Roof smoke: the proportion of fires in homes remains high
Almost a third of man-made fires in Russia since the beginning of 2026 have occurred in residential buildings, the Ministry of Emergency Situations told Izvestia. Experts call the main causes of fires careless handling of fire, smoking while intoxicated and violation of safety rules. Why houses and apartments remain a high—risk area and how to protect yourself and your loved ones - in the Izvestia article.
What are the causes of fires?
This year, more than 145 thousand man—made fires have occurred in Russia - those caused by human activity, the Ministry of Emergency Situations told Izvestia. More than 46 thousand of them accounted for residential premises. For comparison, during the same period last year, firefighters eliminated about 170 thousand such fires.
"This is 10% less than a year earlier," the department noted. — Careless handling of fire and violation of fire safety rules remain the main reasons.
At the same time, despite the decrease in the total number of fires, the proportion of incidents in residential buildings has not changed much. According to estimates by Izvestia based on data from the Ministry of Emergency Situations, it is about 30% both in the first half of 2026 and in the same period last year.
According to the operational reports of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, 700-800 human-caused fires were eliminated every day in Russia in the second quarter of this year. On some days, the number of fires was noticeably higher: on May 4, 1951 man—made fires were recorded, and on April 23, 1,423.
A decrease in the number of fires in residential buildings has not yet been noted, according to Alexander Starostin, executive director of the Fire Center Group of companies and safety expert.
"The most common causes are an overload of the power grid and a short circuit, as well as careless handling of fire," he told Izvestia. — Often it's smoking drunk in bed. People fall asleep with an unlit cigarette, and the fire quickly spreads to clothes, bedding, and furniture. In an altered state, a person notices it too late and cannot react in time.
According to the expert, fires often occur in houses and baths in the private sector due to violations of construction technologies. In addition, there are a lot of falsified electrical wires on the market now, the quality of which does not comply with GOST. Such wiring is not able to withstand the load intended for it, noted Alexander Starostin.
"It's a time bomb," he stressed. — Another problem is that the source of the fire is usually detected too late, when the fire enters the open phase and becomes widespread. The consequences can be extremely dangerous.
Where were the fires
Since the beginning of 2026, 18 people have died in fires caused by smoking in the Ryazan region, the regional Ministry of Emergency Situations reported. This is almost half of the total number of deaths in the region — 47%. In total, 92 fires were registered in the Ryazan region due to careless handling of fire while smoking. The material damage, according to the agency, exceeded 24 million rubles.
In early August 2026, a fire broke out in a St. Petersburg apartment where a pensioner and four grandchildren lived. Two younger children, aged five and six— died. Their grandmother died in the hospital. A few weeks earlier, a woman and two children had been victims of a fire in the village of Bolshye Klyuchishchi, Ulyanovsk region.
In Izhevsk, seven residents of a multi-storey building were rescued thanks to passers-by who noticed the smoke.
"The men opened the door and found the 59-year—old owner lying on the floor at the entrance," said Ivan Anisimov, an investigator for the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations. — They took her outside, brought her to her senses. The pensioner was poisoned by gorenje products, she was hospitalized.
In the village of Elite, Omsk region, a fire claimed the lives of a grandmother and her five-year-old grandson. When rescuers arrived at the scene, flames had already engulfed the veranda of the first apartment and the roof of the building. In the first month of summer alone, seven people died in fires in the region. In total, 63 people became victims of fire in 2026, six of them children, Dmitry Skvortsov, Deputy head of the Department of Supervision and Preventive Work of the Ministry of Emergency Situations in the region, said during a briefing.
How to protect a house from fire
Grigory Gromakov, head of the Rockwool Product development and quality Management department, told Izvestia that it was necessary to think about how to protect your home from a fire that could start in a neighboring apartment, in an entrance or on the roof of a building.
— The key role is played by the materials that are used for insulation and decoration of the room: walls, floors and ceilings, — said the expert. — The lower their fire danger, the higher the chance of escaping with a slight fright in case of an emergency.
To reduce the risks, you should choose non-flammable heat and sound insulation — the material should easily withstand high temperatures, slow down the spread of fire and not be toxic, the expert advises.
— It is important that it does not emit toxic substances when heated — it is extremely dangerous, — said Grigory Gromakov. — The toxicity of smoke produced by burning polymers is so high that irreparable consequences can occur in just a couple of deep breaths. Gorenje Therefore, natural materials are preferable.
It is necessary to keep a serviceable fire extinguisher in the house and be able to use it, said Alexey Voronin, a member of the public movement "No Fires!"
"In a critical situation, this can be a decisive argument," he said. — Along with the fire extinguisher, it would be useful to purchase autonomous smoke detectors for each room. When there is smoke, the sensor starts beeping loudly, and some models also promptly send a notification to the smartphone.
Courtyard driveways should not be blocked, as fire equipment needs access to the house, the expert noted. The same rule applies to escape routes: corridors, stairwells and the space between apartments must remain free.
— If the emergency exits are blocked or cluttered, and explanatory conversations with neighbors do not help, you can contact the Ministry of Emergency Situations, — said Alexey Voronin. — The violator will be fined. In addition, it is useful to know where the input circuit breaker is located (the main safety power switch that turns off electricity in case of overload or short circuit — Ed.), to be able to turn off electricity.
It is also necessary to ensure that the doors to the stairwells are not blocked, the expert added. If the fire started outside the contour of your home, it is important to avoid drafts so as not to draw smoke and flames inside. Then you need to tightly close the windows and doors, if possible, lay the abutments with a damp cloth and seal the ventilation openings.
— Your life and health are a priority, so you should evacuate without waiting for rescuers, — Alexey Voronin emphasized.
The Ministry of Emergency Situations noted that high temperatures, smoke, collapse of building structures, as well as a critical concentration of carbon monoxide and other combustion products pose the maximum danger in fires.Gorenje
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