Report: NFPA's "Service or Gas Station Fires"
Author: Marty Ahrens
Issued: December 2020
From 2014 through 2018, local fire departments responded to an estimated average of 4,150 fires in or on service or gas station properties per year. These fires caused an average of three civilian deaths, 43 civilian fire injuries, and $30.0 million in direct property damage annually.
Many service stations have convenience stores. While electrical distribution or lighting equipment was the leading cause of structure fires at gas or service station properties, cooking ranked second.
More than half of the fires (56 percent) at these properties were vehicle fires. Three-quarters of the vehicle fires on these properties were caused by either mechanical failures or malfunctions, or electrical failures or malfunctions.
One-quarter (24 percent) of the non-rubbish outside and other fires were started by smoking materials. Another 23 percent were started by electrical distribution and lighting equipment. Although not in the top tier of causes, some type of pump was involved in 7 percent of these fires.
Thirty-eight percent of the outside trash or rubbish fires were intentionally set.
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