NFPA Report: U.S. Firefighter On-Duty Deaths Rose to 83 in 2025
The latest annual report found firefighter fatalities increased 17 percent from the previous year, with heart attacks remaining the leading cause of death and crash-related incidents continuing to pose significant risks.
- By Stasia DeMarco
- Jul 27, 2026
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reported that 83 U.S. firefighters died while on duty or within 24 hours of duty in 2025, marking a 17 percent increase from the 69 fatalities recorded in 2024.
According to the association's annual Fatal Firefighter Injuries in the U.S. in 2025 report, 65 of the deaths occurred while firefighters were on duty. The remaining 18 involved firefighters who died from heart attacks within 24 hours of duty. NFPA began including these deaths in its annual study in 2022 and continues to report them separately to maintain consistency with historical trend data.
"While we do see fluctuations in the number of firefighter fatalities each year, as we did in 2025, there has been a consistent downward trend in the number of annual fatalities since the study began nearly 50 years ago," said Richard Campbell, senior research analyst at NFPA and lead author of the report.
Municipal firefighters accounted for 95 percent of the fatalities, including 34 career firefighters and 45 volunteer firefighters. Four wildland firefighters also died, including two federal wildland contract firefighters, one state forestry supervisor and one seasonal state wildland firefighter.
Heart attacks remained the leading cause of death, accounting for 45 fatalities. Twenty-seven occurred while firefighters were on duty, while 18 occurred within 24 hours of duty. Volunteer firefighters represented 16 of the 18 heart attack deaths that occurred after duty.
"Sudden cardiac death remains a critical concern among firefighters," Campbell said. "Fitness programs, annual medical evaluations, and medical monitoring continue to serve as preventative measures that support cardiac health for all firefighters and should be prioritized."
Campbell added that the high number of cardiac deaths among volunteer firefighters after duty suggests additional prevention efforts are needed, particularly because many volunteers return home after responding to incidents and may not have immediate access to medical care if symptoms develop.
The report also identified overexertion or strain as the leading cause of on-duty fatal injuries, responsible for 29 deaths, or 45 percent of on-duty fatalities. Vehicle crashes caused 13 fatal injuries, making them the second-leading cause. Other causes included firefighters being caught or trapped, struck by objects, falls, assaults and contact-related incidents.
NFPA noted that previous research has linked fatal fire service vehicle crashes to factors such as driver error, excessive speed, failure to wear seat belts, hazardous weather conditions and the use of privately owned vehicles.
"Career and volunteer firefighters are increasingly called upon to handle an ever-growing range of incidents in their communities, many of which present high-risk, high-stress situations," said Jay Petrillo, NFPA research analyst and co-author of the report. "The data from this year's study show that as the demands on career and volunteer firefighters continue to grow and evolve, the need for comprehensive injury prevention training and strategies remains critical."
The report was developed with assistance from the U.S. fire service, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the U.S. Fire Administration, the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Land Management.
About the Author
Stasia DeMarco brings a strong and varied journalism background to her role at Occupational Health & Safety, having previously served as a multimedia editor, broadcast journalist, professor and reviewer across major news organizations. As Content Editor, she writes news and feature articles, hosts sponsor and editorial webinars, co-hosts the SafetyPod worker health and safety podcast, and manages the brand’s digital and social media presence. She is committed to informing and engaging the safety community through compelling reporting and conversations that support safer, healthier workplaces.