Fire-related deaths in Arkansas have already exceeded last year’s total, with 34 fatalities reported so far in 2025, according to the Arkansas State Fire Marshal’s Office. This marks a troubling increase over the 27 fire-related deaths recorded in 2024, and puts the state on pace to match or exceed numbers from previous years.
Recent annual fire fatality figures in Arkansas include:
- 38 deaths in 2021
- 35 in 2022
- 34 in 2023
Eddie Anderson, Community Risk Reduction Specialist with the Fire Marshal’s Office, emphasized that most of these deaths occurred in homes without working smoke detectors.
To prevent future tragedies, the Fire Marshal’s Office strongly encourages all Arkansans to:
- Install smoke detectors on every level of the home and near sleeping areas
- Test smoke detectors monthly
- Replace batteries annually or when needed
- Replace detectors every 10 years
Data shows that Arkansas continues to have higher-than-average fire fatality rates, particularly in residential structures. Officials say proper smoke detector maintenance is one of the simplest and most effective steps to reduce fire-related deaths.
For more information on fire prevention, contact the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management Public Affairs Office at 501-683-6700 or email PublicAffairs@adem.arkansas.gov.
