Maryland fire deaths drop 13% in 2024, report shows
The report by the Maryland State Fire Marshal gives an overview of fire-related fatalities across the state.
Maryland recorded 73 deaths from fires in 2024, a 13.1% decrease from the 84 deaths in 2023.
The deaths occurred across 67 fatal fires statewide.
Where did most fatal fires occur?
Residential fires accounted for 79% of the fatalities, with most incidents occurring in a bedroom or living space.
Baltimore City reported the highest number of fire deaths with 19 fatalities in 15 fires, the same total as 2023.
Baltimore County followed with 13 deaths in 13 fires, up from 11 deaths in 2023.
What were the leading causes of fatal fires in 2024?
Smoking materials were the leading cause of fatal fires in 2024, attributed to a total of 10 fatal fires.
Transportation-related incidents resulted in eight deaths.
Seven of the fatal fires were caused by electrical malfunctions, and cooking-related incidents were attributed to five fatal fires.
Calvert, Dorchester, Garrett, Kent, Queen Anne's, Somerset and Talbot counties reported no fire deaths in 2024.
Who was most at risk?
Adults over 70 represented 37% of fire victims, while those aged 50 to 69 accounted for 31.5% of deaths.
60% of fatalities were men, and 40% were women.
The winter months proved most dangerous, with 53% of deaths occurring during the season.
Most fatal fires occurred between midnight and 8 a.m., when victims were most likely sleeping, according to the report.
March was the month with the highest amount of fire fatalities
The presence of smoke alarms
According to the report, working smoke alarms were present in only 20 fatal fires.
Nine fires occurred in homes with no alarms at all, while six additional fires involved smoke alarms that were present but not functioning.
In 20 cases, investigators could not determine smoke alarm status, and 14 fires occurred in structures too damaged to assess alarm presence.
"A functioning smoke alarm often marks the difference between life and death, providing early warning and critical time to escape," Acting State Fire Marshal Jason Mowbray said in the report.
In 2024, Maryland launched "Get Alarmed Maryland," an online portal allowing residents to request smoke alarms through the state fire marshal's office.
The program includes a tracking system to collect data on installations and alarm performance.
Mowbray says the data will be used to identify areas most in need of fire safety outreach.
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