The topical reports produced as part of the U.S. Fire Administration’s (USFA’s) Topical Fire Report Series explore facets of the fire problem in the U.S. as depicted through data collected in the USFA’s National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS). Each topical report briefly addresses the nature of the specific fire or fire-related topic, highlights important findings from the data, and may suggest other resources to consider for further information. The national estimates presented in the topical reports are based on data from the NFIRS and the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA’s) annual Survey of Fire Departments for U.S. Fire Experience.

This document addresses national estimates, as well as the data sources used to derive the estimates, with an emphasis on the specific NFIRS data elements analyzed in the topical reports. NFIRS data quality, including "unknown" data entries and missing data values, is also discussed. Because the majority of the USFA’s topical reports address fires and losses in buildings, this overview focuses on buildings.