They are burning with fire: private houses are in the blind zone of fire safety
During the year, the number of fires in the residential housing segment increased by almost 10%, and the death toll here is significantly higher than in apartment buildings. Experts attribute this not only to a lack of knowledge about safety requirements, but also to the specifics of construction: owners often use inexpensive combustible building materials that emit dangerous substances when heated. Why fire spreads so quickly in residential housing and how to reduce the risk of tragedy — in the "Izvestia" material.
Which housing is most often on fire
""""In the first half of 2026, 15% more fires occurred in private homes than in apartment buildings, the Association of Participants in the Building Materials Market "Rosizol" reported to Izvestia, citing data from the Ministry of Emergency Situations (available to Izvestia). At the same time, the death toll in individual housing is 90% higher, which is about 2 thousand people.
Overall, the number of fires in the residential housing segment increased by almost 10% year-on-year: from 14.7 thousand incidents in the first half of 2025 to 15.6 thousand in the first half of 2026. According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation, the private sector accounts for the largest share of such incidents (29%) and the most people die there (59%).
—The low level of knowledge of citizens about the requirements of fire safety and the proper use of building materials is a serious problem," said Vsevolod Ushanov, Deputy head of the Department of Fire Resistance of Building structures and Engineering Equipment, head of the research sector of fire Resistance and Fire hazard of light structures at the VNIIPO of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia.
At the same time, the demand for suburban housing is growing. Over the past months of 2026, it has increased by an average of 50-55% compared to the same period last year, said Anton Saukov, head of the center for suburban real estate at the federal company "Floors".
"The gradual adaptation of the market to project financing in residential housing, as well as a decrease in the profitability of bank deposits and an increase in the availability of mortgage loans, have had an impact," he added.
According to the association, people often do not know the fire safety rules that are mandatory for private homes in the residential housing sector. So, only 34% of Russians are familiar with such requirements, 40% recognize the existence of rules, but do not understand them. Among the remaining 10%, they have never been interested in this issue, and 6% believe that there are no rules and the owner decides for himself how to protect the house from fire.
In addition, people continue to build "as they can", guided by their own ideas, Vsevolod Ushanov noted.
"Despite the fact that the main cause of fires in individual residential construction is careless handling of fire, the problem of violating fire safety requirements during construction, as well as the use of combustible materials, also occurs," he said. — If a person does not understand the groups of combustibility, unscrupulous sellers can offer him this material under the guise of low-combustible.
What are the dangers of improper building materials?
There is a blind spot in residential housing, where the composition and fire characteristics of the materials used are controlled much less than during the construction of apartment buildings, said Alexey Filileev, founder and head of the "PGS" Center for Construction Expertise. The owner often makes decisions about the design of the house, insulation and finishing materials himself, while not always having the opportunity or competence to check how the declared characteristics correspond to the real properties of the products.
"The problem is compounded by the fact that when building a private house, a person often focuses primarily on the price, availability of the material and the recommendations of the seller or contractor," he said. — At the same time, fire safety is determined not by any one material, but by the entire structure of the building: the combination of walls, floors, insulation, finishes and engineering systems is important. Even high-quality materials used in violation of technology can significantly increase the consequences of a fire.
In addition, the owner does not always know what the house is made of. When buying a finished object, he may know the manufacturer of the facade or roof, but may not have information about the composition of the insulation, the characteristics of the hidden layers of walls and ceilings.
— After the construction is completed, it is virtually impossible to check these elements without opening the structures, — the specialist emphasized.
This creates an additional risk of fire: if the properties of the hidden materials are unknown, it is difficult to estimate in advance how quickly gorenje products will fill the room.
Smoke and toxic gases spread through the building much faster than fire: a person can get poisoned and die in the next room without even coming into contact with the flame. According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations for 2025, 65% of those who died in fires in the residential sector, including in residential housing, became victims of toxic combustion products.Gorenje This is 3.4 times more than the number of deaths due to exposure to high temperatures.
"Previously," Alexey Nikitin, medical director of Invitro, said, "it was mostly wood that burned, and the smoke was relatively "simple." — Today, apartments and houses are filled with synthetics: polyurethane foam in furniture, PVC coverings, plastic panels, combustible insulation materials, laminate, synthetic textiles. When burning such materials, a much more aggressive cocktail of substances is released. Gorenje
According to Gorenje, when polyurethane, wool, and some plastics burn, prussic acid is formed. Due to its effects, cells stop absorbing oxygen, even if it is in the blood.
— In combination with carbon monoxide, the effect is greatly enhanced, — the doctor explained. — Substances such as phosgene, acrolein, aldehydes, sulfur dioxide and hydrogen chloride irritate and burn the respiratory tract from the inside, causing toxic pulmonary edema, which can develop after a person has been taken out of the fire. Finally, fine soot settles deep in the bronchi and alveoli, exacerbating respiratory failure.
Products containing organic substances pose the greatest risk.: ""The higher their proportion in the composition of the material, the more serious the consequences of a fire," added Alexey Voronin, a leading expert on fire safety from the "No Fires" public movement and head of the technical group of the Rosizol Association.
At the same time, only 10% of Russians personally checked the documentation confirming the flammability group of the products when buying them, the association reported. Another 11% indicated that the seller had shown and explained the contents of the documents to them, and 39% immediately trusted the consultant's recommendations without examining the issue themselves. Almost a third of the respondents (29%) did not check the fire characteristics of the materials at all.
How to solve the problem
Another serious problem in residential housing is private developers who, for the sake of attractive prices and high sales, save on literally everything, including elements that affect fire safety, said Anna Trusova, brand manager of suburban real estate at the federal company "Floors" in Kazan.
— As a result, houses built using cheaper technology or from experimental materials that do not have quality certificates appear on the market, — said the expert.
When buying a ready-made house, you definitely shouldn't rely on Russian, Anton Saukov added. It is better to conduct a comprehensive survey of the building — to check the condition of the foundation, the thermal circuit and all communications, even if the work was carried out by a developer with "many years of experience."
— It is necessary to assess the condition of unfinished objects even more carefully and find out why the house is being sold in this form. It is advisable to involve an acceptance specialist here. A low price can result in significant completion costs, and mistakes made during construction in some cases cannot be corrected. In addition, they can create a fire risk," he stressed.
According to the association's executive director, Evgenia Sviridova, the vast majority of homeowners are aware of their personal responsibility for the fire safety of their homes and are convinced that it lies with the owner of the house and its residents. And this is a positive factor, she believes.
"Fires" in private homes do not start because "insulation caught fire" or "the attic burst into flames," but because of faulty electrics, stoves, fireplaces, gas equipment or careless handling of fire, experts stressed. But after the outbreak of a fire, it is the characteristics of the building materials that determine whether the fire will be local or spread rapidly throughout the entire structure of the building.
Often, problems with electricity in homes arise when the network cannot cope with the simultaneous operation of several powerful devices, said Dmitry Pokoevets, founder of the electrical solutions company Agni.
— It is worth starting preparations for the autumn season by checking the condition of the power grid. It is especially necessary to carefully inspect the sockets, switches and wires, — said Dmitry Pokoevets. — Darkening or melting, heating of the plug, the smell of burnt plastic, crackling or sparking may indicate problems with the contact, wiring, or excessive load on the line. The heater also requires special attention. During operation, it should not be covered, installed next to curtains, furniture and other combustible materials, or used to dry things.
According to Alexey Filileev, residential housing needs a clear accounting system: the contractor or construction company must record the main design solutions and materials used, and the owner must receive this information along with the documents for the house. This will allow you to assess the fire risks of the building in advance and choose materials not only based on price.
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