NFPA Vacant Building Fact Sheet

Statistics on fires in vacant buildings.

In 2003-2006, U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated average of 31,000 structure fires in vacant buildings. These fires resulted in an average of 50 civilian deaths, 141 civilian injuries, and $642 million in direct property damage per year.

• 4,500 firefighters were injured annually at these incidents.
• Only 6% of all reported structure fires were at vacant buildings, but they accounted for 13% of the firefighter injuries incurred at structure fires.
• From 1998 to 2007, 15 firefighters were fatally injured at vacant building fires.
• Vacant building fires increased by 2% from 31,900 in 2005 to 32,700 in 2006. The increase was similar to the 3% increase in all structure fires.

Sixty-three percent of vacant building fires in 2003-2006 occurred in homes, with 58% in one-or two-family dwellings and…