Guides
Fire Safety Guides
Download the fire-department landscape extract cited on this page: fire-department-landscape.csv (HIFLD / USFA / FEMA public records).
According to USFA/HIFLD in this extract, these guides read registry counts and state fire annuals across 32,253 departments, not a how-to for home protection. See our methodology for sources and definitions.
Guide catalog by purpose
Exclusive partition of the 12 published guides on this hub. Parts sum to the catalog total.
According to USFA/NFIRS · extract 2026
According to USFA National Fire Statistics in this extract, California leads reported annual fires at 168,000 (#1 of 51) while West Virginia leads the per-million fire-death rate at 31.1 (#1 of 51); California's death-rate rank on that ladder is #40.
- 168,000
- California fires (#1 of 51)
- 31.1
- West Virginia deaths/million (#1 of 51)
- #40
- California death-rate rank
- 4.2
- Hawaii deaths/million (lowest)
Volume rank is not death-rate rank. NFIRS participation varies by state. Registry figures, not a safety grade. For informational purposes; does not constitute fire-safety or insurance advice.
Home Fire Safety Checklist
Smoke alarms, escape plans, cooking safety, and fire extinguisher essentials.
Understanding Fire Department Response Times
How response times work, career vs volunteer benchmarks, and what affects your area.
Fire Safety Guide for Homeowners
How to use PlainFireData to evaluate fire protection before buying a home.
Volunteer Fire Departments: How They Work
Funding, staffing challenges, and the role of VFDs in American fire protection.
Wildfire Home Protection Guide
Defensible space, hardening your home, and evacuation planning.
How to Read Fire Department Data
Understanding HIFLD, USFA, NFIRS data sources and key metrics.
How Fire Departments Are Funded
Taxes, FEMA grants, the volunteer crisis, and how ISO ratings affect insurance.
Fire Safety Across America
Data-driven analysis of fire death rates, volunteer vs. career departments, and code adoption by state.
Fire Department Types Explained
Career, volunteer, and combination departments, how they differ and what it means for your community.
Wildfire Risk Assessment
How wildfire risk is calculated, WUI zones, and using federal data to evaluate your property exposure.
NFIRS Data Explained
What the National Fire Incident Reporting System tracks, its strengths, and its limitations.
Fire Department Funding Explained
Where the money comes from, taxes, FEMA grants, fundraisers, and how funding affects safety.
How are these guides sourced?
Our guides are based on publicly available data from authoritative government sources. All statistics, ratings, and figures cited in these guides are drawn directly from official datasets and publications, with sources clearly referenced throughout.
We aim to present complex government data in plain language that is accessible to general audiences. When methodologies differ between data sources or change over time, we note these variations inline. Our editorial process includes regular reviews to ensure accuracy and timeliness of the information presented.
Guide pages on PlainFireData combine live HIFLD/USFA counts with NFPA and USFA fire-prevention guidance. Registry and incident figures come from the published extracts; checklist and practice steps are editorial summaries of those agencies' public guidance, not invented statistics. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.