NFPA: Fire costs increased significantly in past three decades

The estimated total costs resulting from fires in the United States in 2007 was $347 billion -- an 86 percent increase from 1980 figures -- according to a new report from the National Fire Protection Association.

The economic cost of fire, such as property damage and business interruptions, has decreased by 13 percent since 1980, to $18.6 billion in 2007, Quincy, MA-based NFPA said. The bulk of this cost is in the form of property damage. Human losses from fire are estimated at $42.5 billion. Other costs addressed in the report include provisions to prevent or mitigate the costs of fire, such as fire departments, equipment and insurance.