Wildfires pose a rising threat to public safety in the United States. Data from the Environmental Protection Agency show that they have grown larger, more common, and more intense in recent decades. As wildfires are becoming more destructive, fires of all types – wild or otherwise – are getting deadlier. (Here is a look at the 30 most destructive wildfires in the U.S. this century.)
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, the trend in fire death rates has risen steadily in the last decade, from 10.7 deaths per million people in 2010 to 11.1 per million in 2019, the most recent year of available data. A total of 3,515 people were killed by fires that year, making it the third deadliest year for fires in the United States since 2010.
The risk of dying in a fire varies considerably by geography, however, and in some parts of the country, Americans are more than twice as likely to be killed by a fire than average.
Using data from the U.S. Fire Administration, 24/7 Wall St. identified the states where the most people are killed by fire. Fire deaths include all those in which exposure to a fire or explosion resulted in a fatality. States are ranked by the number of fire deaths per million people in 2019.
Regionally, Americans living in the Midwest and the South are at the highest relative risk of dying in a fire. From a demographic standpoint, men are at higher risk than women, and older Americans – particularly those age 85 and up – are at increased risk.
States most susceptible to wildfire damage are not necessarily those with the highest fire fatality rates. Each year, accidental fires in homes and urban areas, as well as cases of arson, in which private homes, vehicles, or other structures are set on fire deliberately, also contribute to fire deaths. (Here is a look at the states with the most arson.)
Click here to see the states where the most people are killed by fire.
Click here to read our detailed methodology.
50. Wyoming
> Fire deaths; 2019: Fewer than 10
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: 34,040 acres
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 0
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49. Vermont
> Fire deaths; 2019: Fewer than 10
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: None reported
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 1
48. North Dakota
> Fire deaths; 2019: Fewer than 10
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: None reported
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 9
47. Delaware
> Fire deaths; 2019: Fewer than 10
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: None reported
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 8
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46. New Hampshire
> Fire deaths; 2019: Fewer than 10
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: None reported
> Avg. number of acres burned annually: None – the fewest
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 39
45. New Jersey
> Fire deaths; 2019: 5.2 per 1M people (46 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: 8,182 acres
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 83
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44. Florida
> Fire deaths; 2019: 6.0 per 1M people (128 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: 22,965 acres
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 780
43. California
> Fire deaths; 2019: 6.5 per 1M people (255 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: 259,419 acres
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 413
42. Massachusetts
> Fire deaths; 2019: 7.1 per 1M people (49 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: None reported
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 2
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41. Hawaii
> Fire deaths; 2019: 7.1 per 1M people (10 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: 13,445 acres
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 0
40. Utah
> Fire deaths; 2019: 7.5 per 1M people (24 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: 79,806 acres
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 45
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39. Colorado
> Fire deaths; 2019: 8.0 per 1M people (46 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: 32,704 acres
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 68
38. Nevada
> Fire deaths; 2019: 8.1 per 1M people (25 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: 70,327 acres
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 134
37. Texas
> Fire deaths; 2019: 8.5 per 1M people (247 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: 95,958 acres
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 752
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36. New York
> Fire deaths; 2019: 8.5 per 1M people (165 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: None reported
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 102
35. Arizona
> Fire deaths; 2019: 8.5 per 1M people (62 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: 348,403 acres
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 12
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34. Minnesota
> Fire deaths; 2019: 8.9 per 1M people (50 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: 1,293 acres
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 5
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33. Maryland
> Fire deaths; 2019: 8.9 per 1M people (54 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: None reported
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 216
32. Washington
> Fire deaths; 2019: 9.1 per 1M people (69 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: 147,970 acres
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 125
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31. Montana
> Fire deaths; 2019: 9.3 per 1M people (10 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: 43,309 acres
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 1
30. Connecticut
> Fire deaths; 2019: 9.3 per 1M people (33 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: None reported
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 4
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29. Rhode Island
> Fire deaths; 2019: 9.5 per 1M people (10 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: None reported
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 26
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28. Idaho
> Fire deaths; 2019: 9.5 per 1M people (17 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: 263,978 acres
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 5
27. Nebraska
> Fire deaths; 2019: 9.8 per 1M people (19 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: 7,587 acres
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 3
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26. Virginia
> Fire deaths; 2019: 10.1 per 1M people (86 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: 769 acres
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 145
25. New Mexico
> Fire deaths; 2019: 11.0 per 1M people (23 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: 66,652 acres
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 22
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24. Pennsylvania
> Fire deaths; 2019: 11.5 per 1M people (147 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: None reported
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 42
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23. Illinois
> Fire deaths; 2019: 11.5 per 1M people (146 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: None reported
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 1,010
22. Michigan
> Fire deaths; 2019: 11.7 per 1M people (117 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: None reported
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 46
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21. South Carolina
> Fire deaths; 2019: 11.8 per 1M people (61 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: 3,406 acres
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 89
20. North Carolina
> Fire deaths; 2019: 12.6 per 1M people (132 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: None reported
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 76
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19. Ohio
> Fire deaths; 2019: 12.8 per 1M people (150 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: None reported
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 380
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18. Wisconsin
> Fire deaths; 2019: 12.9 per 1M people (75 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: None reported
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 46
17. Georgia
> Fire deaths; 2019: 13.3 per 1M people (141 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: 2,277 acres
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 347
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16. Indiana
> Fire deaths; 2019: 13.4 per 1M people (90 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: None reported
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 289
15. Oregon
> Fire deaths; 2019: 14.2 per 1M people (60 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: 61,223 acres
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 13
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14. South Dakota
> Fire deaths; 2019: 15.8 per 1M people (14 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: None reported
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 2
13. Kansas
> Fire deaths; 2019: 16.1 per 1M people (47 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: 20,713 acres
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 268
12. Missouri
> Fire deaths; 2019: 16.9 per 1M people (104 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: 3,276 acres
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 454
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11. Maine
> Fire deaths; 2019: 17.1 per 1M people (23 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: None reported
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 1
10. Louisiana
> Fire deaths; 2019: 17.2 per 1M people (80 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: 13,717 acres
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 62
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9. Iowa
> Fire deaths; 2019: 17.7 per 1M people (56 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: None reported
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 22
8. Kentucky
> Fire deaths; 2019: 17.9 per 1M people (80 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: 1,900 acres
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 165
7. Arkansas
> Fire deaths; 2019: 18.9 per 1M people (57 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: None reported
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 16
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6. West Virginia
> Fire deaths; 2019: 19.5 per 1M people (35 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: 1,327 acres
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 200
5. Tennessee
> Fire deaths; 2019: 20.5 per 1M people (140 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: None reported
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 108
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4. Alabama
> Fire deaths; 2019: 21.2 per 1M people (104 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: 3,618 acres
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 37
3. Oklahoma
> Fire deaths; 2019: 22.2 per 1M people (88 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: 21,211 acres
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 9
2. Mississippi
> Fire deaths; 2019: 22.8 per 1M people (68 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: None reported
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 9
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1. Alaska
> Fire deaths; 2019: 27.3 per 1M people (20 total)
> Land area burned in wildfires; 2019: 2,559,307 acres
> Cases of reported arson; 2019: 0
Methodology
To identify the states where the most people per capita are killed by fire, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data compiled by the U.S. Fire Administration. States are ranked by the number of people who were killed in a fire for every million state residents. Data is for 2019 and is adjusted using population data from the U.S. Census Bureau from July 1, 2019. The fire death rate – or the number of deaths caused by fire per 1 million people – was not computed for states which reported fewer than 10 fire deaths.
We also reviewed supplementary data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on the total land area burned by wildfires in 2019.
Supplementary data on reported cases of arson in 2019 are from the United States Bomb Data Center, a division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is important to note that arson data compiled by the ATF is dependent on real-time reported incidents and likely undercounts the actual number of arson cases.
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