NFPA Journal - September/October 2017 - 85

recommendations. NFPA recommends testing
home smoke alarms at least monthly.
Batteries should also be replaced according to
manufacturer's recommendations; conventional
batteries should be replaced at least yearly. If
an alarm "chirps," a warning that the battery is
low, the battery should be replaced right away.
All smoke alarms, including hard-wired alarms
and alarms that use 10-year batteries, should be
replaced when they are 10 years old or sooner if
they do not respond properly when tested.
Smoke alarms are only effective if occupants
leave the building when they sound. Children
should be familiar with the sound of a properly
operating smoke alarm and follow a practiced
escape plan that emphasizes two exits from any
location, as well as a designated meeting place
once they have left the structure. Exit drills in the
home are part of many schools' curricula. Practicing the plan helps families determine whether
children and others readily waken to the sound of
a smoke alarm if it sounds during night, and that,
along with assistance for family members who
require it, can be factored into the plan. Practicing
escape plans, as well as basic fire prevention principles, might have prevented many of the fires and
deaths included in this report.

Where we get our data,
and acknowledgments
NFPA obtains its data by reviewing national and
local news media, including fire service publications. A news clipping service reads all daily U.S.
newspapers and notifies the NFPA Fire Analysis
and Research Division of catastrophic fires.
Once an incident has been identified, we
request information from the local fire department or the agency having jurisdiction. NFPA's
annual survey of U.S. fire experience and mailings
to the state fire marshals are additional data
sources, although not principal ones. We also contact federal agencies that have participated in the
investigation of such fires.
The diversity and redundancy of these sources
enable us to collect the most complete data available on catastrophic fires throughout the United
States. We understand that, in many cases, a fire
department cannot release information due to
ongoing litigation. In other cases, fire departments
have been unable to determine the information
we requested.
NFPA wishes to thank the U.S. fire service and
the medical examiners for their contributions of
data, without which this report would not be possible. The author also thanks Helen Columbo and
the staff of NFPA's Research Division.
STEPHEN G. BADGER, a fire data assistant with NFPA's Fire
Analysis and Research Division, is retired from the Quincy,
Massachusetts, Fire Department.

Contributing Factors and
Victim Locations
No information was reported
on why the victims were unable
to evacuate when the alarm
sounded. Two adult victims
were located on the first floor,
and the two children were
located in a bedroom on the
second floor. Four additional
people suffered smoke inhalation, and one firefighter was
injured.
Oregon
Date, Time of Alarm, Number
of Deaths
August, 5:45 a.m., four deaths
Number of Stories, Occupancy
Type, Construction Type,
Operating Status
This was a two-story motel. The
number of units, as well as the
construction type and area covered, were not reported.
Detection Systems and
Suppression Systems
Due to ongoing litigation no
information can be released.
Fire Origin and Path
Due to ongoing litigation no
information can be released.
Contributing Factors and
Victim Locations
Due to ongoing litigation no
information can be released.
Colorado
Date, Time of Alarm, Number
of Deaths
May, 1:30 a.m., three deaths
(one under age six)
Number of Stories, Occupancy
Type, Construction Type,
Operating Status
This was a one-story boardand-care home of unprotected
wood-frame construction. No
information was reported on the
area covered.
Detection Systems and
Suppression Systems
No information was reported.
Fire Origin and Path
No information was reported.
Contributing Factors and
Victim Locations
No information was reported.
Pennsylvania
Date, Time of Alarm, Number
of Deaths
February, 6:30 a.m., three
deaths
Number of Stories, Occupancy
Type, Construction Type,
Operating Status
This was a two-and-a-half-story
dwelling being used as a rooming house. It was of unprotected
wood-frame construction and
covered 624 square feet (58
square meters). It was occupied
at the time.
Detection Systems and
Suppression Systems
There was a full coverage
system of smoke/heat detectors
present that operated. There
was no automatic suppression
equipment present.

Fire Origin and Path
This fire was intentionally set in
living room furniture.
Contributing Factors and
Victim Locations
The victims, all seniors, were
trapped by the fire. There was no
information reported on why the
occupants did not escape given
that the smoke alarms operated.
NON-STRUCTURAL FIRES
Texas
Date, Time of Alarm, Number
of Deaths
July, 7:42 a.m., 16 deaths
Setting
This was a hot-air-balloon
in flight with a pilot and 15
passengers.
Climate
The temperature was approximately 85 degrees F (29
degrees C), no rain, with winds
7-17 mph (11-21 kph).
Fire Origin and Path
The hot-air balloon caught fire
after striking electrical transmission lines, then crashed to the
ground on fire.
Factors Hindering Occupant
Escape
All the victims were adults.
No additional information
was reported. The National
Transportation Board is still
investigating this incident.
For further information visit
https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfgenerator/ReportGeneratorFile.
ashx?EventID=20160730X25341&AKey=1&RType=Prelim&IType=MA.
Tennessee
Date, Time of Alarm, Number
of Deaths
November, 5 p.m., 14 deaths
Setting
This was a wildland/urban
interface fire. The fire was intentionally set and located in a
national park, and after five days
near-hurricane-force winds blew
the fire into residential areas
and private lands.
Climate
On the day the fire started the
temperature was 53 degrees
F (12 degrees C), humidity was
about 40 percent, winds were
approximately 26 mph (42 kph),
and rain was 0.17 inches (4.3
millimeters) for the month.
Fire Origin and Path
The fire was incendiary in
nature.
Factors Hindering Occupant
Escape
This fire burned for several
days before high winds blew
it into residential areas. By the
time the fire was contained
it had destroyed 2,460 structures, including 2,100 homes
and 60 businesses, as well at
17,140 acres (6,936 Hectares).
Fourteen people lost their lives;
two were children, one was a
woman in her 30s, and the rest
were mostly seniors.

N F PA . O R G / J O U R N A L * NFPA JOURNAL

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