Arkansas fire deaths in 2025 have surpassed last year’s total

Arkansas fire officials are urging residents to prioritize safety as fire-related fatalities in 2025 have already surpassed last year’s total.

ARKANSAS, USA — Arkansas fire officials have shared that fire-related fatalities in 2025 have already surpassed last year’s total.

According to the Arkansas State Fire Marshal’s Office, there have been 34 recorded fatalities as of June 30, 2025. There were a total of 27 fire-related fatalities in 2024.

Here’s how many fire-related deaths were reported in recent years:

• 38 in 2021
• 35 in 2022
• 34 in 2023

Fire officials have attributed a majority of the deaths to a lack of functioning smoke detectors in homes across the state. 

“You only have 2 to 3 minutes to get out of a home if a fire occurs,” said State Fire Marshal’s Community Risk Reduction Specialist Eddie Anderson. “Having a working smoke detector increases your chances of surviving a house fire by 60 percent. Not having one could put you and your family in danger.”

The Arkansas State Fire Marshal’s Office shared the following safety tips to Arkansans: 

According to the Arkansas State Fire Marshal’s Office, recent data indicates that Arkansas’ fire fatality rates per 1,000 fires is now higher than the national average. 

“Smoke detectors save lives,” Anderson said. “We encourage all Arkansans to take this simple, life-saving step to protect themselves and their loved ones.”

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