The USFA has released two special reports highlighting the characteristics of residential building fires involving individuals with mental and physical disabilities.

The reports, "Residential Building Fires Involving Individuals with Mental Disabilities" and "Residential Building Fires Involving Individuals with Physical Disabilities" were developed by the USFA’s National Fire Data Center. The analyses in these reports address residential building fires where a possible mental or physical disability, as reported to the National Fire Incident Reporting System, were the human factors contributing to the ignition of the fire.

Annually, an estimated 1,700 residential building fires involving individuals with mental disabilities are reported to U.S. fire departments and cause an estimated 85 deaths, 250 injuries, and $61 million in total loss. Additionally, there are an estimated 700 residential building fires involving individuals with physical disabilities that occur each year, resulting in 160 deaths, 200 injuries, and $26 million in property loss.

According to the reports, the majority of the residential building fires involving individuals with mental (62%) and physical (63%) disabilities occur in one- and two-family dwellings. Cooking, at 22%, is the leading cause of residential fires where a physical disability is reported as a human factor contributing to the ignition of the fire.

This differs from the leading cause of residential fires where a mental disability is reported as a human factor contributing to ignition. In these types of fires, intentional is the leading fire cause, at 40%. Fire incidence involving individuals with disabilities occur most often in January and December. In addition, these fires show a tendency to peak in the late afternoon to early evening hours.

The reports can be downloaded at www.usfa.fema.gov/statistics/.