Fires are among the leading causes of unintentional death in the United States today. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, 3,380 people died in fires in 2004. During that year, 15,505,000 residential fires resulted in $9.2 billion of property damage. The toll continues to grow every year, even with increased use of 911 emergency response systems. More than three out of four reported structure fires occur in the home. Fires are likely to be more severe in rural areas because of the response time and limited equipment available to outlying fire departments.