Over 27,000 Fires Across Bangladesh in 2025, 75 per Day in Average

In 2025, Bangladesh witnessed a total of 27,059 fire incidents, averaging more than 75 fires per day, according to the Annual Report of the Fire Service and Civil Defence Department. These incidents resulted in 267 injuries and 85 fatalities, underscoring the persistent fire hazards nationwide.

The Fire Service identified electrical faults as the leading cause of these fires. Other notable causes included burning cigarette butts, stoves, gas cylinder leaks, and utility line faults. The total estimated damage to property from these fires amounted to ৳569.98 crore, while firefighting efforts successfully protected assets worth ৳3,263.62 crore.

Fires by Cause (2025)

Residential buildings were the most frequently affected locations. In 2025, 8,705 houses were affected, representing 32.17% of all fires. Other significant locations included haystacks (3,922 incidents), shops (1,800), markets (1,067), and shopping malls (617).

Fires by Location (2025)

In the transportation sector, a total of 386 incidents were recorded, with 153 on buses, 216 in other vehicles, 10 on trains, 4 on launches, 2 on ships, and 1 on a training aircraft.

Monthly statistics reveal that December (2,724), January (2,708), February (2,885), and March (3,522) saw the highest number of fires, averaging 123 incidents per day during this four-month peak period.

Among the casualties, men were disproportionately affected, with 197 of the 267 injured and 46 of the 85 deaths being male. Residential fires were particularly deadly, causing 77 injuries and 22 deaths, followed by chemical accidents (2 injuries, 18 deaths) and aircraft fires (116 injuries, 35 deaths).

Beyond human casualties, the Fire Service and Civil Defence responded to 10,140 rescue operations, saving 10,333 injured individuals, recovering 1,756 bodies, and rescuing 296 animals, 30 birds, and 229 other creatures.

Inspection efforts included 10,533 building surveys, identifying 3,316 as risky, 622 as highly risky, and 6,595 as satisfactory. Furthermore, 192 mobile courts were conducted, resulting in fines for 179 establishments and legal action against 8 institutions.

The 2025 fire data highlights the urgent need for stricter safety regulations, widespread awareness campaigns, and enhanced emergency preparedness to mitigate the high frequency of fire hazards across the country.