Society · Facts & sources
6 sourced facts about fires and firefighting, each with the context behind the number. 4 more are in today's round and appear here after it closes.
Answer3.7%
Emergency medical and rescue calls made up 65.1% of responses — by far the biggest part of the job.
Source: U.S. Fire Administration, Statistics (NFIRS) (2024) usfa.fema.gov
Answer24-hour shifts, then 48 or 72 hours off
Long 24-hour shifts on duty are balanced by two or three days off in a row.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025) bls.gov
Answeran estimated 343,000
That's roughly 940 home and apartment building fires a day.
Source: U.S. Fire Administration, Statistics (2024) usfa.fema.gov
Answer87%
Local fire departments are by far the biggest employer of career firefighters.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025) bls.gov
Answer69,556 of 77,850 (about 89%)
Lightning started 8,294 wildfires in 2025; people started the other 69,556.
Source: National Interagency Fire Center, Human-caused wildfires (2025) nifc.gov
Answer$4,389,000,000
The Forest Service accounted for about $3.7 billion of the total; costs were about $240 million back in 1985.
Source: National Interagency Fire Center, Suppression Costs (2021) nifc.gov