 2,550 0 98 $11.1 $20.61983 2,330 0 97 $20.9 $37.81984 2,460 0 115 $19.8 $34.31985 2,900 0 69 $23.6 $39.41986 2,500 0 50 $43.7 $71.71987 2,250 3 43 $34.8 $55.01988 2,080 0 73 $23.1 $35.11989 2,010 8 24 $14.9 $21.61990 1,730 3 53 $16.1 $22.21991 1,580 3 40 $37.3 $49.21992 1,400 0 26 $20.6 $26.41993 1,640 0 68 $85.5 $106.01994 1,660 2 73 $32.7 $39.61995 1,530 12 47 $29.5 $34.81996 1,500 0 38 $61.2 $70.41997 1,500 0 34 $15.5 $17.41998 1,320 9 33 $71.6 $78.81999 1,750 5 42 $56.9 $61.52000 1,130 0 17 $24.7 $25.72001 1,110 0 14 $19.1 $19.52002 770 0 7 $16.3 $16.3




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Table 13.Non-Home Cutting, Welding, and Other Torch Structure Fires by Area of Origin

1999-2002 Annual Averages

Area of Origin FiresCivilianDeaths

CivilianInjuries

Direct PropertyDamage (in Millions)

Exterior roof surface 480 (11%) 0 (0%) 4 (3%) $5.4 (4%)Attic: vacant, crawl space above top

story, or cupola 360 (9%) 0 (0%) 4 (3%) $11.5 (9%)Maintenance shop or area, or paint shop

or area 360 (8%) 4 (47%) 14 (11%) $26.1 (21%)Wall assembly 290 (7%) 0 (0%) 1 (1%) $9.2 (7%)Vehicle storage area* 260 (6%) 1 (9%) 9 (7%) $10.4 (8%)Processing/manufacturing area, or

workroom 210 (5%) 1 (9%) 15 (12%) $8.6 (7%)Exterior wall surface 210 (5%) 0 (0%) 2 (1%) $2.7 (2%)Storage room, area, tank, or bin 160 (4%) 0 (0%) 8 (7%) $4.1 (3%)Machinery room or area 160 (4%) 0 (0%) 2 (1%) $4.7 (4%)Storage of supplies or tools, or dead

storage 130 (3%) 0 (0%) 3 (2%) $1.5 (1%)Duct 120 (3%) 0 (0%) 4 (3%) $3.9 (3%)Unclassified storage area 110 (3%) 1 (9%) 17 (14%) $1.3 (1%)Ceiling/floor assembly, or crawl space

between stories 110 (2%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.7 (1%)Unclassified structural area 100 (2%) 1 (16%) 2 (1%) $2.1 (2%)Substructure area or space 90 (2%) 0 (0%) 1 (1%) $2.2 (2%)Unclassified area of origin 80 (2%) 0 (0%) 4 (3%) $3.0 (2%)Heating equipment or water heater area 70 (2%) 0 (0%) 1 (1%) $0.4 (0%)Lavatory, locker room, or cloakroom 60 (2%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $2.3 (2%)Unclassified equipment or service area 50 (1%) 0 (0%) 7 (6%) $1.9 (1%)Shipping, receiving area, or loading

area 50 (1%) 0 (0%) 1 (1%) $2.7 (2%)

Conduit, pipe, utility, or ventilationshaft 40 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $1.4 (1%)

Other known area of origin 730 (17%) 1 (9%) 24 (20%) $20.2 (16%)

Total 4,220 (100%) 8 (100%) 120 (100%) $126.2 (100%)

Note: These are national estimates of fires reported to U.S. municipal fire departments and so exclude fires reported onlyto Federal or state agencies or industrial fire brigades. National estimates are projections. Casualty and loss projectionscan be heavily influenced by the inclusion or exclusion of one unusually serious fire. Fires are rounded to the nearest ten,civilian deaths and injuries are rounded to the nearest one, and direct property damage is rounded to the nearest hundredthousand dollars. Property damage has not been adjusted for inflation. Confined structure fires (incident type 113-118) areexcluded from this analysis. This table includes a proportional share of non-confined structure fires in which theequipment involved in ignition was unknown or not reported. Torch fires in which the area of origin was unknown or not

reported have been allocated proportionally among fires of known area of origin. Sums may not equal totals due torounding errors.



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Table 14.Non-Home Cutting Torch Structure Fires by Area of Origin



CivilianInjuries

DirectProperty Damage

(in Millions)

Maintenance shop or area 160 (9%) 1 (49%) 7 (13%) $10.0 (22%)

Exterior roof surface 140 (8%) 0 (0%) 1 (2%) $1.3 (3%)

Wall assembly 120 (7%) 0 (0%) 1 (1%) $4.4 (10%)Attic, ceiling/roof assembly, or

concealed space 120 (7%) 0 (0%) 2 (4%) $2.6 (6%)

Vehicle storage area 110 (6%) 1 (51%) 5 (9%) $1.8 (4%)

Product storage area, tank or bin 100 (6%) 0 (0%) 3 (5%) $3.0 (7%)

Processing or manufacturing area 90 (5%) 0 (0%) 9 (15%) $4.7 (10%)

Exterior wall surface 80 (5%) 0 (0%) 1 (1%) $1.1 (3%)

Machinery room or area 80 (4%) 0 (0%) 1 (1%) $2.0 (5%)

Supply storage area 60 (3%) 0 (0%) 3 (5%) $0.4 (1%)Unclassified storage area 60 (3%) 0 (0%) 15 (26%) $0.8 (2%)

Unclassified structural area 50 (3%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $1.4 (3%)

Duct 50 (3%) 0 (0%) 2 (3%) $0.6 (1%)

Crawl space or substructure space 40 (2%) 0 (0%) 1 (1%) $0.1 (0%)Ceiling/floor assembly or

concealed space 40 (2%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.2 (1%)Heating equipment or water

heater area 30 (2%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.1 (0%)Shipping, receiving, or loading

area 30 (2%) 0 (0%) 1 (1%) $1.7 (4%)

Unclassified area of origin 30 (2%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $1.5 (3%)Unclassified equipment or service

area 20 (1%) 0 (0%) 1 (1%) $0.4 (1%)

Utility shaft 20 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.7 (2%)Unclassified technical processing

areas 20 (1%) 0 (0%) 1 (1%) $0.1 (0%)Lavatory, locker room, or

cloakroom 20 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.3 (1%)


Total 1,770 (100%) 1 (100%) 58 (100%) $44.9 (100%)

Note: These are national estimates of fires reported to U.S. municipal fire departments and so exclude fires reported only to Federalor state agencies or industrial fire brigades. National estimates are projections. Casualty and loss projections can be heavily

influenced by the inclusion or exclusion of one unusually serious fire. Fires are rounded to the nearest ten, civilian deaths andinjuries are rounded to the nearest one, and direct property damage is rounded to the nearest hundred thousand dollars. Propertydamage has not been adjusted for inflation. Confined structure fires (incident type 113-118) are excluded from this analysis. Thistable includes a proportional share of non-confined structure fires in which the equipment involved in ignition was unknown or notreported. Torch fires in which the area of origin was unknown or not reported have been allocated proportionally among fires ofknown area of origin. Sums may not equal totals due to rounding errors.



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Table 15.Non-Home Welding Torch Structure Fires by Area of Origin



CivilianInjuries


(in Millions)

Maintenance or shop 140 (11%) 3 (60%) 3 (7%) $13.8 (27%)

Wall assembly 100 (8%) 0 (0%) 1 (2%) $3.5 (7%)

Vehicle storage area 90 (7%) 0 (0%) 3 (7%) $7.8 (15%)

Processing or manufacturing area 80 (7%) 0 (0%) 5 (13%) $3.0 (6%)

Exterior roof surface 80 (7%) 0 (0%) 2 (5%) $0.6 (1%)Attic, ceiling/roof assembly, or

concealed space 80 (6%) 0 (0%) 1 (2%) $0.7 (1%)

Exterior wall surface 60 (5%) 0 (0%) 1 (2%) $0.9 (2%)Machinery room or area; elevator

machinery room 50 (4%) 0 (0%) 1 (2%) $1.4 (3%)

Duct 50 (4%) 0 (0%) 2 (4%) $2.6 (5%)

Ceiling/floor assembly, or concealedspace 40 (3%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.1 (0%)

Storage room, area, tank, or bin 30 (3%) 0 (0%) 2 (5%) $0.8 (1%)

Unclassified storage area 30 (3%) 1 (15%) 2 (5%) $0.2 (0%)Storage of supplies or tools, or dead

storage 30 (3%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.6 (1%)

Unclassified area of origin 30 (3%) 0 (0%) 4 (9%) $1.4 (3%)

Unclassified structural area 30 (2%) 1 (26%) 1 (2%) $0.3 (1%)Unclassified equipment or service

area 20 (2%) 0 (0%) 6 (15%) $1.4 (3%)

Lavatory, locker room, or cloakroom 20 (2%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $1.0 (2%)Heating equipment or water heater

area 20 (2%) 0 (0%) 1 (2%) $0.0 (0%)

Crawl space or substructure space 20 (2%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $1.8 (3%)

Office 10 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.1 (0%)

Conveyor 10 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.6 (1%)

Trash chute 10 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.0 (0%)

Shipping, receiving, or loading area 10 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.0 (0%)


Total 1,230 (100%) 5 (100%) 41 (100%) $51.5 (100%)

Note: These are national estimates of fires reported to U.S. municipal fire departments and so exclude fires reported onlyto Federal or state agencies or industrial fire brigades. National estimates are projections. Casualty and loss projectionscan be heavily influenced by the inclusion or exclusion of one unusually serious fire. Fires are rounded to the nearest ten,civilian deaths and injuries are rounded to the nearest one, and direct property damage is rounded to the nearest hundredthousand dollars. Property damage has not been adjusted for inflation. Confined structure fires (incident type 113-118) areexcluded from this analysis. This table includes a proportional share of non-confined structure fires in which theequipment involved in ignition was unknown or not reported. Torch fires in which the area of origin was unknown or notreported have been allocated proportionally among fires of known area of origin. Sums may not equal totals due torounding errors.



22/49


Table 16.Non-Home Other Torch Structure Fires by Area of Origin



CivilianInjuries


(in Millions)

Exterior roof surface 260 (21%) 0 (0%) 1 (4%) $3.5 (12%)Attic, ceiling/roof assembly, or

concealed space 170 (14%) 0 (0%) 1 (3%) $8.2 (28%)Wall assembly 70 (6%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $1.4 (5%)Exterior wall surface 60 (5%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.7 (2%)Maintenance or shop area 60 (5%) 0 (0%) 3 (15%) $2.2 (7%)Vehicle storage area 60 (5%) 0 (0%) 1 (4%) $0.8 (3%)Machinery room or area 40 (3%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $1.3 (4%)Processing or manufacturing area 30 (3%) 1 (50%) 1 (4%) $0.8 (3%)Supply storage area 30 (3%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.5 (2%)Product storage area, tank or bin 30 (2%) 0 (0%) 3 (15%) $0.4 (1%)Lavatory, locker room, or cloakroom 30 (2%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $1.0 (3%)Unclassified storage area 30 (2%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.4 (1%)Crawl space or substructure space 20 (2%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.3 (1%)Ceiling/floor assembly or concealed

space 20 (2%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.3 (1%)Duct 20 (2%) 0 (0%) 1 (4%) $0.8 (3%)Laboratory 20 (2%) 0 (0%) 1 (4%) $0.2 (1%)Heating equipment or water heater

area 20 (2%) 0 (0%) 1 (4%) $0.3 (1%)Unclassified structural area 20 (2%) 0 (0%) 1 (4%) $0.4 (1%)Kitchen 20 (1%) 0 (0%) 1 (4%) $0.1 (0%)Outside open area 20 (1%) 1 (50%) 0 (0%) $0.3 (1%)Unclassified area of origin 10 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.1 (0%)Other known area of origin 180 (14%) 0 (0%) 7 (37%) $6.0 (20%)

Total 1,210 (100%) 1 (100%) 20 (100%) $29.8 (100%)

Note: These are national estimates of fires reported to U.S. municipal fire departments and so exclude fires reportedonly to Federal or state agencies or industrial fire brigades. National estimates are projections. Casualty and lossprojections can be heavily influenced by the inclusion or exclusion of one unusually serious fire. Fires are rounded tothe nearest ten, civilian deaths and injuries are rounded to the nearest one, and direct property damage is rounded tothe nearest hundred thousand dollars. Property damage has not been adjusted for inflation. Confined structure fires(incident type 113-118) are excluded from this analysis. This table includes a proportional share of non-confinedstructure fires in which the equipment involved in ignition was unknown or not reported. Torch fires in which the areaof origin was unknown or not reported have been allocated proportionally among fires of known area of origin. Sumsmay not equal totals due to rounding errors.



23/49


Table 17.

Non-Home Cutting, Welding, and Other Torch Structure Firesby Factor Contributing to Ignition

1999-2002 Annual Averages(Based on NFIRS 5.0 Percentages)

Factor Contributing to Ignition FiresCivilianDeaths

CivilianInjuries


Cutting or welding too close tocombustible 1,760 (42%) * (* %) 61 (51%) $72.5 (57%)

Heat source too close to combustibles 1,530 (36%) * (* %) 16 (13%) $34.3 (25%)Unclassified factor contributing to

ignition 190 (4%) * (* %) 0 (4%) $11.9 (9%)Equipment not being operated

properly 130 (3%) * (* %) 12 (10%) $4.0 (4%)Unclassified misuse of material or

product 90 (3%) * (* %) 7 (6%) $4.6 (3%)Arc or spark from operating

equipment 70 (2%) * (* %) 0 (0%) $0.2 (3%)Unclassified operational deficiency 70 (2%) * (* %) 6 (5%) $0.1 (0%)Part failure, leak or break 60 (2%) * (* %) 0 (0%) $0.7 (0%)Abandoned or discarded materials or

products 50 (1%) * (* %) 0 (0%) $0.0 (1%)Failure to clean 40 (1%) * (* %) 0 (0%) $0.2 (0%)Improper container or storage 40 (1%) * (* %) 0 (0%) $0.2 (0%)Accidentally turned on, not turned off 30 (1%) * (* %) 5 (4%) $0.0 (0%)Unclassified mechanical failure, or

malfunction 30 (1%) * (* %) 7 (6%) $2.5 (0%)Flammable liquid or gas spilled 30 (1%) * (* %) 6 (5%) $0.0 (2%)Other known factor contributing to

ignition 190 (4%) * (* %) 5 (4%) $0.8 (1%)

Total** 4,220 (100%) 8 (100%) 120 (100%) $126.2 (100%)

* None of the fatalities were collected in NFIRS 5.0 data.** Multiple entries are allowed resulting in sums higher than the totals.

Note: Because of conversion issues, only data originally collected in Version 5.0 of NFIRS is used in the initialcalculation. It appears that none is often being used in place of unknown. Fires in which the factor contribution toignition was undetermined (UU), entered as none (NN) or left blank are considered unknown and allocatedproportionally. Because factor contributing to ignition is not required for intentional fires, the share unknown, by thesedefinitions, is somewhat larger than it should be. After the Version 5.0 only data has been run for non-confined fires andthe unknown data allocated, percentages are calculated for each code of Version 5.0 non-confined fires. Total non-confined structure fires (all versions) are multiplied by these percentages to obtain national estimates.

Fires are rounded to the nearest ten, civilian deaths and injuries are rounded to the nearest one, and direct propertydamage is rounded to the nearest hundred thousand dollars. Property damage has not been adjusted for inflation.Confined structure fires (incident type 113-118) are excluded from this analysis.

These are national estimates of fires reported to U.S. municipal fire departments and so exclude fires reported only toFederal or state agencies or industrial fire brigades. National estimates are projections. Casualty and loss projections canbe heavily influenced by the inclusion or exclusion of one unusually serious fire. Fires are rounded to the nearest ten,civilian deaths and injuries to the nearest one, and direct property damage to the nearest hundred thousand dollars. Sumsmay not equal totals due to rounding errors. Property damage figures are not adjusted for inflation. Percentages werecalculated on the actual estimates, so two figures with the same rounded-off estimates may have different percentages.



24/49


Table 18.Non-Home Welding Torch Structure Fires by Factor Contributing to Ignition


Factor Contributing to Ignition FiresCivilianDeaths

CivilianInjuries


(in Millions)Cutting or welding too close to

combustible 590 (48%) * (* %) 30 (73%) $33.2 (64%)Heat source too close to

combustibles. 340 (28%) * (* %) 7 (17%) $10.8 (21%)Arc or spark from operating

equipment 60 (5%) * (* %) 0 (0%) $5.3 (10%)Unclassified factor contributing to

ignition 40 (3%) * (* %) 0 (0%) $0.1 (0%)Equipment not being operated

properly 40 (3%) * (* %) 4 (10%) $0.5 (1%)

Failure to clean 30 (3%) * (* %) 0 (0%) $0.0 (0%)

Unclassified operational deficiency 30 (3%) * (* %) 0 (0%) $0.0 (0%)Unclassified misuse of material or

product 30 (2%) * (* %) 0 (0%) $0.4 (1%)Equipment unattended 20 (1%) * (* %) 0 (0%) $0.5 (1%)Abandoned or discarded materials or

products 20 (1%) * (* %) 0 (0%) $0.8 (2%)

Leak or break 20 (1%) * (* %) 0 (0%) $0.0 (0%)

Improper container or storage 10 (1%) * (* %) 0 (0%) $0.1 (0%)Unclassified mechanical failure, or

malfunction 10 (1%) * (* %) 0 (0%) $0.0 (0%)

Unspecified short circuit arc 10 (1%) * (* %) 0 (0%) $0.0 (0%)

Manual control failure 10 (1%) * (* %) 0 (0%) $0.0 (0%)

Animal 10 (1%) * (* %) 0 (0%) $0.0 (0%)

Installation deficiency 10 (1%) * (* %) 0 (0%) $0.0 (0%)

Improper startup 10 (1%) * (* %) 0 (0%) $0.0 (0%)

Other factor contributed to ignition 40 (3%) * (*%) 0 (0%) $0.1 (0%)

Total** 1,230 (100%) 5 (100%) 41 (100%) $51.5 (100%)


Note: Because of conversion issues, only data originally collected in Version 5.0 of NFIRS is used in the initial calculation. Itappears that none is often being used in place of unknown. Fires in which the factor contribution to ignition wasundetermined (UU), entered as none (NN) or left blank are considered unknown and allocated proportionally. Because factorcontributing to ignition is not required for intentional fires, the share unknown, by these definitions, is somewhat larger thanit should be. After the Version 5.0 only data has been run for non-confined fires and the unknown data allocated, percentagesare calculated for each code of Version 5.0 non-confined fires. Total non-confined structure fires (all versions) are multiplied

by these percentages to obtain national estimates. Fires are rounded to the nearest ten, civilian deaths and injuries arerounded to the nearest one, and direct property damage is rounded to the nearest hundred thousand dollars. Property damagehas not been adjusted for inflation. Confined structure fires (incident type 113-118) are excluded from this analysis.




25/49


Table 19.Non-Home Cutting Torch Structure Fires by Factor Contributing to Ignition


Factor contributing to Ignition FiresCivilianDeaths

CivilianInjuries


( in Millions)

Cutting or welding too close tocombustible 870 (49%) * (* %) 24 (42%) $30.9 (69%)

Heat source too close to combustibles 590 (33%) * (* %) 0 (0%) $6.7 (15%)Unclassified factor contributing to

ignition 60 (3%) * (* %) 0 (0%) $0.0 (0%)

Equipment not being operated properly 40 (2%) * (* %) 9 (15%) $0.1 (0%)

Part failure, leak or break 30 (2%) * (* %) 0 (0%) $0.0 (0%)Abandoned or discarded materials or

products 20 (1%) * (* %) 0 (0%) $1.8 (4%)

Flammable liquid or gas spilled 20 (1%) * (* %) 9 (15%) $0.1 (0%)

Improper container or storage 20 (1%) * (* %) 0 (0%) $0.0 (0%)

Accidentally turned on, not turned off 20 (1%) * (* %) 8 (13%) $0.0 (0%)

Arc or spark from operating equipment 20 (1%) * (* %) 0 (0%) $0.1 (0%)

Unclassified operational deficiency 20 (1%) * (* %) 9 (15%) $0.0 (0%)Unclassified misuse of material or

product 20 (1%) * (* %) 0 (0%) $0.0 (0%)Unclassified design, manufacture, or

installation deficiency 10 (1%) * (* %) 8 (13%) $0.2 (0%)Other known factor contributing to

ignition 100 (6%) * (* %) 0 (0%) $7.8 (17%)

Total** 1,770 (100%) 1 (100%) 58 (100%) $44.9 (100%)


Note: Because of conversion issues, only data originally collected in Version 5.0 of NFIRS is used in the initialcalculation. It appears that none is often being used in place of unknown. Fires in which the factor contribution toignition was undetermined (UU), entered as none (NN) or left blank are considered unknown and allocatedproportionally. Because factor contributing to ignition is not required for intentional fires, the share unknown, by thesedefinitions, is somewhat larger than it should be. After the Version 5.0 only data has been run for non-confined fires andthe unknown data allocated, percentages are calculated for each code of Version 5.0 non-confined fires. Total non-confined structure fires (all versions) are multiplied by these percentages to obtain national estimates.Fires are rounded to the nearest ten, civilian deaths and injuries are rounded to the nearest one, and direct property

damage is rounded to the nearest hundred thousand dollars. Property damage has not been adjusted for inflation.Confined structure fires (incident type 113-118) are excluded from this analysis.




26/49


Table 20.Non-Home Other Torch Structure Fires by Factor Contributing to Ignition


Factor Contributing to Ignition Fires Civilian DeathsCivilianInjuries


( in Millions)

Heat source too close to combustibles 780 (63%) * (*%) 6 (28%) $23.9 (80%)Unclassified misuse of material or

product 140 (12%) * (*%) 7 (36%) $5.1 (17%)Cutting, welding too close to

combustible 60 (5%) * (*%) 0 (0%) $1.5 (5%)Equipment not being operated

properly 60 (4%) * (*%) 0 (0%) $1.3 (4%)Unclassified mechanical failure,

malfunction 40 (3%) * (*%) 7 (36%) $0.0 (0%)

Unclassified operational deficiency 20 (2%) * (*%) 0 (0%) $0.0 (0%)

Automatic control failure 20 (2%) * (*%) 0 (0%) $0.2 (1%)

Installation deficiency 20 (1%) * (*%) 0 (0%) $0.0 (0%)Accidentally turned on or not turnedoff 20 (1%) * (*%) 0 (0%) $0.1 (0%)Abandoned or discarded materials or

products 20 (1%) * (*%) 0 (0%) $0.0 (0%)

Unclassified natural condition 20 (1%) * (*%) 0 (0%) $0.1 (0%)

Unclassified fire spread or control 20 (1%) * (*%) 0 (0%) $0.0 (0%)

Other factor contributed to ignition 40 (3%) * (*%) 0 (0%) $1.7 (6%)

Total** 1,210 (100%) 1 (100%) 20 (100%) $29.8 (100%)


Note: Because of conversion issues, only data originally collected in Version 5.0 of NFIRS is used in the initialcalculation. It appears that none is often being used in place of unknown. Fires in which the factor contribution toignition was undetermined (UU), entered as none (NN) or left blank are considered unknown and allocatedproportionally. Because factor contributing to ignition is not required for intentional fires, the share unknown, by thesedefinitions, is somewhat larger than it should be. After the Version 5.0 only data has been run for non-confined fires andthe unknown data allocated, percentages are calculated for each code of Version 5.0 non-confined fires. Total non-confined structure fires (all versions) are multiplied by these percentages to obtain national estimates.Fires are rounded to the nearest ten, civilian deaths and injuries are rounded to the nearest one, and direct property

damage is rounded to the nearest hundred thousand dollars. Property damage has not been adjusted for inflation.Confined structure fires (incident type 113-118) are excluded from this analysis.




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Table 21.Non-Home Cutting, Welding, and Other Torch Structure Fires by Item First Ignited,


Item First Ignited FiresCivilianDeaths

CivilianInjuries


(in Millions)

Structural member or framing 550 (13%) 0 (0%) 4 (3%) $11.1 (9%)

Exterior roof covering or finish 520 (12%) 0 (0%) 4 (3%) $7.7 (6%)

Insulation within structural area 440 (10%) 0 (0%) 5 (4%) $12.1 (10%)Flammable or combustible liquids,

gases, piping, and filters 370 (9%) 6 (68%) 23 (19%) $15.4 (12%)

Unclassified item first ignited 340 (8%) 0 (0%) 12 (10%) $6.6 (5%)

Rubbish, trash, or waste 220 (5%) 0 (0%) 2 (2%) $3.6 (3%)

Exterior wall covering or finish 200 (5%) 0 (0%) 2 (2%) $4.7 (4%)

Dust, fiber, or lint, including sawdust and excelsior 190 (5%) 0 (0%) 11 (9%) $3.1 (2%)

Interior wall covering excluding drapes, etc. 180 (4%) 0 (0%) 2 (2%) $10.7 (8%)

Multiple items first ignited 120 (3%) 1 (11%) 9 (7%) $7.0 (6%)

Unclassified structural component or finish 120 (3%) 0 (0%) 3 (2%) $6.0 (5%)

Agricultural crop, including fruits and vegetables 80 (2%) 0 (0%) 3 (2%) $1.8 (1%)

Box, carton, bag, basket, or barrel 80 (2%) 0 (0%) 3 (2%) $2.1 (2%)

Interior ceiling cover or finish 70 (2%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.3 (0%)

Floor covering 60 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $2.1 (2%)

Grassy, light vegetation 50 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.5 (0%)

Exterior trim, including doors 50 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.6 (0%)

Electrical wire, cable insulation 40 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $3.8 (3%)

Unclassified storage supplies 40 (1%) 0 (0%) 9 (7%) $1.1 (1%)

Upholstered sofa, chair, vehicle seats 40 (1%) 0 (0%) 1 (1%) $1.5 (1%)

Chips, including wood chips 30 (1%) 0 (0%) 1 (1%) $1.0 (1%)

Magazine, newspaper, writing paper 30 (1%) 0 (0%) 2 (2%) $1.7 (1%)

Bulk storage 30 (1%) 0 (0%) 6 (5%) $1.3 (1%)

Conveyor belt, drive belt, or V-belt 30 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.4 (0%)

Packing, wrapping material 20 (1%) 0 (0%) 5 (4%) $0.7 (1%)

Cabinetry (including built-in) 20 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.6 (0%)

Other known item first ignited 300 (7%) 2 (20%) 14 (12%) $18.7 (15%)

Total 4,220 (100%) 8 (100%) 120 (100%) $126.2 (100%)

Note: These are national estimates of fires reported to U.S. municipal fire departments and so exclude fires reported onlyto Federal or state agencies or industrial fire brigades. National estimates are projections. Casualty and loss projections canbe heavily influenced by the inclusion or exclusion of one unusually serious fire. Fires are rounded to the nearest ten,civilian deaths and injuries are rounded to the nearest one, and direct property damage is rounded to the nearest hundredthousand dollars. Property damage has not been adjusted for inflation. Confined structure fires (incident type 113-118) areexcluded from this analysis. This table includes a proportional share of non-confined structure fires in which theequipment involved in ignition was unknown or not reported. Torch fires in which the item first ignited was unknown ornot reported have been allocated proportionally among fires of known item first ignited. Sums may not equal totals due torounding errors.



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Table 22.Non-Home Welding Torch Structure Fires

by Item First Ignited, 1999-2002 Annual Averages

Item First Ignited FiresCivilianDeaths

CivilianInjuries

Direct

Property Damage(in Millions)

Insulation within structural area 170 (14%) 0 (0%) 1 (2%) $5.2 (9%)Structural member or framing 140 (11%) 0 (0%) 1 (2%) $1.9 (3%)Unclassified item first ignited 110 (9%) 0 (0%) 5 (12%) $3.7 (6%)Flammable or combustible liquids,

gases, piping, and filters 90 (7%) 3 (60%) 6 (15%) $0.9 (2%)Exterior roof covering or finish 80 (7%) 0 (0%) 2 (4%) $1.9 (3%)Dust, fiber, or lint, including

sawdust and excelsior 80 (7%) 0 (0%) 6 (14%) $1.9 (3%)Exterior wall covering or finish 70 (6%) 0 (0%) 1 (2%) $2.4 (4%)Rubbish, trash, or waste 60 (5%) 0 (0%) 1 (2%) $1.0 (2%)

Interior wall covering excludingdrapes, etc. 60 (5%) 0 (0%) 1 (2%) $5.5 (10%)

Unclassified structural componentor finish 40 (3%) 0 (0%) 1 (2%) $0.3 (0%)

Multiple items first ignited 30 (2%) 0 (0%) 3 (8%) $3.0 (5%)Box, carton, bag, basket, barrel 30 (2%) 0 (0%) 2 (4%) $0.1 (0%)Agricultural crop, including fruits

and vegetables 30 (2%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.4 (1%)Floor covering 30 (2%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $1.7 (3%)Upholstered sofa, chair, vehicle

seats 20 (2%) 0 (0%) 1 (2%) $1.0 (2%)Interior ceiling cover or finish 20 (2%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.1 (0%)Grass light vegetation 20 (2%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.2 (0%)

Magazine, newspaper, writing paper 10 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.5 (1%)Chips, including wood chips 10 (1%) 0 (0%) 1 (2%) $0.5 (1%)Electrical wire or cable insulation 10 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.1 (0%)Unclassified storage supplies 10 (1%) 0 (0%) 7 (16%) $0.0 (0%)Rolled or wound material such as

paper or fabric 10 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.0 (0%)Exterior trim, including doors 10 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.0 (0%)Packing, wrapping material 10 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.1 (0%)Baled goods or material 10 (1%) 0 (0%) 1 (2%) $7.3 (13%)Conveyor belt, drive belt, or V-belt 10 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.2 (0%)Organic materials, other 10 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.1 (0%)Other known item first ignited 90 (7%) 2 (40%) 5 (12%) $8.1 (14%)

Total 1,230 (100%) 5 (100%) 41 (100%) $51.5 (100%)

Note: These are national estimates of fires reported to U.S. municipal fire departments and so exclude fires reportedonly to Federal or state agencies or industrial fire brigades. National estimates are projections. Casualty and lossprojections can be heavily influenced by the inclusion or exclusion of one unusually serious fire. Fires are rounded tothe nearest ten, civilian deaths and injuries are rounded to the nearest one, and direct property damage is rounded to thenearest hundred thousand dollars. Property damage has not been adjusted for inflation. Confined structure fires(incident type 113-118) are excluded from this analysis. This table includes a proportional share of non-confinedstructure fires in which the equipment involved in ignition was unknown or not reported. Torch fires in which the itemfirst ignited was unknown or not reported have been allocated proportionally among fires of known item first ignited.Sums may not equal totals due to rounding errors.



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Table 23.Non-Home Cutting Torch Structure Fires


Item First ignited FiresCivilianDeaths

CivilianInjuries


(in Millions)

Structural member or framing 230 (13%) 0 (0%) 4 (6%) $6.6 (15%)Flammable or combustible liquid or gas,

piping, and filters 200 (11%) 1 (100%) 18 (31%) $7.6 (17%)

Insulation within structural area 180 (10%) 0 (0%) 2 (4%) $3.2 (7%)




Interior wall covering 80 (5%) 0 (0%) 1 (2%) $4.5 (10%)

Exterior wall covering or finish 80 (5%) 0 (0%) 1 (2%) $1.7 (4%)Dust, fiber, or lint, including sawdust

and excelsior 80 (5%) 0 (0%) 5 (8%) $1.0 (2%)

Structural component or finish, other 60 (3%) 0 (0%) 1 (2%) $0.8 (2%)

Multiple items first ignited 50 (3%) 0 (0%) 3 (5%) $2.1 (5%)Agricultural crop, including fruits and

vegetables 40 (2%) 0 (0%) 2 (4%) $1.0 (2%)

Interior ceiling cover or finish 30 (2%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.2 (0%)

Box, carton, bag, basket, barrel 30 (2%) 0 (0%) 1 (2%) $0.8 (2%)

Electrical wire or cable insulation 20 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $3.6 (8%)

Bulk storage 20 (1%) 0 (0%) 8 (13%) $1.1 (3%)

Floor covering or rug/carpet/mat 20 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.2 (0%)Light vegetation - not crop, including

grass 20 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.1 (0%)

Conveyor belt, drive belt, or V-belt 20 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.1 (0%)

Unclassified storage supplies 10 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $1.1 (2%)

Exterior trim, including doors 10 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.1 (0%)Magazine, newspaper, or writing paper 10 (1%) 0 (0%) 1 (2%) $1.2 (3%)Cooking materials, including edible

materials 10 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.1 (0%)


Upholstered sofa, chair, or vehicle seats 10 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.1 (0%)


Cabinetry (including built-in) 10 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.4 (1%)

Baled goods or material 10 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.2 (1%)


Total 1,770 (100%) 1 (100%) 58 (100%) $44.9 (100%)

Note: These are national estimates of fires reported to U.S. municipal fire departments and so exclude fires reported onlyto Federal or state agencies or industrial fire brigades. National estimates are projections. Casualty and loss projectionscan be heavily influenced by the inclusion or exclusion of one unusually serious fire. Fires are rounded to the nearest ten,civilian deaths and injuries are rounded to the nearest one, and direct property damage is rounded to the nearest hundredthousand dollars. Property damage has not been adjusted for inflation. Confined structure fires (incident type 113-118) areexcluded from this analysis. This table includes a proportional share of non-confined structure fires in which theequipment involved in ignition was unknown or not reported. Torch fires in which the item first ignited was unknown ornot reported have been allocated proportionally among fires of known item first ignited. Sums may not equal totals due torounding errors.



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Table 24.Non-Home Other Torch Structure Fires


Item First Ignited Fires

Civilian

Deaths

Civilian

Injuries


(in Millions)


Structural member or framing 180 (15%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $2.7 (9%)

Insulation within structural area 100 (8%) 0 (0%) 2 (8%) $3.7 (12%)


Flammable liquid/gas, piping, and filters 70 (6%) 1 (100%) 1 (4%) $2.4 (8%)

Exterior wall covering or finish 50 (4%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.5 (2%)Interior wall covering excluding drapes,

etc. 40 (3%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.6 (2%)

Multiple items first ignited 40 (3%) 0 (0%) 2 (10%) $1.9 (7%)


Dust, fiber, lint, including sawdust andexcelsior 30 (2%) 0 (0%) 1 (4%) $0.2 (1%)

Exterior trim, including doors 30 (2%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.5 (2%)

Structural component or finish, other 20 (2%) 0 (0%) 1 (4%) $5.0 (17%)

Box, carton, bag, basket, barrel 20 (2%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $1.2 (4%)

Interior ceiling cover or finish 20 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.0 (0%)Light vegetation - not crop, including

grass 20 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.2 (1%)

Floor covering or rug/carpet/mat 20 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.2 (1%)Agricultural crop, including fruits and

vegetables 10 (1%) 0 (0%) 1 (4%) $0.4 (1%)

Storage supplies, other 10 (1%) 0 (0%) 1 (4%) $0.0 (0%)


Electrical wire, cable insulation 10 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.2 (1%)Cabinetry (including built-in) 10 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.1 (0%)

Adhesive 10 (1%) 0 (0%) 2 (8%) $0.0 (0%)

Linen; other than bedding 10 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.1 (0%)

Magazine, newspaper, writing paper 10 (1%) 0 (0%) 1 (4%) $0.0 (0%)

Household utensils 10 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.0 (0%)

Rolled, wound material (paper, fabric) 10 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.7 (2%)



Total 1,210 (100%) 1 (100%) 20 (100%) $29.8 (100%)

Note: These are national estimates of fires reported to U.S. municipal fire departments and so exclude fires reportedonly to Federal or state agencies or industrial fire brigades. National estimates are projections. Casualty and lossprojections can be heavily influenced by the inclusion or exclusion of one unusually serious fire. Fires are rounded tothe nearest ten, civilian deaths and injuries are rounded to the nearest one, and direct property damage is rounded to thenearest hundred thousand dollars. Property damage has not been adjusted for inflation. Confined structure fires(incident type 113-118) are excluded from this analysis. This table includes a proportional share of non-confinedstructure fires in which the equipment involved in ignition was unknown or not reported. Torch fires in which the itemfirst ignited was unknown or not reported have been allocated proportionally among fires of known item first ignited.Sums may not equal totals due to rounding errors.



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Table 25.Non-Home Cutting, Welding, and Other Torch Structure Fires by Alarm Time


Alarm Time Fires

Civilian

Deaths

Civilian

Injuries


(in Millions)

Midnight - 12:59 a.m. 60 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $3.4 (3%)

1:00 - 1:59 a.m. 30 (1%) 0 (0%) 2 (1%) $3.4 (3%)

2:00 - 2:59 a.m. 30 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.2 (0%)

3:00 - 3:59 a.m. 30 (1%) 1 (9%) 0 (0%) $7.1 (6%)

4:00 - 4:59 a.m. 20 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $1.4 (1%)

5:00 - 5:59 a.m. 30 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $1.4 (1%)

6:00 - 6:59 a.m. 40 (1%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $0.3 (0%)

7:00 - 7:59 a.m. 100 (2%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) $1.2 (1%)

8:00 - 8:59 a.m. 190 (5%) 0 (0%) 4 (4%) $7.7 (6%)9:00 - 9:59 a.m. 250 (6%) 1 (9%) 7 (6%) $4.8 (4%)

10:00 - 10:59 a.m. 360 (8%) 0 (0%) 17 (14%) $8.2 (6%)

11:00 - 11:59 a.m. 390 (9%) 2 (19%) 14 (12%) $12.1 (10%)

Noon - 12:59 p.m. 360 (9%) 1 (18%) 7 (6%) $6.0 (5%)

1:00 - 1:59 p.m. 410 (10%) 0 (0%) 9 (8%) $9.8 (8%)

2:00 - 2:59 p.m. 390 (9%) 2 (20%) 11 (10%) $13.7 (11%)

3:00 - 3:59 p.m. 340 (8%) 0 (0%) 8 (7%) $4.7 (4%)

4:00 - 4:59 p.m. 310 (7%) 0 (0%) 9 (7%) $8.4 (7%)

5:00 - 5:59 p.m. 250 (6%) 2 (26%) 18 (15%) $3.5 (3%)

6:00 - 6:59 p.m. 160 (4%) 0 (0%) 2 (2%) $15.1 (12%)7:00 - 7:59 p.m. 130 (3%) 0 (0%) 5 (4%) $4.1 (3%)

8:00 - 8:59 p.m. 110 (3%) 0 (0%) 2 (2%) $2.4 (2%)

9:00 - 9:59 p.m. 90 (2%) 0 (0%) 2 (1%) $3.1 (2%)

10:00 - 10:59 p.m. 70 (2%) 0 (0%) 1 (1%) $0.7 (1%)

11:00 - 11:59 p.m. 50 (1%) 0 (0%) 2 (2%) $3.6 (3%)

Total 4,220 (100%) 8 (100%) 120 (100%) $126.2 (100%)

Hourly Average 180 (4%) 0 (4%) 5 (4%) $5.3 (4%)

Note: These are national estimates of fires reported to U.S. municipal fire departments and so exclude fires reported onlyto Federal or state agencies or industrial fire brigades. National estimates are projections. Casualty and loss projectionscan be heavily influenced by the inclusion or exclusion of one unusually serious fire. Fires are rounded to the nearest ten,civilian deaths and injuries are rounded to the nearest one, and direct property damage is rounded to the nearest hundredthousand dollars. Property damage has not been adjusted for inflation. Confined structure fires (incident type 113-118) areexcluded from this analysis. This table includes a proportional share of non-confined structure fires in which theequipment involved in ignition was unknown or not reported. Torch fires in which the alarm time was unknown or notreported have been allocated proportionally among fires of known alarm time. Sums may not equal totals due to roundingerrors.



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Appendix A.How National Estimates Statistics Are Calculated

Estimates are made using the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) of theFederal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) United States Fire Administration

(USFA), supplemented by the annual stratified random-sample survey of fire experienceconducted by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), which is used forcalibration.

Databases Used

NFIRS provides annual computerized databases of fire incidents, with data classifiedaccording to a standard format based on the NFPA 901 Standard. Roughly three-fourthsof all states have NFIRS coordinators, who receive fire incident data from participatingfire departments and combine the data into a state database. These data are thentransmitted to FEMA/USFA. Participation by the states, and by local fire departments

within participating states, is voluntary. NFIRS captures roughly one-third to one-half ofall U.S. fires each year. More than one-third of all U.S. fire departments are listed asparticipants in NFIRS, although not all of these departments provide data every year.

The strength of NFIRS is that it provides the most detailed incident information of anynational database not limited to large fires. NFIRS is the only database capable ofaddressing national patterns for fires of all sizes by specific property use and specific firecause. (The NFPA survey separates fewer than 20 of the hundreds of property usecategories defined by NFPA 901 and solicits no cause-related information except forincendiary and suspicious fires.) NFIRS also captures information on the avenues andextent of flame spread and smoke spread and on the performance of detectors and

sprinklers. For more information about NFIRS visit http://www.usfa.fema.gov/nfirs.

The NFPA survey is based on a stratified random sample of roughly 3,000 U.S. firedepartments (or just over one of every ten fire departments in the country). The surveyincludes the following information: (1) the total number of fire incidents, civilian deaths,and civilian injuries, and the total estimated property damage (in dollars), for each of themajor property use classes defined by the NFPA 901 Standard; (2) the number of on-dutyfirefighter injuries, by type of duty and nature of illness; and (3) information on the typeof community protected (e.g., county versus township versus city) and the size of thepopulation protected, which is used in the statistical formula for projecting national totalsfrom sample results.

The NFPA survey begins with the NFPA Fire Service Inventory, a computerized file ofabout 30,000 U.S. fire departments, which is the most complete and thoroughly validatedsuch listing in existence. The survey is stratified by size of population protected toreduce the uncertainty of the final estimate. Small rural communities protect fewerpeople per department and are less likely to respond to the survey, so a large numbermust be surveyed to obtain an adequate sample of those departments. (NFPA also makesfollow-up calls to a sample of the smaller fire departments that do not respond, to confirmthat those that did respond are truly representative of fire departments their size.) On theother hand, large city departments are so few in number and protect such a large


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proportion of the total U.S. population that it makes sense to survey all of them. Mostrespond, resulting in excellent precision for their part of the final estimate. The results ofthe survey are published in the annual report Fire Loss in the United States. To downloada free copy of the report visit http://www.nfpa.org/assets/files/PDF/OS.fireloss.pdf.

Projecting NFIRS to National Estimates

To project NFIRS results to national estimates, one needs at least an estimate of theNFIRS fires as a fraction of the total so that the fraction can be inverted and used as amultiplier or scaling ratio to generate national estimates from NFIRS data. But NFIRS isa sample from a universe whose size cannot be inferred from NFIRS alone. Also,participation rates in NFIRS are not necessarily uniform across regions and sizes ofcommunity, both of which are factors correlated with frequency and severity of fires.This means NFIRS may be susceptible to systematic biases. No one at present canquantify the size of these deviations from the ideal, representative sample, so no one cansay with confidence that they are or are not serious problems. But there is enough reason

for concern so that a second database - the NFPA survey - is needed to project NFIRS tonational estimates and to project different parts of NFIRS separately. This multiplecalibration approach makes use of the annual NFPA survey where its statistical designadvantages are strongest.

There are separate projection formulas for four major property classes (residentialstructures, non-residential structures, vehicles, and other) and for each measure of fireseverity (fire incidents, civilian deaths, and civilian injuries, and direct property damage).

For example, the scaling ratio for 2002 civilian deaths in residential structures is equal tothe total number of 2002 civilian deaths in residential structure fires reported to firedepartments, according to the NFPA survey (2,695), divided by the total number of 2002civilian deaths in residential structure fires reported to NFIRS (1,029). Therefore, thescaling ratio is 2,695/1,029 = 2.62.

The scaling ratios for civilian deaths and injuries and direct property damage are oftensignificantly different from those for fire incidents. Except for fire service injuries,average severity per fire is generally higher for NFIRS than for the NFPA survey. Use ofdifferent scaling ratios for each measure of severity is equivalent to assuming that thesedifferences are due either to NFIRS under-reporting of small fires, resulting in a higher-than-actual loss-per-fire ratio, or possible biases in the NFIRS sample representation byregion or size of community, resulting in severity-per-fire ratios characteristic only of theoversampled regions or community

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