NFPA Journal - September/October 2019 - 89

Catastrophic non-home structure fires
Ten of the 29 catastrophic multiple-death fires
and explosions in 2018 occurred in non-home
structures, resulting in 39 deaths including seven
children under the age of six. There were five such
fires in 2017, accounting for 19 deaths with none
under the age of six.
In 2018, two of the 10 deadliest fires in non-home
structures occurred in vacant buildings that were
originally dwellings. One fire each occurred at a gas
well drilling site, rehabilitation facility, group home,
getaway cabin, boiler/mechanical building at a hospital, motel, boarding house, and travel trailer. One
fire and explosion killed six people, two fires killed
five each, two fires killed four, and five killed three.
The deadliest non-home fire broke out in a
27-room extended stay motel in Michigan. The fire
department received a call for a room fire at 1:46
a.m. When firefighters arrived, they found heavy
fire and smoke from several first-story rooms, and
were notified of the entrapment of six people in
a room on the second floor. Search-and-rescue
personnel made their way to the second story to
search the room where the trapped occupants
were reported. The search was conducted but
no one was found in the room. The victims were
located in the hallway and a stairway. They were
removed and attempts were made by EMS to
revive them. A secondary search was performed
but no other victims were located. The motel was
equipped with smoke alarms but no information

Catastrophic Multiple-Death Fires
and Explosions by Type in 2018
HOME FIRES
Illinois
Date, Time of Alarm,
Number of Deaths
August, 3:54 a.m., 10 (four
under age 6)
Number of Stories, Occupancy
Type, Construction Type
This was a two-story,
528-square-foot (49-squaremeter), two-family home
of unprotected ordinary
construction.
Smoke Alarm and Other
Protection Devices
No information was reported
on detection or suppression
equipment due to an ongoing
investigation.
Fire Origin and Path
The fire started on an exterior
stairway. The cause is still under
investigation.
Contributing Factors and
Victim Locations
Fire is still under investigation.
No details were reported.
Tennessee
Date, Time of Alarm,
Number of Deaths
April, 5:24 a.m., six (one under
age 6)
Number of Stories, Occupancy
Type, Construction Type
This was a one-story,
1,300-square-foot

(121-square-meter), singlefamily home of unprotected
wood-frame construction.
Smoke Alarm and Other
Protection Devices
One smoke alarm was found,
but it was not known if it
operated. There was no automatic suppression equipment
present.
Fire Origin and Path
The fire began outside on the
first-floor porch. The cause has
not been determined.
Contributing Factors and
Victim Locations
The victims were located in
three separate bedrooms. An
adult and the child were discovered in the front bedroom, two
adults were in a rear bedroom
on the left side of the home,
and two adults were located in
the middle bedroom.
Indiana
Date, Time of Alarm,
Number of Deaths
November, 1:50 a.m., six (three
under age 6)
Number of Stories, Occupancy
Type, Construction Type
This was a two-story, 1,500square-foot (139-square-meter),
single-family home of mixed
construction. It was of unprotected ordinary construction

Rescue workers recover a body in Paradise, California, following
the Camp Fire in November. The Camp Fire became the costliest
and deadliest wildfire in the state's history, killing 86 people.
JOSH EDELSON/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

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

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NFPA Journal - September/October 2019

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