US Fire Administration report on Restaurant Fires

US Fire Administration report on Restaurant Fires

Restaurant fires cost $172 million a year in US

A report examining the characteristics of restaurant building fires has been published by the United States Fire Administration.

According to the report, an estimated 5,900 restaurant building fires occur annually in the United States, resulting in an estimated average of 75 injuries and $172 million in property loss.

The leading cause of all restaurant fires is cooking at 59%, and nearly all of these cooking fires (91%) are small, confined fires with limited damage.

While cooking is the leading cause of all restaurant fires as well as the smaller, confined fires, electrical malfunction is the leading cause of the larger, non-confined restaurant fires.

Deep fryers (9%), ranges (7%), and miscellaneous kitchen and cooking equipment (5%) are the leading types of equipment involved in ignition in non-confined restaurant fires.

According to the report, restaurant fires occur most frequently in the late morning, peaking from 10-11am, with another small peak between 7pm and 8pm.

The report states: “Although national estimates resulted in zero restaurant building fire deaths for 2007 to 2009, the potential for fire-related fatalities still exists in these establishments.”

http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/downloads/pdf/statistics/v12i1.pdf