Burn Injury Statistics

Around 600,000 burn injuries occur each year in the United States [1]. An average of one person per 1,000 in the United States requires inpatient hospitalization for a burn injury each year [3].

Burn injuries can occur from a wide range of causes, from cooking accidents, faulty electrical products, improper safety protocols, or a lack of smoke prevention devices, which can lead to both fatal and nonfatal injuries.

This post covers vital burn injury statistics, including the occurrence of nonfatal burn injuries, childhood burn injury rates, and burn prevention tips. It also reviews findings from the American Burn Association and the United States emergency departments, creating a concise image of the need for better burn prevention.

Burn Injury Statistics – The Highlights

Much of the data comes from the American Burn Association or burn data centers throughout the United States. 

• Most burn injuries in the United States occur between May and August (37.5%) [2]. 
• The South Atlantic region of the United States has the country’s highest occurrence of burn injuries [2].
• The arms are the most common place for burns (45%), followed by the hands (42%) [3]. 
• It’s estimated that as many as 600,000 people require medical care for a burn injury in the United States each year [1].
• Not all burn injuries are recognizable from the outside. The hot air from the burning process of chemicals or fires can also lead to severe injury.

Burn Hospital Admission Statistics

Victims with high burn severity will often have to visit the nearest emergency department. Burn centers can also be used for long-term burn care. The American Burn Association (ABA) recorded the gender, ethnicity, and most common causes of patients admitted to the hospital for burns, and here are the statistics you need to know:

• 97.7% of those admitted to the hospital for severe burns survived [2].
• Burn victims include 59% Caucasian, 20% African-American, 14% Hispanic, and 7% other [2].
• The median age of adults with burn injuries was 49 years [2].
• Burns from fire or flame were the most common reason for victims seeking burn care (40%). 32% of burn victims sought care for scald injuries, 10% for contact burns, 3% for electrical burns, and 9% for other non-listed burn types [2].

Seeking treatment in burn centers can be costly. Many victims will require ongoing medical care, and some may even continue treatment once released. Specialized burn centers can be even more expensive and are often necessary for more severe flame or chemical burns.

Common Children Burn-Related Injuries

Children are also at risk of severe burn injuries. Many childhood burn injuries are preventable and may include the child being unsupervised or injured by a faulty product. Here are a few key statistics to know about the unintentional injury of burns in younger children:

• The median age of burn injuries in children under 18 years was three years [2].

• Scalding is the most common cause of burn wounds in children [3]. 
• Children are also at risk of contact burns, flame fires, and electrical burns [4]. 
• Burns are the fifth most common cause of non-fatal childhood injuries [5]. 
• Approximately 75% of scaldable burn injuries in children are preventable [6]. 
• Hot tap water leads to more severe burns in children than other hot liquids [6]. 

Child deaths related to burns are most common among those who suffer severe burns and don’t receive immediate treatment.

Common Causes of Burn Injuries

Burn-related injuries can arise from various sources, with the most common including the following:

• 40% of burn injuries occurred from a flame or flash of fire, with 90% of them being accidental [3]. 
• 61% of all burn and fire injuries happened at a private residence [3]. 
• An estimated 25% to 30% of those involved in a mass casualty event will suffer from a moderate to severe burn injury [7]. 
• A home structure fire is reported every 88 seconds, making it one of the leading causes of victims suffering a burn or inhalation injury [8].
• Smaller, one- and two-room house fires account for 54% of all fire-related injuries and 59% of civilian deaths [8].

Household fires can occur for a number of reasons, including unmonitored barbeque pits, HVAC malfunctions, stove or oven accidents, or trash fires. Loose clothing near hot objects or small children tipping scalding liquids are also among the most common causes of burn injuries.

Work-Related Burn Injury Rates

Burn injuries are common in certain careers. It’s estimated that as many as 20% to 25% of all severe burns occur in the workplace [9]. Firefighters are among the most at risk of smoke inhalation and burn injuries. The U.S. Fire Administration reports 29 firefighter fatalities in 2024 [10].

Other careers at an increased risk of burn incidence rates include construction workers, food prep workers, and general laborers.

Burn Injury Risk Factors

Some age ranges, careers, and other factors are at a higher risk of burn injury. Here are some of the risk factors and burn statistics:

Age

Age plays a role not only in the occurrence of burn injuries but also in their severity. Both younger children and older adults are more likely to need prolonged hospitalization for better health outcomes following a burn incidence [11]. However, other age groups are also at risk of fatal and non-fatal burn injuries.

Certain Appliances

Cooking caused over 158,000 home structure fires in 2023, with some appliances being riskier than others. Households with electrical appliances have a higher occurrence of 53% of fires [12]. Flame burns are most common with cooking appliances.

There are also differences in the time of day when household fires occur most often. Most commonly, cooking fires occur between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. when people cook dinner. Another high occurrence occurs between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. when people fall asleep during cooking [12].

Burn Injury Prevention

Specific prevention strategies can help limit the occurrence of dangerous fires and burn injuries.

For example, the number of hospital days per stay in burn centers and fatality rates related to burns have decreased over the years [9].

This is due to burn injury prevention techniques, such as smoke detectors. Smoke detectors have decreased burn injury deaths by as much as 80%, leading to 74% fewer residential fires [9]. However, fire prevention devices are often limited to high- and middle-income countries.

Burn Fatalities Statistics

While less than 3% of burn injuries lead to a loss of life, severe burn injuries can lead to death. 

• Of those with fire injuries leading to death, a large percentage of them were due to fire or smoke inhalation [3].
• Of those who suffer inhalation injuries, there is a 24.9% fatality rate [3].
• It’s estimated that burn injuries lead to as many as 180,000 deaths each year worldwide [9].

Burn death rates greatly vary depending on the severity of initial burns, the time it takes to receive treatment, and the level of medical care available. Those in high-income countries tend to have a better recovery rate due to more treatment options available to burn patients. The majority of fire-related death occurrences occur in low and middle-income countries [5].

Additionally, burn injuries don’t have to lead to a loss of life to qualify for a negligence lawsuit. Research from the National Burn Repository shows that most people do live from burn injuries, but their lives may not be the same. Nonfatal burn injuries can significantly impact a person’s life, leading to prolonged pain and suffering and an inability to work.

Damages in a Burn Injury Case

The cost of a burn injury depends on the severity and level of treatment needed. Here are a few things to know about burn incidence damages:

• Over 9,000 burn injury cases require ICU visits each year, costing the U.S. healthcare system over $600 million per year [3]. 
• Burn injury victims with concomitant trauma spend an average of 9.8 days longer in the hospital than those with a minor burn [3].
• Second-degree burns are among the most common occurrences and the leading cause of needed medical treatment (75%) [13]. A second-degree burn is a partial thickness burn or an injury that impacts the epidermis and dermis skin layers.
• It’s estimated that between 1% and 5% of burn victims also suffer from the penetration or blunt trauma of a heavy item [7].  A severe burn injury is considered a burn in addition to major trauma or smoke inhalation.

Damages in a burn injury case can be minimal or expensive. Some victims may require prolonged mechanical ventilation, numerous surgeries, and rehabilitation.

Legal Representation for Damage Recovery

The healing process following a burn injury can be lengthy and expensive. Whether injured by smoke inhalation, hot liquids, or open-fire cooking, it can lead to permanent damage to the nerve endings, which means chronic pain. The exact healthcare cost may vary, depending on the length of treatment time and sustained injuries.

Negligence can sometimes be a leading cause of burn injuries. A burn injury lawyer can help you navigate the lawsuit process, ensuring you and your family receive financial compensation to cover your costs. Even high-income countries like the United States have a high occurrence of burn injuries, and burn centers aren’t cheap.

At Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, our legal team works hard to protect burn victims’ rights. If someone’s negligence or a faulty product has left you or a family member with expensive medical bills, contact us for a free consultation.

Call us today at (888) 424-5757.

Resources: [1] National Library of Medicine, [2] American Burn Association, [3] American Burn Association Annual Burn Injury Summary Report, [4] National Library of Medicine, [5] World Health Organization (WHO), [6] Stanford Medicine Children’s Health, [7] UpToDate, [8] NSC, [9] Medscape, [10] U.S. Fire Administration, [11] West Hartford, [12] NFPA, [13] National Library of Medicine