The 20 deadliest fires and explosions in U.S. history
| Rank |
Event |
Date |
Number of deaths |
| 1 |
The World Trade Center
New York, NY |
September 11, 2001 |
2,666 |
| 2 |
S.S. Sultana steamship boiler explosion and fire
Mississippi River |
April 27, 1865 |
1,547 |
| 3 |
Forest fire
Peshtigo, WI, and envions |
October 8, 1871 |
1,152 |
| 4 |
General Slocum excursion steamship fire
New York, NY |
June 15, 1904 |
1,030 |
| 5 |
Iroquois Theater
Chicago, IL |
December 30, 1903 |
602 |
| 6 |
Forest fire
Cloquet, MN, and environs |
October 12, 1918 |
559 |
| 7 |
Cocoanut Grove night club
|
November 28, 1942 |
492 |
| 8 |
S.S. Grandcamp and Monsanto Chemical Company plant
Texas City, TX |
April 16, 1947 |
468 |
| 9 |
Forest fire
Hinckley, MN, and environs |
September 1, 1894 |
418 |
| 10 |
Monongha Mine coal mine explosion
Monongha, WV |
December 6, 1907 |
361 |
| 11 |
North German Lloyd lines steamship
Hoboken, NJ |
June 30, 1900 |
326 |
| 12 |
Munitions ships and depot explosion
Port Chicago, CA |
July 17, 1944 |
322 |
| 13 |
Ohio State Penitentiary
Columbus, OH |
April 21, 1930 |
320 |
| 14 |
Earthquake and fire
San Francisco, CA |
April 18, 1906 |
315* |
| 15 |
Consolidated School gas explosion (PDF, 826 KB)
New London, TX |
March 18, 1937 |
294 |
| 16 |
Conway's Theater
Brooklyn, NY |
December 5, 1876 |
285 |
| 17 |
Coal mine explosion
Mather, PA |
May 19, 1928 |
273 |
| 18 |
Coal mine explosion
Dawson, NM |
October 22, 1913 |
263 |
| 19 |
St. Paul Mine coal mine explosion
Cherry, IL |
November 13, 1909 |
259 |
| 20 |
Great Chicago Fire
Chicago, IL |
October 8-9, 1871 |
250 |
* Estimates for this incident are quite varied, with estimates as high as 800; no estimates separate fire from non-fire deaths.
Disclaimer: Death tolls are based on information in NFPA’s records. Please contact us at
osds@nfpa.org to provide any updated information.
Source: NFPA archive files, 1984 Fire Alamanac, National Safety Council's Accident Facts, and The Great International Disaster Book by James Cornell, Pocket Books New York, 1976.
Updated: 12/02