Smoke Alarms Fire Statistics

Residential Fire Statistics

• Over 90% of residential fires are preventable.
• An injury is reported in 1 out of every 17 preventable home fires – and not all injuries are reported.
• 1 out of every 100 preventable residential fires is a fatal fire.

Research from 1995 to 2004 regarding preventable/fatal/residential fires indicated:

• 35% of fires, a smoke alarm was present and operated.
• 25% of fires, a smoke alarm was present and did not operate.
• 21% of fires, no smoke alarm was present.
• 19% of fires, smoke alarm operation was undetermined.

This research pertains to 609 fatal fires that occurred from 1995 to 2004. In about 50 per cent of fatal home fires, there was no smoke alarm warning.

Statistics also indicate the holiday season between November and the end of January to be the highest point of the year for fires and related fatalities. Last year alone, from November 1, 2004 to January 31, 2005, there were 35 fire fatalities in Ontario.