A compiled reference of 20 verified statistics on residential electrical fires in the United States: how many happen and how deadly they are, where in the home they start and what ignites them, the failures that cause them, and the detection and prevention that works. Every figure is drawn from a named public source (the U.S. Fire Administration's NFIRS data and the Electrical Safety Foundation International) and independently checked before publishing.
Why electrical fires start
Leading factors contributing to ignition in residential building electrical fires, 2014-2016.
Source: U.S. Fire Administration, Residential Building Electrical Fires 2014-2016 (usfa.fema.gov). Bars scaled to the 43% leading factor.
Key statistics
Key takeaways
Electrical fires are less common than cooking fires but far deadlier per incident, because they begin hidden in the building's wiring and spread before detection. The numbers below trace the toll, the causes, and what closes the gap.
About 24,000 residential building electrical fires a year caused 310 deaths, 850 injuries, and $871 million in loss (2014-2016).
Electrical fires cause almost twice the deaths per 1,000 fires, and over twice the dollar loss per fire, of other fires.
Counted broadly, home electrical fires total about 51,000 a year and $1.3 billion in damage.
The item ignited first is most often electrical wire or cable insulation, at 31%.
Smoke alarms were present in only 51% of residential electrical fires.
AFCIs detect dangerous arcing that standard breakers miss, and are urged especially for older homes.
How we built this report
Every figure was compiled in September 2026 from named public sources and verified against the original before publishing.
- Compiled from primary sources
The U.S. Fire Administration's topical report on residential building electrical fires (NFIRS data) and the Electrical Safety Foundation International's electrical-fire statistics.
- Two definitions, both shown
USFA counts NFIRS "residential building electrical fires" (~24,000/yr); ESFI counts "home electrical fires" more broadly (~51,000/yr). We label which is which rather than blending them.
- Only explicitly stated figures
We include only numbers a named source states directly, and attribute each inline at the point it appears.
- Independent review
Written by one co-founder, reviewed by the other before publishing.
Scope note: the two headline counts differ because of definition and scope (USFA's NFIRS "residential building electrical fires" versus ESFI's broader "home electrical fires"), not because either is wrong; we present both and label them. USFA figures are three-year annual averages for 2014-2016. This page covers residential electrical fires; it is not a repair-cost guide (see our rental electrical repair cost research for that).
Electrical fires, by the numbers
All 20 figures, grouped into three themes, each from a named public source and independently verified against the original.
The toll
Electrical fires are a small share of home fires but a large share of the harm. According to the U.S. Fire Administration (usfa.fema.gov), an estimated 24,000 residential building electrical fires were reported each year from 2014 to 2016, causing 310 deaths, 850 injuries, and $871 million in property loss, and they were far deadlier per fire than nonelectrical fires. The Electrical Safety Foundation International (esfi.org) counts home electrical fires more broadly at about 51,000 a year.
Statistic 1
About 24,000 residential building electrical fires were reported each year (2014-2016), causing 310 deaths, 850 injuries, and $871 million in property loss.
U.S. Fire Administration (2019)
Statistic 2
Electrical fires caused almost twice as many fatalities per 1,000 fires, and over twice the dollar loss per fire, as nonelectrical fires.
U.S. Fire Administration (2019)
Statistic 3
Counted broadly, home electrical fires total about 51,000 a year, with nearly 500 deaths, 1,400+ injuries, and $1.3 billion in property damage.
ESFI (2026)
Statistic 4
Electrical distribution systems are the third-leading cause of home structure fires.
ESFI (2026)
Statistic 5
83% of residential building electrical fires occurred in one- and two-family dwellings.
U.S. Fire Administration (2019)
Statistic 6
Electrical fires peaked in the winter month of January (12%), when heating and lighting loads are highest.
U.S. Fire Administration (2019)
What this means: The per-fire severity is the story. An electrical fire is roughly twice as likely to kill and twice as costly as an average fire, largely because it starts out of sight, inside the very system that would otherwise warn or protect the building.
Where and why they start
Electrical fires cluster in the hidden parts of the home and trace back to a handful of failures. According to the U.S. Fire Administration (usfa.fema.gov), they start most often in bedrooms (15%) and attics or crawl spaces (13%), the item ignited first is usually electrical wire or cable insulation (31%), and the leading contributing factor is other electrical failure or malfunction (43%).
Statistic 7
Electrical fires start most often in bedrooms (15%), attics or crawl spaces (13%), and walls or concealed spaces (9%).
U.S. Fire Administration (2019)
Statistic 8
The items ignited first were most often electrical wire or cable insulation (31%) and structural members or framing (18%).
U.S. Fire Administration (2019)
Statistic 9
Leading contributing factors: other electrical failure or malfunction (43%), unspecified short-circuit arc (23%), and short-circuit arc from worn insulation (11%).
U.S. Fire Administration (2019)
Statistic 10
Equipment most involved: other electrical wiring (31%), outlets and receptacles (12%), and electrical branch circuits (8%).
U.S. Fire Administration (2019)
Statistic 11
Extension cords were the equipment involved in about 5% of residential electrical fires.
U.S. Fire Administration (2019)
Statistic 12
In only 17% of electrical fires did the fire stay limited to the object where it started, meaning 83% spread further.
U.S. Fire Administration (2019)
Statistic 13
Electrical fires that start in walls can smolder undetected for some time before flaming.
U.S. Fire Administration (2019)
What this means: The pattern points straight at concealed wiring: bedrooms, attics, and wall cavities, with wire insulation and framing as the fuel. These are precisely the places a visual walk-through cannot see, which is why aging wiring and prior amateur work are such persistent risks.
Detection and prevention
Two devices change the odds, and both are underused. According to the U.S. Fire Administration (usfa.fema.gov), smoke alarms were present in only 51% of residential electrical fires, and the Electrical Safety Foundation International (esfi.org) notes that 65% of home fire deaths occur in homes with no working smoke detector and urges arc-fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs), which catch arcing that standard breakers miss.
Statistic 14
Smoke alarms were present in only 51% of residential building electrical fires.
U.S. Fire Administration (2019)
Statistic 15
65% of home fire deaths occur in homes with no working smoke detector.
ESFI (2026)
Statistic 16
Electrical receptacles are involved in about 5,300 fires a year, causing about 40 deaths and 100+ injuries.
ESFI, citing CPSC (2026)
Statistic 17
Arc-fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs) recognize dangerous arcing conditions that standard breakers do not detect, and are recommended especially for older homes.
ESFI (2026)
Statistic 18
ESFI advises testing smoke alarms and AFCIs monthly to confirm they work.
ESFI (2026)
Statistic 19
Electrical fires stem from system failures, appliance defects, incorrectly installed wiring, misuse and poor maintenance, and overloaded circuits and extension cords.
U.S. Fire Administration (2019)
Statistic 20
The category spans electrical distribution and wiring, outlets, cords, plugs, surge protectors, lighting fixtures, and arcing as the source of heat.
U.S. Fire Administration (2019)
What this means: Prevention is unglamorous and effective: a working smoke alarm on every level, AFCI protection (especially in older wiring), and a professional look at the panel and concealed circuits. Because the fire starts where no one can see, the safeguard has to be the device and the documented inspection, not the human nose.
Cite this study
Academic or press use: copy a ready-made reference. RapidEye is the publisher.
Quick FAQ
How many electrical fires happen each year?
An estimated 24,000 residential building electrical fires were reported to US fire departments each year from 2014 to 2016, causing about 310 deaths, 850 injuries, and $871 million in property loss, according to the US Fire Administration (usfa.fema.gov). Counted more broadly, the Electrical Safety Foundation International (esfi.org) estimates about 51,000 home electrical fires, nearly 500 deaths, and $1.3 billion in damage a year.
What is the leading cause of electrical fires?
The leading contributing factors are other electrical failure or malfunction (43%), an unspecified short-circuit arc (23%), and a short-circuit arc from defective or worn insulation (11%), according to the US Fire Administration (usfa.fema.gov). The item ignited first is most often electrical wire or cable insulation, at 31%.
Are electrical fires more dangerous than other fires?
Yes. Residential electrical fires cause almost twice as many fatalities per thousand fires and over twice as much dollar loss per fire as nonelectrical fires, according to the US Fire Administration (usfa.fema.gov), partly because they can start inside walls and smolder undetected before flaming.
How can electrical fires be prevented?
Arc-fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs) detect dangerous arcing that standard breakers miss and are recommended especially for older homes, according to the Electrical Safety Foundation International (esfi.org), which advises testing smoke alarms and AFCIs monthly. Smoke alarms were present in only 51% of residential electrical fires, and 65% of home fire deaths occur in homes with no working smoke detector.
Data sources
Every figure traces to one of these named public sources, each checked against the original before publishing. We name each source and show its root domain, but do not hyperlink external sources; internal links stay live.
U.S. Fire AdministrationTopical report on residential building electrical fires (NFIRS)usfa.fema.gov
Electrical Safety Foundation InternationalHome electrical fire statistics (citing CPSC)esfi.org