08/22/2026
73.2% of the reported Maydays in the First 100 Report occurred in residential homes.
That should make us stop and think. Residential fires are where most of us operate all the time, but familiarity can also make us comfortable. Floor systems, basements, lightweight construction, changing layouts, and rapid fire development can all turn a routine residential fire into a firefighter-in-distress event.
The remaining incidents in the report were spread across residential apartment buildings up to four stories, commercial strip malls, and commercial box stores. No high-rise Mayday incidents were represented in that specific data set (this just means that no surveys were submitted for high rises during that period).
That said, since January 1, 2026, we have documented 5 firefighter-in-distress incidents at high-rise fires. High-rise fires account for 2.6% of all documented incidents since January 1, 2026, which is 5 out of 196 incidents. Of those 5 incidents, 1 involved a declared Mayday and 4 did not.
Those are low-frequency, high-risk scenarios that we should still be training for.
What residential or high-rise building feature creates the biggest problem for your crews?
If you or someone you know has been involved in a firefighter-in-distress incident during a structure fire, please complete the Firefighter Mayday Survey.
www.FirefighterMaydaySurvey.com
