NFPA Journal - September/October 2017 - 82

Catastrophic Multiple-Death Fires in 2016 (cont.)
burned while attempting to
make rescues, but was able to
flee the fire thinking others were
following behind them. Two victims were adults and the other
four were children.
Nebraska
Date, Time of Alarm, Number
of Deaths
October, 12:05 a.m., six deaths
(two under age six)
Number of Stories, Occupancy
Type, Construction Type
This was a two-story single-family home of unprotected
wood-frame construction that
covered 2,174 square feet (202
square meters).
Smoke Alarm and Other
Protection Devices
Neither smoke detection equipment nor automatic suppression
equipment were present.
Fire Origin and Path
The fire began when a spark
from a fireplace ignited nearby
combustible materials in the
living room.
Contributing Factors and
Victim Locations
No additional information was
reported.
Georgia
Date, Time of Alarm, Number
of Deaths
October, 10:30 p.m., six deaths
(four under age six)
Number of Stories, Occupancy
Type, Construction Type
This was a one-story single-family mobile home of unprotected
wood-frame construction that
covered 840 square feet (78
square meters). It was occupied
by six people.
Smoke Alarm and Other
Protection Devices
There were no smoke alarms or
automatic suppression equipment present.
Fire Origin and Path
The fire began at a wood-burning heater that was poorly
installed and spread to a bedroom. No further information
was reported on the installation
or how ignition occurred.
Contributing Factors and
Victim Locations
Factors listed by firefighters as
being involved in the fire and
spread included the home's
location in a rural area (extending the response time), and the
poor installation of the heater.
Two victims were located near
the rear door, three were in a
bedroom, and the last victim
was located in a doorway to a
bathroom. Two victims were
adults and four victims were
children under age six.
Alabama
Date, Time of Alarm, Number
of Deaths
January, 11 p.m., five deaths

Number of Stories, Occupancy
Type, Construction Type
This was a one-story single-family home of unprotected
wood-frame construction. No
information was reported on the
area covered.
Smoke Alarm and Other
Protection Devices
No information was reported.
Fire Origin and Path
No information was reported.
Contributing Factors and
Victim Locations
No information was reported.
Illinois
Date, Time of Alarm, Number
of Deaths
January, 5:01 a.m., five deaths
Number of Stories, Occupancy
Type, Construction Type
This was a two-story single-family home of unprotected
wood-frame construction that
was occupied by three adults
and two children. The floor area
was not reported.
Smoke Alarm and Other
Protection Devices
There were smoke alarms present. The coverage and operation
were not reported. There was
no automatic suppression
equipment.
Fire Origin and Path
The fire broke out in a first-floor
common room when arcing
occurred at an unknown-type
electrical failure at a plug
or cord. No information was
reported on the fire spread.
Contributing Factors and
Victim Locations
Firefighters had difficulties
with entry into rooms on the
second story due to clutter and
the bodies of three deceased
dogs. The five victims were
asleep in second-floor bedrooms. Firefighters located the
victims on a secondary search
of the home. One adult male
was located in one bedroom
and the other four victims-two
adults, one juvenile, and one
child-were found in a second
bedroom.
Virginia
Date, Time of Alarm, Number
of Deaths
January, 3:13 a.m., five deaths
(two under age six)
Number of Stories, Occupancy
Type, Construction Type
This was a two-story single-family home of unprotected
wood-frame construction with
brick veneer that covered 3,278
square feet (305 square meters).
The home was occupied by 10
people at the time of the fire.
Smoke Alarm and Other
Protection Devices
There was evidence of smoke
alarms being present but they
did not operate and had been
disconnected. There was no

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

Five of the five-fatality fires broke out in
single-family homes, and one occurred in a
two-family duplex. It was known that four of these
homes had smoke alarms. In three of these fires,
the alarms did not operate because two were disconnected and the batteries of the other had been
removed. The operation of one alarm was not
reported. No information was reported on detection equipment in the other homes.
The cause of ignition of the home fires was
reported in eight incidents. Two fires were caused
by improper disposal of smoking materials and
two to electrical failure or short circuit. Two fires
were due to embers escaping, one from a fireplace
and one from a fire pit located on a wooden deck.
One fire was due to combustibles too close to a
heat source and one to deficient installation of a
wood-burning heater.
The area of origin was known in eight of the 11
home fires. Three broke out in a living room or
lounge area, two each broke out in storage areas
and on porches or balconies. The last one broke out
in an attached garage and spread into the home.

Catastrophic non-home structure
fires, and non-structure fires
Eight of the 21 catastrophic multiple-death fires
in 2016 were in non-home structures and resulted

In Tennessee, people inspect the remains of
a home destroyed by a wildfire in November.
The fire, which was deliberately set, began in a
national park and spread to surrounding towns
and developments, forcing thousands to flee
and killing 14 people. (AP/WIDE WORLD)

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