7,610
home fires a year
Candles started an average of 7,610 home structure fires annually in the United States from 2014 through 2018.
Source: National Fire Protection Association, 2014-2018 ↗Candle safety reference
Candle fire safety statistics.
A clear, source-linked snapshot of candle-related home fires in the United States. Last updated September 17, 2026.
View sources ↓81
deaths a year
Those candle fires resulted in an average of 81 civilian fire deaths each year from 2014 through 2018.
Source: National Fire Protection Association, 2014-2018 ↗677
injuries a year
Candle fires caused an average of 677 civilian fire injuries annually during the same five-year period.
Source: National Fire Protection Association, 2014-2018 ↗$278M
in property damage a year
Candle fires caused an average of $278 million in direct property damage each year from 2014 through 2018.
Source: National Fire Protection Association, 2014-2018 ↗21
reported each day
On average, U.S. fire departments reported 21 home candle fires per day from 2014 through 2018.
Source: National Fire Protection Association, 2014-2018 ↗40%
of deaths in bedrooms
Two out of every five candle fire deaths occurred in bedrooms in the NFPA’s 2014 through 2018 analysis.
Source: National Fire Protection Association, 2014-2018 ↗What the figures cover
One five-year national picture.
The figures above are annual averages for 2014 through 2018. They refer to reported U.S. home structure fires started by candles, along with the resulting deaths, injuries and direct property damage. They are not a count of all candle use or all fire incidents.
Sources and citation
Use the facts with the context.
Every statistic on this page comes from the National Fire Protection Association’s analysis of U.S. home structure fires for 2014 through 2018. This page is refreshed when the underlying source publishes newer figures.
National Fire Protection Association, Candle Fires, based on 2014-2018 annual averages ↗
Suggested citation
Leigh’s Mystic Candles. “Candle Fire Safety Statistics.” Updated September 17, 2026. https://leighsmysticcandle.com/candle-safety-statistics