Catastrophic multiple-death fires

Report

Catastrophic Multiple-Death Fires in 2017

This report contains overall statistics from NFPA's annual study of catastrophic multiple-death fires, defined as fires or explosions in homes or apartments that result in five or more fire-related deaths, or fires or explosions in all other structures and outside of structures, such as wildfires and vehicle fires that claim three or more lives. The data for this study is obtained by the NFPA from responding fire departments.

Download the report.

Report highlights

• Two non-structure fires, both of which were wildland fires, claimed 47 lives or almost 10% of those killed in multiple-death fires.
• Twenty-one catastrophic multiple-death fires resulted in 150 fatalities.
• The deadliest fire in 2017 was a wildfire incident that occurred in a Northern California that killed 44 people. 
• Fourteen of the fires were in homes, resulting in 84 deaths, with 21 of the victims under age six.
• The deadliest structure fire in 2017 occurred in an apartment building in New York and killed 13 people.
• Three fires and two explosions occurred in non-home structures and accounted for 19 of the deaths.

NIGHTCLUB FIRES

Fires in assembly occupancies have shown to be some of the most deadly when the proper features, systems and construction materials were not present. Nightclubs, theaters and auditoriums differ from office buildings because they contain a large number of people in one main space. 

• NFPA fact sheet on fires in nightclubs and other assembly occupancies.
• The 10 deadliest nightclub fires in history.

WAREHOUSE FIRES

A fire at an Oakland, CA, warehouse killed at least 30 people on December 2, 2016. Warehouses present special challenges for fire protection because their contents and layouts are conducive to fire spread and present obstacles to manual fire suppression efforts. See NFPA's "Structure Fires in U.S. Warehouses" report.

Older versions of the report

• Catastrophic Multiple-Death Fires for 2016 (PDF)
• Catastrophic Multiple-Death Fires for 2015 (PDF)
• Catastrophic Multiple-Death Fires for 2014 (PDF)
• Catastrophic Multiple-Death Fires for 2013 (PDF)
• Catastrophic Multiple-Death Fires for 2012 (PDF)
• Catastrophic Multiple-Death Fires for 2011 (PDF)
• Catastrophic Multiple-Death Fires for 2010 (PDF)
• Catastrophic Multiple-Death Fires for 2009 (PDF)
• Catastrophic Multiple-Death Fires for 2008 (PDF)
• Catastrophic Multiple-Death Fires for 2007 (PDF)
• Catastrophic Multiple Death Fires for 2006 (PDF)
• Multiple-Death Fires for 2005 (PDF)
• Catastrophic Multiple-Death Fires in the United States - 2004 (PDF)
• Catastrophic Multiple-Death Fires in the United States - 2003 (PDF)

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