THE TEN MOST CATASTROPHIC MULTIPLE-DEATH FIRES OF 2008 (1)
1 |
February |
Georgia |
Sugar refinery plant and complex |
14 |
2 |
April |
Pennsylvania |
Single-family house |
10 |
3 |
August |
California |
Wildfire |
9 |
4 |
March |
Ohio |
Single-family house |
7 |
5 |
August |
Tennessee |
Single-family house |
7 |
6 |
December |
Pennsylvania |
Single-family house |
7 |
7 |
January |
Ohio |
Single-family house |
6 |
8 |
June |
Louisiana |
Single-family house |
6 |
9 |
October |
New York |
18-unit apartment building |
5 |
10 |
January |
Texas |
Single-family manufactured house |
5 |
|
(1) Fires that kill five or more people in residential property, or three or more people in nonresidential or nonstructural property.
Source: National Fire Protection Agency.
THE TEN MOST CATASTROPHIC MULTIPLE-DEATH FIRES OF 2009 (1)
1 |
December |
Mississippi |
Apartment house |
9 |
2 |
January |
New York |
Single-family house |
8 |
3 |
January |
D.C. |
Single-family house |
6 |
4 |
July |
Kentucky |
Single-family house |
6 |
5 |
January |
South Carolina |
Manufactured home |
5 |
6 |
January |
West Virginia |
Single-family house |
5 |
7 |
March |
Alabama |
Manufactured home |
5 |
8 |
April |
Michigan |
Single-family house |
5 |
9 |
May |
Missouri |
Manufactured home |
5 |
10 |
November |
Florida |
Manufactured home |
5 |
|
(1) Fires that kill five or more people in residential property, or three or more people in nonresidential or nostructural property.
Source: National Fire Protection Association.
THE TEN MOST CATASTROPHIC MULTIPLE-DEATH FIRES OF 2010 (1)
1 |
April |
West Virginia |
Coal mine |
29 |
2 |
September |
California |
Natural gas leak explosion and fire |
8 |
3 |
December |
Louisiana |
Vacant warehouse used by homeless |
8 |
4 |
February |
Illinois |
Four-unit apartment building |
7 |
5 |
April |
Washington |
Refinery explosion and fire |
7 |
6 |
February |
Connecticut |
Construction site explosion |
6 |
7 |
April |
Minnesota |
Apartment building |
6 |
8 |
June |
New York |
Single-family home |
6 |
9 |
August |
Oklahoma |
Single-family home |
6 |
10 |
December |
Maryland |
Single-family home |
6 |
|
(1) Fires that kill five or more people in home property, or three or more people in nonhome or nonstructural property.
Source: National Fire Protection Association.
THE TEN MOST CATASTROPHIC MULTIPLE-DEATH FIRES OF 2011 (1)
1 |
March |
Pennsylvania |
Single-family home |
7 |
2 |
March |
Texas |
Single-family manufactured home |
6 |
3 |
April |
Washington |
Single-family home |
6 |
4 |
May |
Illinois |
10-unit apartment building |
6 |
5 |
June |
Ohio |
Single-family home |
6 |
6 |
July |
Minnesota |
Bed and breakfast |
6 |
7 |
July |
New York |
Single-family home |
6 |
8 |
October |
Kansas |
Grain elevator |
6 |
9 |
January |
Washington |
9-unit apartment building |
5 |
10 |
January |
Texas |
Single-family home |
5 |
|
(1) Fires that kill five or more people in home property, or three or more people in nonhome or nonstructural property.
Source: National Fire Protection Association.
THE TEN MOST CATASTROPHIC MULTIPLE-DEATH FIRES, 2012 (1)
1 |
January |
Florida |
Motor vehicle crash/fire |
11 |
2 |
March |
West Virginia |
Single-family home |
9 |
3 |
February |
New Jersey |
Two-family home |
5 |
4 |
March |
Arkansas |
Two-family home |
5 |
5 |
July |
New Jersey |
Apartments – six units |
5 |
6 |
October |
Maryland |
Single-family home |
5 |
7 |
November |
Missouri |
Apartments – eight units |
5 |
8 |
November |
Ohio |
Single-family home |
5 |
9 |
December |
Oklahoma |
Single-family home |
5 |
10 |
March |
North Carolina |
Aircraft crash/fire |
4 |
|
(1) Fires that kill five or more people in home property, or three or more people in nonhome or nonstructural property.
Source: National Fire Protection Association.
TOP 10 MOST CATASTROPHIC MULTIPLE-DEATH FIRES, 2013 (1)
Rank |
Month |
State |
Type of facility |
Deaths |
1 |
June |
Arizona |
Wildfire |
19 |
2 |
April |
Texas |
Fertilizer plant |
15 |
3 |
July |
Pennsylvania |
Three-story duplex home |
7 |
4 |
May |
Pennsylvania |
Single-family home |
6 |
5 |
September |
Ohio |
Single-family home |
6 |
6 |
October |
West Virginia |
Single-family home |
6 |
7 |
January |
Kentucky |
Single-family home |
5 |
8 |
February |
Indiana |
Single-family home |
5 |
9 |
March |
Illinois |
Single-family home |
5 |
10 |
April |
Idaho |
Single-family home |
5 |
|
(1) Fires that kill five or more people in residential property, or three or more people in nonhome or nonstructural property.
Source: Reproduced with permission from Catastrophic Multiple-death Fires in 2013 by Stephen G. Badger, ©National Fire Protection Association. www.nfpa.org/research/reports-and-statistics.
Top 10 Most Catastrophic Multiple-Death Fires, 2014 (1)
Rank |
Month |
State |
Type of facility |
Deaths |
1 |
January |
Kentucky |
Single-family home |
9 |
2 |
March |
New York |
Two five-story mixed-occupancy buildings |
8 |
3 |
April |
California |
Three-vehicle (car, bus, truck tractor) interstate crash |
8 |
4 |
July |
Massachusetts |
Three-story mixed-use building |
7 |
5 |
February |
Indiana |
Single-family home |
6 |
6 |
May |
Massachusetts |
Two-engine passenger jet on airport runway |
6 |
7 |
June |
New Jersey |
Single-family home |
6 |
8 |
August |
North Carolina |
Manufactured home |
6 |
9 |
October |
Pennsylvania |
Single-family home |
6 |
10 |
November |
Maine |
Three-story rooming house |
6 |
|
(1) Fires that kill five or more people in residential property, or three or more people in nonhome or nonstructural property.
Source: Based on date from Catastrophic Multiple-death fires in 2014 by Stephen G. Badger, ©National Fire Protection Association. www.nfpa.org/research/reports-and-statistics.
Top Nine Most Catastrophic Multiple-Death Fires, 2015 (1)
Rank |
Month |
State |
Type of facility |
Deaths |
1 |
March |
New York |
Three-story single-family home |
7 |
2 |
January |
Maryland |
Three-story single-family home |
6 |
3 |
January |
Ohio |
One-story single-family home |
5 |
4 |
October |
Kentucky |
Three-story single-family home and a two-unit home |
5 |
5 |
December |
California |
One-story single-family dwelling |
5 |
6 |
September |
California |
Wildland/urban interface |
4 |
7 |
November |
Ohio |
Small business jet aircraft and four-unit apartment building |
4 |
8 |
April |
California |
One-story tire shop |
3 |
9 |
August |
Washington |
Wildland/urban interface |
3 |
|
(1) Fires that kill five or more people in residential property, or three or more people in nonhome or nonstructural property. There were only nine castastrophic fires in 2015 that met this criteria.
Source: Based on data from Catastrophic Multiple-Death Fires in 2015 by Stephen G. Badger, ©National Fire Protection Association. Used with permission. http://www.nfpa.org/research/reports-and-statistics.
Top 10 Catastrophic Multiple-Death Fires, 2016 (1)
Rank (2) |
Month |
State |
Type of facility |
Deaths |
1 |
December |
California |
Ghost Ship warehouse |
36 |
2 |
July |
Texas |
Hot-air balloon crash/fire |
16 |
3 |
November |
Tennessee |
Wildfire |
14 |
4 |
August |
Tennessee |
Single-family home |
10 |
5 |
August |
Maryland |
13-unit apartment building, explosion/fire |
7 |
6 |
March |
Georgia |
Single-family home |
6 |
6 |
May |
New York |
Single-family home |
6 |
6 |
October |
Nebraska |
Single-family home |
6 |
6 |
October |
Georgia |
Single-family home |
6 |
10 |
January |
Alabama |
Single-family home |
5 |
10 |
January |
Illinois |
Single-family home |
5 |
10 |
January |
Virginia |
Single-family home |
5 |
10 |
January |
Michigan |
Single-family home |
5 |
10 |
April |
Pennsylvania |
Two-family duplex home |
5 |
10 |
June |
California |
Vacant office buildings |
5 |
|
(1) Fires that kill five or more people in residential property, or three or more people in nonhome or nonstructural property.
(2) Fires with the same number of deaths receive the same rank.
Source: Based on data from Catastrophic Multiple-Death Fires in 2016 by Stephen G. Badger, ©National Fire Protection Association. Used with permission. www.nfpa.org.
Top Catastrophic Multiple-Death Fires, 2017 (1)
Rank (2) |
Month |
State |
Type of facility |
Deaths |
1 |
October |
California |
Wildfires |
44 |
2 |
December |
New York |
5-story apartment building |
13 |
3 |
May |
Ohio |
Single-family home |
7 |
4 |
January |
Maryland |
Single-family home |
6 |
4 |
March |
Oregon |
Single-family home |
6 |
4 |
October |
Texas |
Single-family home |
6 |
4 |
November |
Illinois |
Single-family home |
6 |
8 |
March |
Massachusetts |
Single-family home |
5 |
8 |
March |
Michigan |
9-unit apartment building |
5 |
8 |
April |
South Dakota |
3-unit apartment building |
5 |
8 |
April |
Tennessee |
Manufactured single-family home |
5 |
8 |
April |
New York |
Single-family home |
5 |
8 |
October |
Ohio |
Single-family home |
5 |
8 |
September |
Alaska |
Single-family home |
5 |
8 |
December |
Iowa |
Single-family home |
5 |
8 |
May |
Wisconsin |
Corn milling plant |
5 |
|
(1) Fires that kill five or more people in residential property, or three or more people in nonhome or nonstructural property.
(2) Fires with the same number of deaths receive the same rank.
Source: Reproduced with permission, based on data from Catastrophic Multiple-Death Fires in 2017 by Stephen G. Badger, © 2017, National Fire Protection Association https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Data-research-and-tools/US-Fire-Problem.
Top Catastrophic Multiple-Death Fires, 2018 (1)
Rank (2) |
Month |
State |
Type of facility |
Deaths |
1 |
November |
California |
Wildland Urban Interface fire |
85 |
2 |
August |
Illinois |
Two-family home |
10 |
3 |
July |
California |
Wildland Urban Interface fire |
8 |
4 |
April |
Tennessee |
Single-family home |
6 |
5 |
July |
Michigan |
Motel |
6 |
6 |
November |
Indiana |
Single-family home |
6 |
7 |
January |
Oklahoma |
Gas well |
5 |
7 |
January |
Kansas |
Single-family home |
5 |
7 |
February |
Arizona |
Helicopter crash/fire |
5 |
7 |
March |
Tennessee |
Single-family home |
5 |
7 |
April |
New York |
Single-family home |
5 |
7 |
May |
North Carolina |
Apartment building |
5 |
7 |
June |
Missouri |
Single-family, manufactured |
5 |
7 |
June |
Washington |
Vacation cabin |
5 |
7 |
July |
New Jersey |
Apartment building |
5 |
7 |
July |
Texas |
Apartment building |
5 |
7 |
December |
Ohio |
Single-family home |
5 |
|
(1) Fires that kill five or more people in residential property, or three or more people in nonhome or nonstructural property.
(2) Fires with the same number of deaths receive the same rank.
Source: Reproduced with permission from Catastrophic Multiple-Death Fires in 2018 by Stephen G. Badger, ©2019 National Fire Protection Association. www.nfpa.org.
Top Catastrophic Multiple-Death Fires and Explosions, 2019 (1)
Rank (2) |
Month |
State |
Type of facility |
Deaths |
1 |
September |
California |
Dive boat |
34 |
2 |
October |
Connecticut |
Airplane crash and fire |
7 |
3 |
May |
New York |
Apartment building |
6 |
3 |
June |
Wisconsin |
Single-family home |
6 |
3 |
December |
Nevada |
Apartment building |
6 |
4 |
February |
California |
Aircraft in single-family home |
5 |
4 |
February |
New York |
Single-family home |
5 |
4 |
April |
Illinois |
Single-family home |
5 |
4 |
August |
Pennsylvania |
Day care |
5 |
4 |
November |
Minnesota |
Apartment building |
5 |
4 |
December |
Alabama |
Single-family home |
5 |
|
(1) Fires or explosions that kill five or more people in residential property, or three or more people in nonhome or nonstructural property.
(2) Fires with the same number of deaths receive the same rank.
Source: National Fire Protection Association. www.nfpa.org.
Top Catastrophic Multiple-Death Fires and Explosions, 2020 (1)
Rank (2) |
Month |
State |
Type of facility |
Deaths |
1 |
August |
California |
Wildfire |
16 |
2 |
January |
Alabama |
Houseboat and boats |
8 |
3 |
February |
Mississippi |
Single-family home |
7 |
4 |
March |
Indiana |
Single-family home |
6 |
4 |
August |
California |
Wildfire |
6 |
4 |
December |
West Virginia |
Single-family home |
6 |
5 |
June |
Georgia |
Aircraft in flight |
5 |
5 |
August |
Colorado |
Single-family home |
5 |
5 |
August |
California |
Wildfire |
5 |
5 |
October |
New Jersey |
Furniture store |
5 |
|
(1) Fires or explosions that kill five or more people in residential property, or three or more people in nonhome or nonstructural property.
(2) Fires with the same number of deaths receive the same rank.
Source: National Fire Protection Association. www.nfpa.org.
Top Catastrophic Multiple-Death Fires and Explosions, 2021 (1)
Rank (2) |
Month |
State |
Type of facility |
Deaths |
1 |
March |
Oklahoma |
Single-family home |
6 |
1 |
April |
Virginia |
Single-family home |
6 |
1 |
December |
Georgia |
Single-family home |
6 |
2 |
January |
Georgia |
Single-family home |
5 |
2 |
January |
Illinois |
4-unit apartment building |
5 |
2 |
March |
Arkansas |
2-story apartment building |
5 |
2 |
August |
Illinois |
2-story apartment building |
5 |
2 |
September |
Ohio |
Single-family home |
5 |
2 |
September |
California |
Single-family home |
5 |
2 |
November |
New York |
3-unit apartment building |
5 |
3 |
November |
Texas |
Barn/workshop |
3 |
3 |
December |
Maine |
Vacant single-family home |
3 |
3 |
May |
Illinois |
Campsite |
3 |
3 |
July |
Michigan |
Boat |
3 |
|
(1) Fires or explosions that kill five or more people in residential property, or three or more people in nonhome or nonstructural property.
(2) Fires with the same number of deaths receive the same rank.
Source: National Fire Protection Association. www.nfpa.org.