Overview
- The Fundación Mapfre and APTB report counts 226 deaths from fires and explosions in 2025, a 3.4% decline from 2024, with 165 fatalities occurring in homes.
- Smoke or toxic gas inhalation was the leading cause of death, responsible for about 70% of all fire fatalities and roughly 80% of deaths in homes.
- Regional patterns diverged sharply, with Extremadura recording the highest home-fire rate (nine deaths, 8.54 per million) while the Community of Madrid saw an absolute rise to 16 home fatalities.
- When the origin could be identified, electrical failures were the most common cause of deadly home fires at 36.9%, followed by heating devices at 22.6%.
- The report highlights that people over 64 made up nearly half of home-fire deaths and that living alone multiplies the risk, prompting calls for smoke alarms, electrical checks, and targeted outreach to older and isolated residents.