Overall, however, there were five percent fewer fires in 2013 than in 2012
In 2013, there were 29,828 fires across Massachusetts causing 44 civilian deaths, 323 civilian injuries and approximately $244 million in property damage. Of the 29,828 fires recorded last year, approximately 902 were reported as caused by arson. Overall, in its annual fact sheet the Department of Fire Services says that fires are down some five percent from 2012. The following are some highlights and graphs from the report that we have reprinted courtesy of the Department of Fire Services.
Types of Fires
In 2013, there were 17,353 Structure Fires involving homes and other types of buildings resulting in 28 civilian deaths, 275 civilian injuries, 416 Fire Service Injuries and $212 Million in Property Damage.
Motor Vehicle Fires were up three percent from 2012, with 2,587 fires recorded in 2013. Approximately 75 of those fires were due to Arson. There were 10 civilian deaths, 24 civilian injuries, and 16 Fire Service Injuries caused by Motor Vehicle Fires last year with a total of $27 Million in Property Damage. Since 1985, motor vehicle arson has decreased 98%.
The remaining fires, categorized as Other Fires, totaled 9,888, a 12% drop from 2012. Six civilians were killed as a result of these Fires, with another 24 Injured. Forty-six Fire Service Injuries were also reported as a result of these other Fires. Of the almost 10,000 Fires this year, 632 were due to Arson. A total of $5,000,000 dollars in Property Damage resulted from these types of fires.
Causes of Residential Structure Fire Deaths
According to the Department of Fire Services, cooking is the number one cause of residential fires in Massachusetts and the number one cause of fires during the holidays. In fact, more home fires happen on December 25 than any other day of the year, except Thanksgiving. In 2013, six civilian deaths were caused by a cooking fire representing 22% of home fire deaths. The following is a graph highlighting the leading causes of Residential Structure Fire Deaths in Massachusetts.
