2023 Interior Firefighter Fatalities Update

By Bill Carey
11 December 2023

As of 7 December 2023, the current United States Fire Administration’s (USFA) on-duty death count stands at 81. This number is slightly less than the approximately same period in 2022 ( 89 by 7 December). The number of interior [1] firefighter fatalities (10) is the same as the total interior number for 2015.

2023 interior firefighter fatalities include one anomaly. Two Newark, New Jersey firefighters were killed while trying to extinguish burning vehicles in a roll-on/roll-off cargo ship. The USFA lists their deaths under Advancing Hoselines.

Newark fatalities were one of two multi-fatality incidents recorded this year to date. Two Baltimore firefighters died while fighting a rowhouse fire.

Residential structures account for the majority of the interior fatalities. 

House: 3
Rowhouse: 2
Apartment building: 1
Mixed-occupancy (commercial on the first floor, apartments above): 1

The leading activity type of these interior fatalities, not counting the Newark fatalities, is Advancing Hoselines. One of these should be noted as an exception or error. The death of a Chicago firefighter who fell through a skylight while doing ventilation is listed as Advancing Hoselines [2]. In the data on this site, this oddity is noted and the death is listed under Ventilation.

There are no deaths to date involving Search.

There have been no deaths to date involving abandoned structures.

References

1. To list traumatic firefighter fatalities that occurred during fireground operations, the data presented counts interior deaths as those traumatic deaths where the victim was involved in fire extinguishment, search and rescue, and ventilation. This data also includes those firefighters killed by building collapse or explosion while outside of the structure but in very close proximity. This data typically involves those deaths where the fire involved a structure. It does not include vehicle fires. Items in any year that may be an anomaly in the data set for any given year are noted as such.
2. Despite the statement on their website that the Chicago firefighter “was on the roof opening up holes for ventilation when he fell through a skylight shaft,” the USFA has listed his death under “Advancing Hoselines.”

Photograph courtesy of author.