What is the leading cause of residential structure fires?

The leading cause of residential structure fires is cooking equipment. This has been consistently supported by data from fire safety organizations and statistics from fire departments across various jurisdictions. Cooking fires often occur due to unattended cooking, grease ignitions, or malfunctioning cooking appliances. As many households regularly engage in cooking activities, the frequency of these incidents contributes significantly to the overall statistics on residential fires.

This emphasis on cooking equipment highlights the importance of fire safety practices in the kitchen, such as staying present while cooking, keeping flammable materials away from heat sources, and maintaining equipment to prevent malfunctions. Understanding that cooking is the primary cause aids in targeting fire prevention campaigns and educating the community about safe cooking habits to reduce the number of fires.