The USFA has released a special report that examines the nature of the U.S. fire-death problem and compares it to other industrialized nations.

The analyses in "Fire Death Rate Trends: An International Perspective," reveal the magnitude of the fire death problem, trends in overall rates, and differences between the countries. The report is based on fire-death data from the World Fire Statistics Centre and U.N. Demographic Yearbook population estimate data.

According to the report:

• From 1979 to 2007, fire death rates per million population have consistently fallen throughout the industrialized world. The North American and Eastern European regions' fire death rates have fallen faster than other regions.
• From 1979 to 2007, the fire death rate in the United States declined by 66%. Today, the United States still has one of the higher fire death rates in the industrialized world, however, its standing has greatly improved.
• Japan, a leader in fire safety, shows a slight worsening of fire death rates over the years studied.