Fatal fires are tragic events that are devastating to individuals, families, and communities. From 2011 to 2020, there were on average 220 fire-related deaths in Canada each year. While the majority of fire-related deaths were classified as unintentional, 1 in 6 were classified as intentional (i.e., suicide or homicide). Unlike unintentional fire-related deaths, intentional fire-related deaths result from an individual creating fire with intent to harm oneself and/or others.
Coroners and medical examiners investigate deaths that are sudden and unexpected, including intentional fire-related deaths. Although the circumstances or details surrounding these tragic events are not always determined, insights can be obtained from the investigation findings. The results in this report are based on new insights released today from the Canadian Coroner and Medical Examiner Database (CCMED) from 2011 to 2020. This report follows a previous analysis on the circumstances surrounding unintentional fire-related deaths released on June 16, 2022.