Updated February 2026
Business owners, what would you do if a fire happened in your building? Do you and your employees know who to contact, where to go and how to safely escape? Do you have operational guidelines in place to prevent fires? How will your business recover from a fire? Every business needs a fire-safety plan, whether you have 2 or 100+ employees.
The US Fire Administration collects data on both residential and nonresidential fires. Nonresidential includes commercial, industrial, and institutional structures. According to the agency, there was a 19% increase in nonresidential building fires across the country from 2014 to 2023 (latest available data). Additionally there was a 10% increase in losses (called “dollar loss”) over that period. In 2023 alone, the nation saw 110,000 nonresidential building fires, 130 deaths, 1,200 injuries, and a dollar loss of $3 billion.
USFA data show that in 2023, the top cause of nonresidential fires was cooking (33,300 fires). Cooking is also the top source of residential fires. For prevention purposes, many of the same safety recommendations apply in the workplace as at home. For example, both families at home — and employees in the workplace — should practice common-sense safety precautions in daily routines, know what to do and who to call if there’s a fire, and plan and practice using multiple routes to escape the building.
But a place of business can be a lot more complex than a home, with special equipment in use, products being stored, employees coming and going and countless opportunities for safety practices to fall by the wayside. Even if your business comprises only two or three employees, it’s still important to have a detailed fire-safety plan and conduct employee training and fire drills regularly.
Elements of a fire-safety plan
The USFA shares practical steps for both employers and employees to prevent a workplace fire, as well as what to do in a fire, who to notify, and how to plan and practice using multiple escape routes (see this infographic).
For even more specifics, Travelers provides an excellent outline for developing a comprehensive fire-safety plan. Best practices include educating employees on risks, prevention and what to do in case of a fire; assigning key personnel to take charge in an emergency; conducting regular fire drills; performing regular maintenance on fire-detection and protection systems; and developing plans to communicate and work with the local fire department (such as posting and providing floor plans and developing systems to account for, and locate, employees in an emergency situation).
Another important step is to make sure you have the right business insurance plan to cover losses in equipment, products or your building. Call your Bradish agent to review your plan and ensure you have the appropriate type and amount of coverage. Now is the time to take a close look at how your business operates — and what you can do to reduce the possibility of a fire, respond effectively in an emergency and recover afterward. It’s time to create, review or improve your fire-safety plan.
by Kris A. Mainellis
