NFPA Journal - September/October 2017 - 80

80 | NFPA JOURNAL * S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7

AP/WIDE WORLD

This was the largest loss-oflife fire since the 2003 Station
nightclub fire in Rhode Island,
where 100 people died. There
have been 12 structure fires in
the past 50 years that killed 36
people or more.
The two non-structure fires
were also considered major lossof-life fires. The first occurred
in Texas when a hot-air balloon
came into contact with electrical
transmission lines and crashed
after catching fire, killing the
pilot and 15 passengers. The
National Transportation Safety
Board is still investigating this
incident. The last vehicle fire
killing more than 16 people
occurred in 2006, when an aircraft crash and fire in Kentucky
killed 24. There have been 19
vehicle fires with 16 or more
deaths in the past 50 years.
The second non-structure,
major loss-of-life fire was an
arson-caused wildfire in Tennessee that killed 14 people. The fire
was started in a national park,
and after several days the winds
increased and blew the fire into
a residential area. There have
been only three other wildfires
in the past 50 years that killed
14 or more: 14 wildland firefighters died in Colorado in 1994, 19
In Tennessee, a home fire killed 10 people, including two children
wildland firefighters died in Ariunder the age of six. Of the estimated 3,390 people who died in
zona in 2013, and 25 people died
fires in the U.S. in 2016, 2,800 occurred in residential structures.
in a California wildfire in 1991.
(AP Photo/Karen Pulfer Focht)
Overall in 2016, of the estimated 1,342,000 fires that
firefighters responded to, 371,500
occurred in residential structures, 104,000 occurred in nonresidential structures, and
Catastrophic home fires
866,500 occurred outside of structures or involved vehicles.
There were 11 catastrophic multiple-death fires in homes in
These fires accounted for an estimated 3,390 deaths, 2,800
2016, compared to four the year before. Nine fires occurred
of which occurred in residential structures, 150 in nonresiin single-family homes (including one manufactured home),
dential structures, and 440 in vehicle or outside fires. The 21
one occurred in a two-family duplex, and one occurred in a
catastrophic multiple-death fires accounted for 0.002 percent
13-unit apartment building. These fires killed 65 people, 42
of the total estimated fires and 4.7 percent of the total fire
more than in 2015. Of the 65 victims, 12 were children under
deaths in the U.S. in 2016.
the age of six, which was eight more than the year before.
The losses in these fires in 2016 are much higher than what
Eight of the home fires broke out between the hours of 11
was reported for 2015. The 2015 experience was an anomaly,
p.m. and 7 a.m. and killed 49 people, including seven under
with the lowest number of such fires and associated deaths
age six.
ever reported-nine such fires resulting in 42 deaths, includOne of the catastrophic home fires killed 10 people, one
ing four victims under the age of six. Of the nine fires that
fire killed seven, three fires killed six, and six fires killed
occurred in 2015, four were in homes and accounted for 23
five. The 10-fatality fire broke out at 1:21 a.m. in a one-story
deaths, including four children under the age of six. Two were single-family home of unprotected wood-frame construction.
in non-home structures, resulting in eight deaths, and three
The fire was caused by a short circuit in an electrical cord
were in wildland and aircraft fires, resulting in 11 deaths.
for a window air-conditioning unit in a family room. The fire

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - September/October 2017