This report documents the nature of the fire problem in rural areas of the United States. While other studies have explored various aspects of rural fires, this report provides an analysis of both rural fire deaths and the unique characteristics of fires that occur in rural areas. The report is divided into two major parts. The first part uses data from the U.S. Fire Administration's National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) to delineate the character of rural fires. The second part explores rural fire deaths and how they are distributed by age, race, and gender.