Fire deaths in Alabama increased by 43 percent from 2009 to 2010.

The Alabama State Fire Marshal’s Office, a division of the Alabama Department of Insurance, released its annual report for 2010 Monday.

Among the most significant statistics contained in the report is the number of fire related fatalities last year.

Fire fatalities in Alabama jumped from 85 during calendar year 2009 to 122 in 2010 – the largest number of fire deaths in the state since 1997.

In 2009, there was a 16.5 percent increase from 2008, when Alabama recorded a 10-year low of 73 fire related deaths.