Fewer firefighters died last year than in 2017, according to the U.S. Fire Administration's annual report on firefighter fatalities.
The report, which was released Thursday, found that 82 firefighters died in the line of duty in 2018. That total was lower than the line of duty fatalities in 2017, which were 87.
In its analysis, the USFA includes the number of line of duty deaths for the different category of firefighters:
- Volunteer firefighters: 44
- Career firefighters: 33
- Wildland firefighters: 5
The report also breaks down what led to the fatalities:
- Activities related to an emergency: 42
- Heart attack: 33
- Activities at a fire scene: 30
According to the report, 10 firefighters died while responding to or returning from an emergency in 2018. Nine firefighters died while participating in training exercises.
The USFA's totals include 14 firefighters whose deaths fall under the Hometown Heroes Survivors Benefits Act, which established that public safety officers dying from a heart attack or stroke following a training exercise or non-routine stressful or strenuous physical incident died in the line of duty. Without those fatalities, the number of line of duty deaths for 2018 was 68, the second-lowest annual total since the agency began this study.
So far, there have been 38 line of duty firefighter deaths in 2019, according to the USFA.
Go to the U.S. Fire Administration's website to read the full report.
