Frequency of urban building fires as related to daily weather conditions

Abstract

Daily weather elements of precipitation, wind, mean temperature, relative humidity, and dew-point temperature for selected urban areas (approximately 850,000 population) in the United States are statistically analyzed to determine their correlation with daily number of building fires. The frequency of urban building fires is found to be significantly correlated with relative humidity in summer and dewpoint temperature in winter. No significant correlations are found between urban fires and weather elements such as wind, rain, and snow. Prediction curves relating number of building fires to interior fine fuel moisture content as determined by relative humidity and dew-point temperature for urban areas comparable in size to Baltimore, Maryland, may be obtained from two years of fire and weather records.

Citation

Pirsko, Arthur R.; Fons, Wallace L. 1956. Frequency of urban building fires as related to daily weather conditions. Interim Technical Report AFSWP - 866, Division of Fire Research, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. 20 p