NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 72

2015 CATASTROPHIC MULTIPLE-DEATH FIRES 2015 CATASTROPHIC MULTIPLE-DEATH FIRES BY TYPE Home Fire Deaths RESIDENTIAL NEW YORK Date, Time of Alarm, Number of Deaths March 21, 12:23 a.m., 7 deaths Number of Stories, Occupancy Type, and Construction Type This was a three-story, 1,000-square-foot (93-squaremeter) single-family home of unprotected wood-frame construction. The home was occupied by a family of nine at the time the fire broke out. Smoke Alarm and Other Protection Devices There was one smoke alarm in the basement. It operated but was ineffective due to being below the level of the fire. There was no automatic suppression equipment present. Fire Origin and Path The fire broke out in the first-floor kitchen when a hot plate on the counter, left on during Sabbath observances, ignited nearby combustibles. The fire extended to cabinetry, the wall, and into a family room and dining room, then through open doors to a hallway and up to the second-story bedrooms. Contributing Factors and Victim Locations The seven victims died in bedrooms on the second floor. The mother attempted to rescue the children but was driven out by heat and smoke. She and one daughter escaped but were treated for burns and smoke inhalation. The victims were aged 16, 13, 12, 10, 8, 7, and 5. MARYLAND Date, Time of Alarm, Number of Deaths January 15, 3:31 a.m., 6 deaths Number of Stories, Occupancy Type, and Construction Type This was a two- and three-story, 16,386-square-foot (1,522-square-meter) single-family home of ordinary construction. The home was occupied by a family of six at the time the fire broke out. Smoke Alarm and Other Protection Devices There was an alarm system present. The system activated and alerted an alarm company that in turn notified the fire department. Minutes after the alarm activated, several 911 calls were received from neighbors. There was no automatic suppression equipment present. Fire Origin and Path The fire is believed to have started in the great room when an electrical failure ignited plastic and the tree skirt under a 15-foot (4.5-meter) Christmas tree. Contributing Factors and Victim Locations It took investigators several days to locate and recover the bodies from under much of the collapsed home. Five of the victims were located in debris of the three bedrooms, and the sixth body was located in the great room. The victims were aged 63, 56, 8, 8, 7, and 6. 72 NFPA JOURNAL SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016 Here is a look at how these catastrophic fires broke down over the 10year period: DEATHS: The number of deaths in home fires ranged from the minimum threshold of five to a high of 10. In non-home structures, fires killed between three and 29 people, with a mine explosion and fire accounting for the largest lost-of-life incident. Non-structural fires killed between three and 24 people, with the largest loss of life occurring in an airplane crash and fire. CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF SIX: Between 2006 and 2015, 222 children under age six died in 105 fires. Of these fires, 92 were in homes, eight were non-home structures, and five were in vehicles. The largest number of victims under age six in any one fire was five. This happened four times, all in home fires, three in single-family dwellings and one in an apartment building. TIME OF DAY: Most of the catastrophic multiple-death fires (140 out of the 243) broke out between the hours of 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., resulting in 779 deaths, with 176 of these victims children under the age of six. These overnight fires occurred most frequently in homes (106 fires), with 24 in non-home fires, and 10 in non-structure fires. DETECTION AND SUPPRESSION EQUIPMENT: Of the 124 structures where information on smoke detection systems was reported, only 56 had any detection equipment at all. Nineteen of these systems operated and 17 systems did not operate. The operation of the remaining 20 systems was not reported. In the 17 fires where the detection systems did not operate, 10 were cases where the smoke alarm battery was missing. No reason was reported for the other seven fires. In 68 fires, including 54 homes and 14 non-home structures, there was no smoke alarm present. These fires resulted in 369 deaths, 86 of which were children under age six. The reported information on auto» nfpa.org/catastrophic Read the complete report online matic suppression systems was rare, with only six properties having any type of suppression system. Four of those systems operated, and two did not. The reasons that the two systems did not operate were not reported. In the four fires where the systems operated, the systems were either not in the area of fire origin or were damaged by an explosion. Suppression systems were not present in 122 properties (99 homes and 23 non-home structures). These fires accounted for 695 deaths. 2015 findings The number of catastrophic multiple-death fires in 2015 was sharply lower than in the past. The year finished with the lowest number of such fires and associated deaths ever reported, with nine such fires resulting in 42 deaths. Of those fires, four were in homes, with 23 deaths including four children under the age of six. Two were in non-home structures, resulting in eight deaths, and three were in wildland and aircraft fires, resulting in 11 deaths. By comparison, there were 25 catastrophic multiple-death fires in 2014, resulting in the deaths of 131 people, including 11 children under age six. http://www.nfpa.org/catastrophic

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - September/October 2016