Catastrophic Multiple-Death Fires and Explosions by Type in 2018
Illinois
Date, Time of Alarm,
Number of Deaths
August, 3:54 a.m., 10 (four under age 6)
Number of Stories, Occupancy Type, Construction Type
This was a two-story, 528-square-foot (49-square-
meter), two-family home of unprotected ordinary construction.
Smoke Alarm and Other
Protection Devices
No information was reported on detection or suppression equipment due to an ongoing investigation.
Fire Origin and Path
The fire started on an exterior stairway. The cause is still under investigation.
Contributing Factors and
Victim Locations
Fire is still under investigation. No details were reported.
Tennessee
Date, Time of Alarm,
Number of Deaths
April, 5:24 a.m., six (one under age 6)
Number of Stories, Occupancy Type, Construction Type
This was a one-story, 1,300-square-foot (121-square-meter), single-
family home of unprotected wood-frame construction.
Smoke Alarm and Other
Protection Devices
One smoke alarm was found, but it was not known if it operated. There was no automatic suppression equipment present.
Fire Origin and Path
The fire began outside on the first-floor porch. The cause has not been determined.
Contributing Factors and
Victim Locations
The victims were located in three separate bedrooms. An adult and the child were discovered in the front bedroom, two adults were in a rear bedroom on the left side of the home, and two adults were located in the middle bedroom.
Indiana
Date, Time of Alarm,
Number of Deaths
November, 1:50 a.m., six (three under age 6)
Number of Stories, Occupancy Type, Construction Type
This was a two-story, 1,500-
square-foot (139-square-meter), single-family home of mixed construction. It was of unprotected ordinary construction when the house was built, and additions were of unprotected wood-frame construction.
Smoke Alarm and Other
Protection Devices
There were no smoke alarms or automatic suppression equipment present.
Fire Origin and Path
The fire of undetermined cause began in the first-floor kitchen area.
Contributing Factors and
Victim Locations
The home was fully involved when firefighters arrived. Smoke and heat spread up the stairs to the second floor where the victims were asleep. The fire then spread throughout the home. When the roof collapsed five to seven minutes after their arrival, firefighters went to a defensive attack.
Kansas
Date, Time of Alarm,
Number of Deaths
January, 9 a.m., five (three under age 6)
Number of Stories, Occupancy Type, Construction Type
This was a single-family home. No additional information was reported.
Smoke Alarm and Other
Protection Devices
No details reported.
Fire Origin and Path
No details reported.
Contributing Factors and
Victim Locations
No details reported.
Tennessee
Date, Time of Alarm,
Number of Deaths
March, 3:32 a.m., five (one under age 6)
Number of Stories, Occupancy Type, Construction Type
This was a one-story, 1,256-
square-foot (117-square-
meter), single-family home of unprotected wood-frame construction.
Smoke Alarm and Other
Protection Devices
There was an unreported type detector present, but it was not known if it operated. There was no automatic suppression system present.
Fire Origin and Path
The fire broke out in a den, consumed the furnishings and spread into the kitchen. The cause was listed as undetermined.
Contributing Factors and
Victim Locations
Arriving firefighters found heavy fire and forced entry through the door nearest the fire. They began vertical ventilation, and additional firefighters started a primary search and rescued the five victims. Three victims died that morning and two died two days later. All the victims were located in bedrooms. The house was protected by security bars on all windows, and two cast-iron storm doors. It was not reported if this hindered escape or firefighters making entry.
New York
Date, Time of Alarm,
Number of Deaths
April, 6:37 a.m., five
Number of Stories, Occupancy Type, Construction Type
This was a two-story, single-
family home of unprotected wood-frame construction. The ground floor area was not reported.
Smoke Alarm and Other
Protection Devices
No details were reported.
Fire Origin and Path
No details were reported.
Contributing Factors and
Victim Locations
No details were reported.
North Carolina
Date, Time of Alarm,
Number of Deaths
May, 3:54 a.m., five (three under age 6)
Number of Stories, Occupancy Type, Construction Type
This was a two-story apartment building of unprotected wood-frame construction. The number of units was not reported. The apartment covered 988 square feet (92 square meters) and was occupied by six residents.
Smoke Alarm and Other
Protection Devices
Smoke alarms were found, but it was not clear if they operated. There was no automatic suppression equipment present.
Fire Origin and Path
The fire began on the front left burner of a stove and involved unattended cooking. A pot and food were ignited and flames spread vertically from the stove and horizontally across the ceiling until the apartment was consumed.
Contributing Factors and
Victim Locations
The victims were located throughout the apartment, with three in a bathroom and two in two different bedrooms. It was not reported which floor they were located on. No information was reported on the survivor.
Missouri
Date, Time of Alarm,
Number of Deaths
June, 9:06 a.m., five (four under age 6)
Number of Stories, Occupancy Type, Construction Type
This was a one-story, 1,360-square-foot (126-square-
meter), single-wide manufactured home of unprotected wood-frame construction.
Smoke Alarm and Other
Protection Devices
There was no detection or automatic suppression equipment present.
Fire Origin and Path
The only information reported was that the fire began in the open area between the kitchen and living room and involved furniture.
Contributing Factors and
Victim Locations
A mail carrier driving past the dwelling observed and reported the fire. One victim was found in a small hallway near a bedroom, two were found in a bedroom, and two were found in another bedroom.
New Jersey
Date, Time of Alarm,
Number of Deaths
July, 9 a.m., five (three under age 6)
Number of Stories, Occupancy Type, Construction Type
This was a three-story apartment building of unprotected ordinary construction. The number of units and ground floor area were not reported.
Smoke Alarm and Other
Protection Devices
No details were reported.
Fire Origin and Path
No details were reported.
Contributing Factors and
Victim Locations
No details were reported.
California
Date, Time of Alarm,
Number of Deaths
July, time not reported, five
Number of Stories, Occupancy Type, Construction Type
This was an apartment building. No additional information was reported.
Smoke Alarm and Other
Protection Devices
No details were reported.
Fire Origin and Path
No details were reported.
Contributing Factors and
Victim Locations
No details were reported.
Ohio
Date, Time of Alarm,
Number of Deaths
December, 11:26 p.m., five (four under age 6)
Number of Stories, Occupancy Type, Construction Type
This was a two-story, 1,300-
square-foot (121-square-meter), single-family home of unprotected wood-frame construction.
Smoke Alarm and Other
Protection Devices
It was not determined if there were smoke alarms present in the home. There was no automatic suppression equipment present.
Fire Origin and Path
The only information reported was that the fire broke out on the first floor. The cause is undetermined.
Contributing Factors and
Victim Locations
No details were reported.
Michigan
Date, Time of Alarm,
Number of Deaths
July, 1:46 a.m., six (three under age 6)
Number of Stories, Occupancy Type, Construction Type,
Operating Status
This was a two-story, 54,000-
square-foot (5,017-square-meter), 27-unit extended stay motel of unprotected-ordinary construction. The motel was operating at the time.
Detection Systems and
Suppression Systems
There were smoke alarms present, but their coverage and activation were not reported. There was no automatic suppression equipment present.
Fire Origin and Path
The fire broke out in a room on the first floor. It was not reported if the room was occupied. The cause of the fire was undetermined.
Contributing Factors and
Victim Locations
Arriving firefighters found extensive fire and smoke showing from several first-floor rooms and they were notified that six people were trapped in a second-floor room. Searches were initiated on the second floor but no one was located in the room where the victims were reported. They were eventually located in a hallway and stairway.
Oklahoma
Date, Time of Alarm,
Number of Deaths
January, 8:36 a.m., five
Number of Stories, Occupancy Type, Construction Type,
Operating Status
Blowout and fire at a gas well.
Detection Systems and
Suppression Systems
No details were reported.
Fire Origin and Path
When a blowout occurred, a mixture of gas, oil, and mud erupted in fire. The cause of the ignition and ignition source were not determined.
Contributing Factors and
Victim Locations
Blowout preventers did not operate at the time. This incident is still under investigation.
A Chemical Safety Board release of this incident can be found here.
Washington
Date, Time of Alarm,
Number of Deaths
June, 1:01 a.m., five (one under age 6)
Number of Stories, Occupancy Type, Construction Type,
Operating Status
This was a one-story, 300-
square-foot (28-square-meter) cabin of unprotected wood-frame construction occupied by five people.
Detection Systems and
Suppression Systems
No information was reported on smoke detection equipment. There was no automatic suppression system present.
Fire Origin and Path
The cause and origin were undetermined.
Contributing Factors and
Victim Locations
On arrival, firefighters found the cabin fully involved with reports of five residents possibly still inside.
Pennsylvania
Date, Time of Alarm,
Number of Deaths
March, time not reported, four (one under age 6)
Number of Stories, Occupancy Type, Construction Type,
Operating Status
This was a three-story illegal boarding house of unprotected ordinary construction. No additional information was reported.
Detection Systems and
Suppression Systems
No details were reported.
Fire Origin and Path
No details were reported.
Contributing Factors and
Victim Locations
No details were reported.
New York
Date, Time of Alarm,
Number of Deaths
December, 1:30 a.m., four
Number of Stories, Occupancy Type, Construction Type,
Operating Status
This was a two-and-a-half-story, 650-square-foot (60-square-meter) vacant house of unprotected wood-frame construction occupied by four homeless people.
Detection Systems and
Suppression Systems
There was no detection or suppression equipment present.
Fire Origin and Path
The fire broke out in a first-floor bathroom. Candles were being used near lighter fluid and other combustibles.
Contributing Factors and
Victim Locations
Firefighters found boarded up windows and doors as well as large amounts of debris in stairways and hallways that hindered the escape of the victims and firefighting operations. Homeless people had reportedly been breaking into the property for years.
Oklahoma
Date, Time of Alarm,
Number of Deaths
January, 4:35 a.m., three
Number of Stories, Occupancy Type, Construction Type,
Operating Status
This fire occurred in a two-story, 1,000-square-foot (93-square-meter) vacant house of unprotected wood-frame construction. The home was occupied by three homeless people.
Detection Systems and
Suppression Systems
No detection or automatic suppression equipment was present.
Fire Origin and Path
The fire started on the first floor, but the cause and location were undetermined due to the extent of damage.
Contributing Factors and
Victim Locations
This boarded-up home was fully involved when firefighters arrived. An exterior attack on the fire was started upon arrival. Firefighters believed the home to be vacant at the time, but neighbors reported that homeless people were known to have entered the dwelling on previous occasions. The fire extended to a second vacant home. No information on the victims was reported.
Tennessee
Date, Time of Alarm,
Number of Deaths
February, 5:39 a.m., three
Number of Stories, Occupancy Type, Construction Type,
Operating Status
This was a one-and-a-half-story, wood-frame recovery/rehabilitation center for women that covered 3,350 square feet (311 square meters). It was originally built as a single-family home. The structure was occupied by 13 adult females and one juvenile male.
Detection Systems and
Suppression Systems
There were smoke alarms present, but they were either disconnected or the batteries were removed. There was no automatic suppression equipment present.
Fire Origin and Path
A pillow caught fire in a bedroom with several occupants. One of the occupants poured glasses of water onto the pillow then took it to the bathroom where water from faucet was used. The occupant thought the fire was extinguished and placed the pillow near combustibles in the basement near the stairway. The fire ignited combustibles and spread up a stairway to the first floor and then throughout the first floor.
Contributing Factors and Victim Locations
Eleven people escaped, some by climbing over and dropping from a second-story wood deck. The three victims were located in the front first-floor living room. Four occupants were injured, as were two firefighters while rescuing occupants.
Maryland
Date, Time of Alarm, Number of Deaths
April, 8:49 p.m., three
Number of Stories, Occupancy Type, Construction Type
This was a one-and-a-half-story group home run by a nonprofit agency for those affected by mental health and substance abuse disorders. There were seven occupants in the home at the time.
Detection Systems and
Suppression Systems
No details were reported.
Fire Origin and Path
No details were reported.
Contributing Factors and
Victim Locations
No details were reported.
Texas
Date, Time of Alarm,
Number of Deaths
June, 2:20 p.m., three
Number of Stories, Occupancy Type, Construction Type,
Operating Status
This was a two-story boiler/mechanical building at a hospital. It was of protected noncombustible construction and was under construction. The ground floor area was not reported.
Detection Systems and
Suppression Systems
There was an automatic detection system and suppression system installed. Neither system was operational yet due to ongoing construction.
Fire Origin and Path
A natural gas buildup from an unreported source was ignited by an undetermined ignition source, causing an explosion and fire.
Contributing Factors and
Victim Locations
One victim was found on the roof of the structure and died at the scene. Two victims were removed from the debris inside, one in the boiler room and one in the mechanical room.
California
Date, Time of Alarm,
Number of Deaths
June, 10 p.m., three (two under age six)
Number of Stories, Occupancy Type, Construction Type,
Operating Status
This was a small trailer fire.
Detection Systems and
Suppression Systems
No details were reported.
Fire Origin and Path
No details were reported.
Contributing Factors and
Victim Locations
No details were reported.
WILDFIRE
California
Date, Time of Alarm,
Number of Deaths
November, 6:30 a.m., 86
Setting
This was a wildland/urban interface fire.
Climate
Red flag warning day. Hot, dry, gusting winds of 25 to 35 mph (40 to 56 kph).
Fire Origin and Path
The fire started when sparks from electrical transmission lines ignited dry vegetation.
Factors Hindering Occupant Escape
This wildfire became known as the Camp Fire and is reportedly the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in the state’s history. The fire killed 86 people and injured 12 (five firefighters and 7 civilians) and left three people missing or unaccounted for. It burned 153,336 acres (62,053 hectares) or almost 240 square miles (622 square kilometers) and destroyed more than 19,000 structures. The fire leveled at least one town. The victims were located in their homes, yards, in vehicles, and near roadways.
California
Date, Time of Alarm,
Number of Deaths
July, 1:15 P.M., eight (two firefighters and six civilians; two of the civilians were under age 6)
Setting
This was a wildland/urban interface fire—the Carr Fire.
Climate
Extremely hot and dry, with windy conditions.
Fire Origin and Path
According to CalFire, the fire began when a blown tire on a trailer caused the rim to throw sparks into dry vegetation.
Factors Hindering Occupant Escape
Firefighters faced steep and challenging terrain. The Weather Channel reported that “a giant fire whirl generated by the Carr Fire in Redding, California, produced wind damage equivalent to an EF3 tornado.” The preliminary damage survey conducted by a team from the National Weather Service office in Sacramento and CalFire found that damage produced within the large tornado-like vortex generated by the Carr Fire suggests that its top winds exceeded 143 mph (230 kph). The fire burned 229,651 acres (92,936 hectares), destroyed 1,604 structures (1,079 residences, 22 commercial structures, and 502 outbuildings), and damaged 277 structures (190 residences, 26 commercial structures, and 61 outbuildings).
California
Date, Time of Alarm,
Number of Deaths
November, 2:24 p.m., three
Setting
This was a wildland/urban interface fire.
Climate
Weather was fair, temperature was around 70 degrees F (21 degrees C), zero precipitation, and low humidity with Santa Ana winds of 50 to 60 miles per hour (80 to 97 km/h)
Fire Origin and Path
The cause is under investigation.
Factors Hindering Occupant Escape
The fire broke out in Woolsey Canyon and was blown into surrounding hills by high winds. The fire destroyed 1,642 structures, including 400 homes, and also damaged 350 structures. An estimated 295,000 residents were evacuated during the fire.
VEHICLE
Arizona
Date, Time of Alarm,
Number of Deaths
February, 5:15 p.m., five
Setting
An eight-seat fixed landing gear tour helicopter crashed and burned in a national park.
Climate
Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time.
Fire Origin and Path
The helicopter crashed while it was on approach to landing. The aircraft was consumed in the post-crash fire.
Factors Hindering Occupant Escape
The crash is under investigation, and no information can be reported. Read the National Transportation Safety Board preliminary report.
Kentucky
Date, Time of Alarm,
Number of Deaths
January, 9:17 a.m., three
Setting
Explosion and fire onboard a tow boat in dry dock for repairs with 20 workers on board.
Climate
No information was reported due to ongoing investigation and litigation.
Fire Origin and Path
No information was reported due to ongoing investigation and litigation.
Factors Hindering Occupant escape
No information was reported due to ongoing investigation and litigation.
South Carolina
Date, Time of Alarm,
Number of Deaths
May, 12:49 A.M., three (two under age 6)
Setting
This was a single vehicle crash and fire on an interstate highway.
Climate
A mild clear night with a slight breeze.
Fire Origin and Path
After hitting an animal on the roadway, the sedan went off the highway, hit a tree and caught fire.
Factors Hindering Occupant Escape
The three occupants were trapped inside the vehicle as a result of damage sustained in the crash.
Pennsylvania
Date, Time of Alarm
Number of Deaths
September, 9:30 p.m., three (one under age 6)
Setting
Vehicle explosion and fire.
Climate
No details were reported.
Fire Origin and Path
Media reports indicate it was a criminal incident, with little information released.
Factors Hindering Occupant Escape
Not details were reported.
Tennessee
Date, Time of Alarm,
Number of Deaths
September, 4:16 P.M., three
Setting
This was a single vehicle crash and fire.
Climate
No details were reported.
Fire Origin and Path
The vehicle, a sedan, went off the road, crashed into a tree, and caught fire.
Factors Hindering Occupant Escape
The three occupants of the vehicle were trapped due to the crash and the vehicle’s locked doors.