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Firefighters face the potential of injury or death each time they are called to fight fires, rescue people, or preserve property. As wildfires spread in California, firefighters are again called to extinguish the blazes and perform rescue activities. In 2018, firefighters in California sustained 2,300 nonfatal injuries and illnesses resulting in days away from work. In the same year, there were no publishable data for firefighters that died on the job in California.
From 2013 to 2018, 206 firefighters in the United States lost their lives because of work injuries. In 2013, 64 percent of firefighter deaths (34 of the 53 total) resulted from fires or explosions. Another 19 percent (10 deaths) resulted from transportation incidents. In 2018, 22 percent of firefighter deaths (7 of the 32 total) resulted from fires and explosions and 38 percent (12 deaths) from transportation incidents.
Event or exposure | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total |
53 | 23 | 29 | 35 | 34 | 32 |
Transportation incidents |
10 | 8 | 8 | 19 | 17 | 12 |
Fires and explosions |
34 | 8 | 10 | 1 | 8 | 7 |
All other events or exposures |
9 | 7 | 11 | 15 | 9 | 13 |
In 2018, firefighters incurred 15,910 work injuries and illnesses resulting in days away from work to recuperate. Overexertion and bodily reaction accounted for 7,780 of the injuries and illnesses and 4,040 resulted from falls, slips and trips.
Event or exposure | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total |
14,540 | 14,440 | 13,280 | 12,260 | 15,530 | 15,910 |
Overexertion and bodily reaction |
7,950 | 6,710 | 6,330 | 6,370 | 6,300 | 7,780 |
Falls, slips, trips |
2,750 | 2,810 | 3,430 | 2,520 | 4,090 | 4,040 |
All other events or exposures |
3,840 | 4,920 | 3,520 | 3,370 | 5,140 | 4,090 |
These data are from the Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities program and include workers in the private sector and government. BLS will release data for 2019 nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses on November 4, 2020, and 2019 fatal occupational injuries data on December 16, 2020.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, 206 firefighters died on the job from 2013 to 2018 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2020/206-firefighters-died-on-the-job-from-2013-to-2018.htm (visited December 03, 2024).