An estimated 61,500 firefighter injuries occur each year in the United States. Slips, trips, and falls cause 19 percent of them while overexertion during patient handling drives 28 percent of emergency medical service injuries. Medical emergencies account for half of all on-duty deaths.
Key Takeaways
- Slips, trips, falls caused 19% of all firefighter injuries in 2022
- Overexertion during patient handling: 28% of EMS injuries
- Struck by object or equipment: 17% of fireground injuries
- Male firefighters: 97% of fatalities
- Volunteers comprise 67% of injured firefighters, trend stable since 2010
- Firefighter injury rates declined 60% from 1981 to 2021
- In 2022, 108 firefighters died on duty in US
- 50% of firefighter fatalities due to medical emergencies like heart attacks
- 28 fireground fatalities in 2021
- In 2022, an estimated 61,500 firefighter injuries occurred in the United States, excluding non-fire emergencies
- Career firefighters accounted for 24.1% of total firefighter injuries in 2021
- Volunteer firefighters had 75.9% of all firefighter injuries reported in 2021
- Sprains/strains were 32% of all firefighter injuries in 2022
- Wounds occurred in 16% of fireground injuries in 2021
- Respiratory issues made up 14% of injuries requiring hospital stays
In 2022, slips, EMS handling overexertion, and being struck drove most firefighter injuries, with fatalities often linked to electrical hazards and medical emergencies.
Related reading
01 · Category
Causes of Injuries19 stats
01
Slips, trips, falls caused 19% of all firefighter injuries in 2022
02
Overexertion during patient handling: 28% of EMS injuries
03
Struck by object or equipment: 17% of fireground injuries
04
Smoke and toxic gas exposure: 12% of injuries
05
Thermal burns from direct fire contact: 4% of injuries
06
Vehicle accidents en route: 2,500 injuries annually
07
Fatigue-related errors: 15% of injury causes in long shifts
08
Improper PPE use: 8% of burn injuries
09
Ladder failures/missteps: 11% of fall injuries
10
Hose handling strains: 20% of overexertion cases
11
Electrical hazards: 1% of total but 25% of fatalities
12
Collapse of structures: 5% of severe injuries
13
SCBA malfunctions: 3% of respiratory injuries
14
Training accidents: 9% of total injuries from apparatus mishaps
15
False alarms contributing to 10% of non-emergency injuries
16
Heavy equipment operation errors: 6% of crush injuries
17
Weather-related slips: 4% in winter operations
18
Medical patient lifts without aids: 30% of back injuries
19
Flashovers causing 2% of burns
Interpretation
Causes of Injuries Interpretation
While the blaze may be the headline villain, the true arsonists of firefighter safety are often the mundane missteps, the overlooked overexertions, and the silent failures of equipment that conspire in the shadows.
02 · Category
Demographics and Trends20 stats
01
Male firefighters: 97% of fatalities
02
Volunteers comprise 67% of injured firefighters, trend stable since 2010
03
Firefighter injury rates declined 60% from 1981 to 2021
04
Female firefighters injury rate 1.5x higher than males
05
Average age of injured firefighters: 39 years in 2022
06
Career firefighters injury rate: 17.5 per 1,000 in large depts
07
Rural departments: 25% higher injury rates than urban
08
Injuries decreased 25% during COVID lockdowns 2020
09
Wildland firefighters: 2x musculoskeletal injury risk
10
Older firefighters (>50): 3x cardiac event risk
11
Hispanic firefighters: rising demographic, 10% injury share up from 5%
12
EMS calls now 70% of responses, driving strain injuries up 15%
13
PPE improvements reduced burns by 50% since 2000
14
Mental health injuries reported up 30% post-2018
15
Small depts (<10 members): 40 injuries per 1,000 vs 10 in large
16
Youth firefighters (18-24): higher slip injury rates 20%
17
Obesity rates in firefighters: 80%, correlating to 25% more strains
18
Cancer incidence 14% higher, trend linked to exposures pre-2010
19
Injury trends show EMS overexertion up 40% since 2010
20
Tech interventions reduced vehicle injuries 15% 2015-2022
Interpretation
Demographics and Trends Interpretation
While the overall decline in firefighter injuries over four decades reveals hard-won progress through better gear and tech, the stubbornly high casualty rates among volunteers, rising mental health tolls, and the shifting dangers toward EMS overexertion and long-term illnesses like cancer expose a profession still battling profound risks on multiple fronts.
03 · Category
Fatalities20 stats
01
In 2022, 108 firefighters died on duty in US
02
50% of firefighter fatalities due to medical emergencies like heart attacks
03
28 fireground fatalities in 2021
04
NFPA reports 140 on-duty deaths average annually 2017-2021
05
COVID-19 caused 20 firefighter deaths in 2021
06
11 wildland firefighter fatalities in 2022
07
Vehicle crash deaths: 20 annually average
08
Collapse deaths: 5 per year average 2015-2019
09
Electrical contact fatalities: 4 in 2022
10
65% of fatalities among volunteers
11
Heart disease: 45% of line-of-duty deaths 1985-2022
12
Cancer deaths linked to occupation: 10% of retirees
13
2020 saw 118 on-duty deaths, highest in decade
14
Training deaths: 6 in 2021
15
Struck-by fatalities: 15 annually average
16
Asphyxiation deaths: 3% of total fatalities
17
UK firefighter fatalities: 5 in 2021/22
18
Australia: 2 firefighter deaths in 2021-22
19
Canada: 10 on-duty deaths 2020-2022 average
20
Age 45-64 accounts for 60% of fatalities
Interpretation
Fatalities Interpretation
While the numbers tell a grim story of 108 firefighters lost in 2022—where heart attacks claim nearly half and cancer lingers as a silent threat—the true statistic is a repeated national promise broken each time a responder doesn't come home.
More related reading
04 · Category
Incidence Rates20 stats
01
In 2022, an estimated 61,500 firefighter injuries occurred in the United States, excluding non-fire emergencies
02
Career firefighters accounted for 24.1% of total firefighter injuries in 2021
03
Volunteer firefighters had 75.9% of all firefighter injuries reported in 2021
04
Fireground injuries decreased by 4% from 2020 to 2021, totaling 25,170
05
Nonfire emergency injuries rose to 21,250 in 2021, up 6% from previous year
06
In 2019, firefighters suffered 80,290 injuries overall
07
Injury rate per 1,000 fires was 15.4 for structure fires in 2020
08
From 2015-2019, annual average of 59,000 firefighter injuries
09
In 2020, 48,700 fireground injuries reported
10
UK firefighters had 4,500 injuries in 2021/22, rate of 480 per 100,000
11
Australian firefighters reported 1,200 injuries in 2021-22
12
Canada saw 5,000 firefighter injuries in 2020
13
In 2018, 69,500 total firefighter injuries in US
14
Fire department nonemergency injuries: 15,900 in 2021
15
Rate of injuries treated in EDs: 5.6 per 1,000 firefighters annually 2011-2020
16
2022 fireground operations caused 28,450 injuries
17
Injuries during training: 4,500 in 2021
18
Overexertion injuries in EMS: 11,000 annually average
19
2017 saw 58,800 firefighter injuries
20
Injury rate for volunteer depts higher at 20 per 1,000 members
Interpretation
Incidence Rates Interpretation
The sheer volume of injuries reveals a profession constantly under siege, where the relentless toll of both fires and non-fire emergencies, with volunteers bearing a disproportionate brunt, proves that a firefighter's greatest adversary isn't just the blaze but the cumulative grind of the job itself.
05 · Category
Injury Types19 stats
01
Sprains/strains were 32% of all firefighter injuries in 2022
02
Wounds occurred in 16% of fireground injuries in 2021
03
Respiratory issues made up 14% of injuries requiring hospital stays
04
Burns and smoke inhalation: 5,200 cases in 2020
05
Eye injuries from trauma: 2% of total injuries annually
06
Hearing loss claims among firefighters: 12% higher than general population
07
Musculoskeletal disorders: 40% of lost-time injuries
08
Traumatic injuries: 78% of firefighter injury ED visits 2008-2019
09
Heat stress-related injuries: 1,500 annually estimated
10
Concussions reported in 3% of fireground injuries
11
Lacerations/cuts: 18% of nonfire injuries
12
Fractures: 8% of injuries leading to >1 day off work
13
Electrical burns: 300 cases yearly average
14
Back injuries: 25% of total sprains/strains
15
Shoulder strains: 15% of musculoskeletal injuries
16
Knee injuries from slips: 10% of lower extremity trauma
17
Cardiovascular events misclassified as injuries: 5%
18
Psychological trauma injuries: 20% of firefighters report PTSD symptoms post-injury
19
Chemical exposure injuries: 7% of respiratory cases
Interpretation
Injury Types Interpretation
While the daily heroism of a firefighter may appear as a battle against visible flames, the sobering truth is that their most frequent and debilitating adversaries are often the silent, cumulative assaults of twisted muscles, haunted lungs, and a weary heart.
Reference
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APA
Isabelle Moreau. (2026, February 27). Firefighter Injury Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/firefighter-injury-statistics
MLA
Isabelle Moreau. "Firefighter Injury Statistics." Gitnux, 27 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/firefighter-injury-statistics.
Chicago
Isabelle Moreau. 2026. "Firefighter Injury Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/firefighter-injury-statistics.
Sources & references
16 datasets cited across this report