Catastrophic multiple-death fires

Report: NFPA's "Catastrophic Multiple-Death Fires in 2020"
Author: Stephen G. Badger
Issued: November 2021

Report

Catastrophic Multiple-Death Fires in 2020

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.

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Report highlights

• Sixteen catastrophic multiple-death fires in 2020 resulted in 90 deaths.
• The deadliest fire in 2020 was a wildfire-urban interface fire in California that killed 16 people.
• The deadliest structure fire in 2020 was a home fire, in Mississippi, that resulted in seven deaths. Two of the victims were under the age of six.
• Four of the fires were in single-family homes, resulting in 24 deaths, with seven of the victims under age six.
• Three of the fires were in non-home structures, resulting in 11 deaths. 
• In 2020, there were nine catastrophic non-structure fires, including five wildfires and four vehicle fires, which accounted for 55 deaths One of the victims was a child under the age of six. 
  
   

Related information 

• Catastrophic Multiple-Death Fires for 2019
• Home fires with 10 or more fatalities
• Deadliest fires and explosions by property class
• Deadliest single building or complex fires and explosions
• Deadliest fires in apartment buildings
• Deadliest fires and explosions in US history
• Deadliest fires or explosions in the world
• Deadliest fires in retail properties since 1970

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