New York City Fire Fatalities Rise 35% in 2017

While 2016 was the Big Apple’s safest year in terms of fire fatalities, 2017 experienced a 35% spike, increasing from 48 fire deaths to 73 in the year just concluded. The 2016 low corresponded with a decades-long trend than can be largely attributed to an increase in fire sprinkler system installations, as New York City regulations have consistently expanded requirements for sprinklers.