Official websites use .gov

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock () or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Summary Incident Report

Report dates:
Aug 6, 1990 to Jan 7, 2024
Number of on-duty firefighter fatalities:
46
Count of Hometown Heroes:
4
Data filters that contributed to this report
No filters were applied.

Firefighter classifications

40.9%
18 Career
36.4%
16 Volunteer
11.4%
5 Wildland Contract
11.4%
5 Wildland Part-Time
Number of multiple firefighter fatality incidents: 2
Number of firefighter fatalities associated with wildland incidents: 10

Type of duty

60.9%
28 On-Scene Fire
8.7%
4 Other On-Duty
8.7%
4 On-Scene Non-Fire
8.7%
4 After
6.5%
3 Responding
6.5%
3 Training
Percent of fatalities related to emergency duty: 69.6%
Number of firefighter fatalities associated with suspicious/incendiary incidents: 1

Type of incident

64.9%
24 Wildland
16.2%
6 Not Incident-Related
5.4%
2 Other
5.4%
2 Emergency Medical Services
2.7%
1 Technical Rescue
2.7%
1 Motor Vehicle Accident
2.7%
1 Structure Fire

Cause of fatal injury

37%
17 Stress/Overexertion
26.1%
12 Caught or Trapped
10.9%
5 Fall
8.7%
4 Vehicle Collision - Includes Aircraft
8.7%
4 Struck By
6.5%
3 Other
2.2%
1 Exposure

Nature of fatal injury

37%
17 Heart Attack
28.3%
13 Asphyxiation
23.9%
11 Trauma
8.7%
4 Burns
2.2%
1 Other

Age of firefighter when the fatal injury was sustained

10.9%
5 (Under 21)
4.3%
2 (21 to 25)
6.5%
3 (26 to 30)
17.4%
8 (31 to 40)
23.9%
11 (41 to 50)
15.2%
7 (51 to 60)
6.5%
3 (61 and Over)
15.2%
7 (Unknown)
Percent of firefighter fatalities age 40 and under: 46.2%

Type of activity

37.2%
16 Other
14%
6 Driving/Operating Vehicle/Apparatus
11.6%
5 Advance Hose Lines/Fire Attack (includes Wildland)
7%
3 Incident Command
4.7%
2 Search and Rescue
4.7%
2 Water Supply
4.7%
2 Fitness Activity
4.7%
2 Support
4.7%
2 EMS/Patient Care
4.7%
2 In-Station Duties
2.3%
1 Not On Scene

Time of fatal injury

2.2%
1 01:00-02:59
0%
0 03:00-04:59
0%
0 05:00-06:59
4.3%
2 07:00-08:59
2.2%
1 09:00-10:59
4.3%
2 11:00-12:59
4.3%
2 13:00-14:59
17.4%
8 15:00-16:59
10.9%
5 17:00-18:59
0%
0 19:00-20:59
10.9%
5 21:00-22:59
2.2%
1 23:00-00:59
41.3%
19 Unknown

Month of the year

21.7%
10 July
15.2%
7 August
13%
6 September
13%
6 January
8.7%
4 March
8.7%
4 June
6.5%
3 November
4.3%
2 December
4.3%
2 October
2.2%
1 April
2.2%
1 May

Firefighter fatalities by state by location of fire service organization

100%
37 Washington