The record-setting heat and drought conditions currently settling over the western United States have many emergency personnel worried that 2021 could become yet another milestone year for fire damage. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) says that although a blaze sparks up somewhere in the U.S. every 24 seconds, in general, uncontrollable fires are less common now than they once were. Here are some other national statistics to consider from the Insurance Information Institute and the NFPA:

• A home fire was reported every 93 seconds in 2019;
• A home fire death occurred every three hours and 10 minutes in 2019; and
• A home fire injury occurred every 43 minutes in 2019.

Many more structures are erected now with fire-resistant materials than in the past. But there also are more buildings and neighborhoods near fire-prone areas than ever before, the I.I.I. says. The slideshow above illustrates the 10 costliest fires in U.S. history, according to the I.I.I. and the NFPA. See also:

• States with the most wildfires since 2000
• States with the highest potential for natural disasters
• Historic drought slams the U.S. West as wildfire season looms