Fire Fatalities and Mortality Rate In Tennessee

Year-to-date: How do this year's unintentional fire fatalities compare to previous years?

What is Fire Mortality? 
Experts measure progress over time by utilizing mortality rates of fire deaths. This method also takes into account population changes over time to measure the number of fire deaths proportional to a population. The Tennessee State Fire Marshal's Office focuses on unintentional, residential fire deaths when it comes to measuring the fire mortality rate. 

Tennessee 9th in the Nation

Tennessee historically has had a high fire mortality rate along with many other southern states. In fact, 7 of the top 10 highest fire mortality states are located in the U.S. Census Southern Regions. In 2021 the US Fire Administration (USFA) found the fire rate in Tennessee to be the 9th worst in the nation. This high rank underscores the importance of continuing work in fire prevention statewide.

Fire fatality data resources:
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
US Fire Administration (USFA)

Our Response: Focused Fire Prevention
We are aggressively battling the Tennessee fire mortality rate by bringing the best minds together from the fire service, industry, and strategic partnership organizations to assist us in the targeting, education, and installation of life saving devices for vulnerable populations in Tennessee.

• Fire Mortality Study: Identifies and forecasts unintentional fire deaths using census Tennessee tracts. 
  An Analysis of Civilian Residential Fire Deaths in Tennessee, 2013-2022
  An Analysis of Civilian Residential Fire Deaths in Tennessee, 2010-2013
  An analysis of Civilian Residential Fire Deaths in Tennessee, 2002-2010
  
• Fire Loss Symposium: Annually, leaders from the fire service come together to discuss Tennessee's fire loss problem. The goal of this symposium is to discuss recent trends and collaborate on possible solutions. 
  
• Get Alarmed, TN!: Provides smoke alarms to fire departments that protect high risk populations.  More information
• Our Success so Far:
  • The "Get Alarmed, TN" smoke alarm program has documented hundreds of lives saved. In 2022 it set a record number of lives saved with 123 documented saves! Click here for more info. 
  • Slow and gradual reduction of residential structure fires between 2013 and 2022.