Fires on school property cause roughly $85 million in property damage annually, according to a report by the U.S. Fire Administration.
About 14,700 fires occur on such property each year, the report notes, and the leading causes are incendiary or suspicious activity—most common on middle and high school property—and cooking, the most common cause in day-care centers, preschools, and elementary schools.
About half of all school fires occur on middle school or high school property, and there are roughly 100 injuries are caused by school fires annually, the report says. But during the three years the study covered—2003 to 2005—no fatalities were reported.
“School Fires” was published by the U.S. Fire Administration.
