Causes of fires

The cause of many fires is either not clear or not known. In 2007, this was the case for 36 percent of all indoor and 40 percent of outdoor fires. These fires, too, may be the result of arson, children playing with fire, a faulty appliance or one of the other causes distinguished here. It is therefore possible that the share of fires deliberately started is actually higher than the percentages reported in this article. This is also true for the shares of the other causes mentioned.