Warehouse Structure Fires

Richard Campbell
July 2022

Copyright © 2022 National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®)

Key Findings
Local fire departments responded to an estimated average of
1,450 structure fires per year at warehouse properties in the US
during the five-year period from 2016 through 2020. These fires
caused an estimated average of two civilian deaths, 16 civilian
injuries, and $283 million in direct property damage. Fatalities are
not included in the analysis for this report due to small numbers.
This report’s major findings include the following:
• Warehouse fires were less common during overnight hours,
but those fires were associated with higher property losses.
Fires between midnight and 6 a.m. accounted for 18 percent
of the fires but 45 percent of the direct property damage.
Nearly one-half of the injuries (46 percent) were associated
with fires that took place between 6 a.m. and 12 p.m.
• Electrical distribution or lighting equipment was involved in
18 percent of the warehouse fires and was responsible for 31
percent of the direct property damage.
• Arcing was the leading heat source in warehouse fires,
responsible for 14 percent of the fires and direct property
damage and one-fifth (21 percent) of the civilian injuries.
• Flammable and combustible liquids and gases, piping, and
filters were the items first ignited in 6 percent of the fires, but
these fires caused 34 percent of the civilian injuries.
More details information on these fires is available in the supporting
tables.
Structure Fires in Warehouses: 2016–2020
Warehouses are properties that are used for the storage of
commodities. Despite their common purpose, warehouses vary by
size, types of materials stored, design, storage configuration,
construction, and other factors. The National Fire Protection
Association has long recognized that warehouses present special
challenges for fire protection because their contents and layouts are
conducive to fire spread and present obstacles to manual fire
suppression efforts. An increase in the number of very large
warehouses in recent years, with attendant increases in their potential
fuel loads, is likely to have an impact on both the warehouse fire
experience and warehouse fire protection systems.
From 2016 through 2020, local fire departments responded to an
estimated average of 1,450 structure fires per year at warehouse
properties in the US. These fires caused an average of two civilian
deaths, 16 civilian injuries, and $283 million in direct property
damage. Fatalities are not included in the analysis for this report due
to small numbers.
While many types of properties have warehouse space as part of their
operations, only incidents in which the occupancy was recorded as a
warehouse are included in this analysis. Warehouses that are part of
manufacturing or retail properties and refrigerated storage facilities
are not included in this report.
NFPA Research • pg. 1
Warehouse Fires: 1980–2020
Fires in warehouse properties have declined substantially over the
past 30 years. The number of structure fires in US warehouses has
been reduced by 74 percent since 1980, falling from 4,700 fires per
year in 1980 to 1,200 in 2013. However, the value of direct property
damage caused by warehouse fires has not shown a similar decrease
when adjustments are made for inflation.
As shown in Figure 1, the decline in warehouse fires was sharpest
during the 1980s, when the number of estimated warehouse fires
fell by 60 percent between 1980 and 1989 from 4,700 to 1,900. The
number of warehouse fires fell an additional 37 percent between
1990 (1,900 fires) and 1998 (1,200 fires). Between 2002 and 2014,
fires in warehouse properties ranged from 1,200 to 1,400 fires a
year, with the exception of a historic low of 1,100 fires in 2009. In
more recent years, the annual number of warehouse fires has ranged
from a low of 1,300 fires in 2016 to a high of 1,600 fires in both
2017 and 2019.
Losses in Warehouse Fires: 1980–2020
As illustrated in Figure 2, there has not been a corresponding
decrease in the levels of direct property damage caused by
warehouse fires between 1980 and 2020. Although the trend line
indicates a fairly modest increase in losses over time, the data show
substantial fluctuations in direct property losses from year to year,
with decreases in financial losses regularly followed by increases,
some of which were very sharp. It is worth noting that economic
losses in any given year can be strongly influenced by a small
number of very large fires.
Figure 2. Inflation-Adjusted Direct Property Damage in
Warehouse Structure Fires: 1980–2020
$800
$700 $673 $671
$600
$500

Figure 1. Structure Fires in Warehouses: 1990–2020 $400

5,000 $300
4,700 $189
4,500 $200
4,000 $100
$64
3,500 $0
3,000 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020
2,500
2,000
1,400
1,500 1,500

1,000 1,100
500
0
1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020

NFPA Research • pg. 2

Warehouse Structure Fires by Structure Status:
2016–2020
The vast majority of warehouse fires were in facilities that were
occupied and operating (70 percent), and these fires were associated
with even greater shares of civilian injuries (76 percent) and direct
property damage, as indicated in Figure 3. Buildings that were
vacant and unsecured accounted for 14 percent of the fires, while
those that were vacant and secured accounted for half that share of
fires. A smaller share of fires occurred in warehouses that were idle
and not routinely used. Not shown in Figure 3 are fires in structures
under construction (2 percent) or major renovation (1 percent),
which accounted for a small share of the fires and minimal direct
property damage.
Figure 3. Warehouse Structure Fires by Structure Status:
2016–2020
100% 92%
80% 76%
70%
Timing of Warehouse Fires
Warehouse fires were less likely to take place on a Saturday (13 percent
of fires) or Sunday (11 percent of fires), as is generally the case with
business properties. All the other days of the week accounted for
15 percent or 16 percent of the fires. There was generally little seasonal
variation in the distribution of fires by month. Other than January,
which accounted for 10 percent of the fires, all the months averaged
between 7 percent and 9 percent of the annual total.
Warehouse fires were less common during overnight hours, but these
fires were associated with higher property loss, as indicated in Figure
4. Fires between midnight and 6 a.m. accounted for 18 percent of the
fires, but 45 percent of the direct property damage. Nearly one-half
of the injuries (46 percent) were associated with fires taking place
between 6 a.m. and 12 p.m.
Figure 4. Warehouse Structure Fires by Time of Day:
2016–2020
50% 46%
45%

60% 40%
31%
40% 30% 26% 26% 25% 24%
20% 19%
20% 14% 18%
20% 15%
7% 7% 6%
3% 3% 4%
0% 1%
0% 10%
Occupied and Vacant and Vacant and Idle, not routinely 4%
operating unsecured secured used
0%
Fires Civilian Injuries Direct Property Damage Midnight–6 a.m. 6 a.m.–Noon Noon–6 p.m. 6 p.m.–Midnight

Fires Civilian Injuries Direct Property Damage

NFPA Research • pg. 3

Equipment Involved in Ignition Cause of Ignition
Electrical distribution or lighting equipment was involved in The majority of the warehouse structure fires had an unintentional
approximately one-fifth of the warehouse fires (18 percent) and was cause (60 percent) and these fires accounted for two-thirds of the
responsible for 31 percent of the direct property damage. Almost one civilian injuries (66 percent) and just over half of the direct property
in ten fires involved heating equipment, and these fires accounted for damage (53 percent). One-fifth of the fires (19 percent) were caused
5 percent of the direct property damage. Smaller shares of the fires by a failure of equipment or heat source. Intentional fires accounted
involved cooking equipment (5 percent); torches, burners, or for 15 percent of the warehouse fires and nearly one-quarter of the
soldering irons (5 percent); or confined commercial compactors injuries (23 percent), as well as 15 percent of the direct property
(4 percent). No equipment was involved in one-fifth of the fires and damage. Fires caused by an act of nature accounted for a small share
the other 15 percent were contained trash or rubbish fires with no of the warehouse fires but 8 percent of the direct property damage.
equipment information. Figure 6. Warehouse Structure Fires by Cause of Ignition:
Figure 5. Warehouse Structure Fires by Equipment Involved in 2016–2020
Ignition: 2016–2020
70% 66%
35%
31% 60%
30% 60% 53%
25% 50%
20% 18% 18%
40%
15%
9% 30%
23%
10% 19%
5% 5% 5% 5%
4%
3% 20% 15% 15% 15%
5% 2% 2% 1% 11%
0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 9% 8%
0% 10% 5% 2%
0% 0%
Elect. Heating Cooking Torch, Confined Fan
0%
distribution equipment equipment burner or commercial
Unintentional Failure of Intentional Unclassified Act of nature
& lighting soldering compactor
equipment or cause
equip. iron fire
heat source
Fires Civilian Injuries Direct Property Damage Fires Civilian Injuries Direct Property Damage

NFPA Research • pg. 4

Factor Contributing to Ignition
Electrical failures or malfunctions contributed to one-fifth of the
warehouse fires (21 percent) and approximately one-quarter of the
civilian injuries (24 percent) and direct property damage (23 percent).
Abandoned or discarded materials or products contributed to 12 percent
of the fires and a similar share of the direct property damage, as well as
one in ten injuries (10 percent). Mechanical failures or malfunctions
contributed to approximately one in ten fires (11 percent) but a smaller
share of the direct property damage (6 percent) and no civilian injuries.
Fires in which cutting or welding too close to combustible materials
contributed to 6 percent of the fires and injuries, while exposure fires
also contributed to 6 percent of the fires and caused 9 percent of the
direct property damage.
Figure 7. Warehouse Structure Fires by Factor Contributing to
Ignition: 2016–2020
Heat Source
Arcing was the single leading heat source in warehouse fires,
responsible for 14 percent of fires and direct property damage and one-
fifth (21 percent) of the civilian injuries. Some type of powered or
operating equipment provided the heat source for approximately one-
third of the fires, either in the form of unclassified heat from powered
equipment (14 percent); a spark, ember, or flame
(9 percent); or radiated or conducted heat from operating equipment
(9 percent), as indicated in Figure 8. Fires in which spontaneous
combustion or chemical reactions served as the heat source accounted
for 5 percent of the fires but 15 percent of the civilian injuries.
Figure 8. Warehouse Structure Fires by Heat Source: 2016–2020
14%
Arcing 21%
14%

Electrical failure or 21% Unclassified heat from powered 14%

24% 0%
malfunction equip. 6%
23%
Spark, ember, flame from 9%
12% 8%
Abandoned or discarded 10% operating equip. 9%
material or product 12%
Radiated/conducted heat from 9%
4%
Mechanical failure or 11% operating equip. 4%
0%
malfunction 6% 7%
Unclassified heat source 17%
Heat source too close to 10% 6%
0%
combustibles 7% 7%
Unclassified hot/smoldering object 8%
6%
Cutting, welding too close to 6% 11%
combustibles 6%
1% Hot ember or ash 0%
1%
6% 5%
Exposure fire 0% Spontaneous
9% 15%
combustion/chemical reaction 5%
5% 5%
Rekindle 0% Smoking materials 0%
5% 3%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%

Fires Civilian Injuries Direct Property Damage Fires Civilian Injuries Direct Property Damage

NFPA Research • pg. 5

Area of Origin Item First Ignited
Fires that began in an unclassified storage area accounted for Rubbish, trash, or waste was the item first ignited in 14 percent of
12 percent of the fires but just over half of the direct property the warehouse fires, but these fires accounted for just 3 percent of the
damage (52 percent). Shipping, receiving, or loading areas were the injuries associated with these fires and minimal direct property
next most common area of origin (8 percent), followed by storage damage. Flammable and combustible liquids and gases, piping, and
room areas, tanks, or bins (6 percent); trash or rubbish chutes; areas filters were the items first ignited in 6 percent of the fires but caused
or containers (6 percent); and processing or manufacturing areas or 34 percent of the civilian injuries. (See Figure 10).
work rooms (4 percent), the latter of which accounted for a Figure 10. Warehouse Structure Fires by Item First Ignited:
disproportionate share of civilian injuries (13 percent). 2016–2020
Figure 9. Warehouse Structure Fires by Area of Origin:
14%
2016–2020 Rubbish, trash, waste 3%
1%
12%
Unclassified storage area 4%
52% 10%
Electrical wire, cable insulation 11%
8% 5%
Shipping, receiving, loading area 5%
6%
Flammable, combustible liquids or 6%
6% 34%
Storage room area, tank, or bin 11% gases* 3%
4%
Trash/rubbish chute, area, or 6% 5%
2% Fires Unclassified item 9%
container 0% 4%
Processing/manufacturing area or 4%
13% Civilian Injuries
workroom 6% 5%
Multiple items 7%
4% 16%
Direct Property
Unclassified outside area 0%
0% Damage
5%
4% Box, carton, bag, basket, barrel 4%
Exterior roof surface 3% 6%
1%
4% 4%
Storage of supplies/tools or dead 3% Structural member or framing 0%
storage 3% 14%
4%
Vacant structural area 2% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40%
1%
Fires Civilian Injuries Direct Property Damage
0% 20% 40% 60%
*Flammable or combustible liquids or gases, piping, or filters

NFPA Research • pg. 6

Concluding Observations
Warehouses pose substantial challenges for fire protection due to
their building layouts, storage configurations and technologies,
ceiling heights, and types of commodities stored, with the specific
challenges influenced by the characteristics of a given warehouse.
Properly designed sprinkler systems are an essential element of
warehouse fire protection. Other protective measures generally
applicable to warehouse properties include automatic alarms to the
fire department and building security systems. Pre-fire inspections
and planning are recommended in order to identify appropriate
protection measures for specific warehouse environments.
Guidance for fire protection systems is available from NFPA 13,
Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems and NFPA 230,
Standard for the Fire Protection of Storage.
Acknowledgements
The National Fire Protection Association thanks all the fire departments
and state fire authorities that participate in the National Fire Incident
Reporting System (NFIRS) and the annual NFPA fire experience survey.
These firefighters are the original sources of the detailed data that make
this analysis possible. Their contributions allow us to estimate the size of
the fire problem.
We are also grateful to the U.S. Fire Administration for its work in
developing, coordinating, and maintaining NFIRS.
To learn more about research at NFPA, visit nfpa.org/research.
Email: research@nfpa.org.
NFPA No. USS77
NFPA Research • pg. 7