The number of fires occurring in Egypt last year totaled 37,583, compared to 34,828 in 2014, an increase of 7.9%, according to Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS) report released on Thursday.
According to cause of fire, negligence comes in first place with 19,705 fires, 52.4% of the total, followed by accidental fires with 16,857 or 44.9%, and then arsons accounted for 1,021 or 2.7% of the total fires in 2015.
Cigarette butts, matches, and burning materials accounted for 56.5% of the fires, followed by short circuiting and electrical sparks with 21%.
Fires originating from stoves, furnaces and boilers accounted for 7.7%, self-ignition with 7.4%, gas fires with 6.6%, and inflamed petroleum liquid fires with 0.8% of the total.
Regarding the locations of the fire, empty ground (garbage and waste) made up 39.4% of the fires, followed by residential buildings with 30.3%, and petroleum installations with 0.3%, the statement read.
Cairo governorate recorded the highest number of fires with 17.1%, followed by Beheira governorate with 8.1%, and North Sinai recorded the lowest proportion with 0.1% of the total fire incidents.
The statement said that of the deceased victims from these fires, 195 were civilians and 10 were firefighters, while 754 civilians and 98 firefighters accounted for those wounded.
