U.S. Department of Homeland Security • U.S. Fire Administration

National Fire Data Center • Emmitsburg, Maryland 21727

www.usfa.dhs.gov/statistics/reports/index.shtm

Topical Fire Report Series Volume 9, Issue 3 / April 2009

Multiple-Fatality Fires 

in Residential Buildings

continued on next page

Findings

■ Each year, 250 fires in residential buildings result in multiple fatalities.

■ Multiple-fatality fires in residential buildings that result in five or more deaths are 

few and represent approximately 3 percent of multiple-fatality fires in residential 

buildings. 

■ Electrical fires and unintentional or careless fires were the leading causes of 

multiple-fatality fires in residential buildings.

■ Eighty-one percent of multiple-fatality fires in residential buildings occurred in oneand two-family dwellings.

■ Thirty-six percent of multiple-fatality fires in residential buildings occurred in 

December, January, and February.

■ The incidence of multiple-fatality fires in residential buildings peaks between 3 a.m. 

and 5 a.m. This period accounts for 21 percent of these fires.

These short topical reports are designed 

to explore facets of the U.S. fire problem 

as depicted through data collected in 

USFA’s National Fire Incident Reporting 

System (NFIRS). Each topical report briefly 

addresses the nature of the specific fire or 

fire-related topic, highlights important findings from the data, and may suggest other 

resources to consider for further information. Also included are recent examples of 

fire incidents that demonstrate some of the 

issues addressed in the report or that put 

the report topic in context.

Between 2004 and 2006, an average of 250 fires in residential buildings each year resulted in two or more 

civilian fire deaths.1, 2, 3 These multiple-fatality fires were 

responsible for an estimated 825 deaths, 200 injuries, and 

$33 million in fire loss on an annual basis.4 Multiple-fatality 

fires in residential buildings are rare, but tragic, occurrences. Less than one-tenth of a percent (0.1 percent) of 

all fires in residential buildings result in multiple fatalities. 

Nonetheless, they account for 29 percent of all fatalities in 

residential buildings and 70 percent of all multiple-fatality 

fires in the United States. This topical report focuses on multiple-fatality fires in residential buildings that are reported to 

the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) using 

the standard fire reporting modules, and examines the causes 

and basic characteristics of these multiple-fatality fires.

One of the challenges in the analysis of NFIRS fire incident 

data where fatalities are reported is the large number of 

unknown, undetermined, or unavailable entries reported. 

For example, in the analysis of fire cause, the undetermined 

entries comprise 47 percent of the data, making it difficult 

to establish concrete conclusions. 

Loss Measures

Table 1 presents fire loss rates, averaged over this 3-year 

period, for fatal residential building fires. Approximately 

2-1/2 times as many deaths and injuries per fire occur in 

multiple-fatality fires than in single-fatality fires in residential buildings. The average loss per fire in a multiple-fatality 

fire is substantially higher as well.

Table 1. Loss Measures for Fatal Residential Building Fires 

(NFIRS 3-year average, 2004–2006)

Measure Multiple-Fatality Residential 

Building Fires

Single-Fatality Residential 

Building Fires 

All Fatal 

Residential Building Fires

Average Loss:

Fatalities per fire 2.51 1.00 1.21

Injuries per fire .69 .27 .33

Dollar loss per fire $101,210 $69,396 $73,905

Source: NFIRS 5.0 
TFRS Volume 9, Issue 3/Multiple-Fatality Fires in Residential Buildings Page 2

continued on next page

As Table 2 shows, two-thirds (67 percent) of multiplefatality fires in residential buildings involved 2 fatalities; 88 

percent of these multiple-fatality fires result in 3 or fewer 

fatalities. Multiple-fatality fires in residential buildings that 

result in five or more deaths are few and represent 3 percent 

of multiple-fatality fires in residential buildings.

Table 2. Deaths per Fire in Multiple-Fatality Residential Building Fires (NFIRS, 2004-2006)

Deaths per Fire Percent of Multiple-Fatality Residential Building Fires

2 67.1

3 20.6

4 9.4

5 or more 2.9

Total 100.0

Source: NFIRS 5.0 

417 incidents

Note: Total may not add to 100 percent due to rounding.

Property Type

One- or two-family dwellings account for 81 percent of 

multiple-fatality residential building fires; multifamily dwellings such as those on apartment, townhouse, condominium, 

and tenement properties account for 16 percent of these 

multiple-fatality fires. The remaining residential properties 

(boarding/rooming houses, residential hotels, hotels and 

motels, residential board and care, and dormitories and 

other group housing) account for less than 5 percent of 

multiple-fatality fires. This distribution of fatal fires is very 

similar to that of single-fatality fires as shown in Table 3.

Table 3. Property Use for Multiple- and Single-Fatality Fires in Residential Buildings 

(NFIRS, 2004-2006)

Property Percent of Multiple-Fatality 

Residential Building Fires

Percent of Single-Fatality 

Residential Building Fires

One- or two-family dwelling 80.6 78.1

Multifamily dwelling 15.8 16.6

Other residential properties 3.6 5.3

Total 100.0 100.0

Source: NFIRS 5.0 

417 multiple-fatality fire incidents

2,524 single-fatality fire incidents

Note: Total may not add to 100 percent due to rounding.

Causes

The leading causes of multiple-fatality fires in residential buildings are electrical malfunction (15 percent) and 

unintentional/careless actions (15 percent) (Figure 1). 

Fires caused intentionally (12 percent) or by smoking (11 

percent) also rank high among the list of causes of multiplefatality fires.5

 A large number of causes remain unknown 

(47 percent), which illustrates the need for further investigation and documentation at the time a fire occurs.
TFRS Volume 9, Issue 3/Multiple-Fatality Fires in Residential Buildings Page 3

Figure 1. Causes of Multiple-Fatality Fires: Raw and Adjusted Percentages of Multiple-Fatality 

Fires in Residential Buildings (NFIRS, 2004-2006)

 

Source: NFIRS 5.0

417 total incidents

196 incidents with cause undetermined

When Fires Occur

Figure 2 shows the incidence of multiple-fatality fires in 

residential buildings by time of day for 2004 to 2006. Most 

multiple-fatality fires occur in the early hours of the morning, and peak between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m.—intentional and 

electrical fires are the leading causes of these multiple-fatality fires. Approximately 53 percent of multiple-fatality fires 

occur between midnight and 6 a.m. with 21 percent occurring during the peak hours. Multiple-fatality fires are least 

likely to occur in the late afternoon, between 3 p.m. and 4 

p.m. 
TFRS Volume 9, Issue 3/Multiple-Fatality Fires in Residential Buildings Page 4

Figure 2. Time of Day for Multiple-Fatality Fires in Residential Buildings 

(NFIRS, 2004-2006)

Source: NFIRS 5.0

417 incidents

Figure 3 illustrates the months of the year in which multiple-fatality fires occur in residential buildings. Fifty-seven 

percent of multiple-fatality fires occur in the cool weather 

months of November through March. Additionally, the 

number of deaths occurring in each month is proportional 

to the number of fires occurring in each month of the year. 

While the majority of multiple-fatality fires in residential 

buildings occur in cool weather months, heating is not 

the leading cause of these fires. The leading cause is other 

unintentional or careless actions (20 percent) with electrical 

malfunction (16 percent) and heating (14 percent) as the 

second and third leading causes. 
TFRS Volume 9, Issue 3/Multiple-Fatality Fires in Residential Buildings Page 5

Figure 3. Month of Year for Multiple-Fatality Fires in Residential Buildings 

(NFIRS, 2004-2006)

Source: NFIRS 5.0

417 incidents

Where Multiple-Fatality Fires Start

Table 4 illustrates that 26 percent of multiple-fatality residential building fires start in a common room, living room, 

den, family room, or lounge, with bedrooms as the second 

most common site of origin (20 percent). These same 

areas are the leading areas of fire origin for single-fatality 

fires, but with bedrooms as the leading area of origin (28 

percent) and common rooms second (22 percent). This is 

due primarily to the importance of smoking as a cause in 

single-fatality fires as typically fatal smoking fires originate 

in bedrooms and common areas.
TFRS Volume 9, Issue 3/Multiple-Fatality Fires in Residential Buildings Page 6

Table 4. Area of Origin for Multiple-Fatality Fires in Residential Buildings 

(NFIRS, 2004-2006)

Area of Origin Percent of Multiple-Fatality Fires With Area of Origin Determined

Common room, den, family room, living room, lounge 26.1

Bedrooms 20.1

Cooking area, kitchen 12.6

Other unspecified room or area 10.2

Unspecified structural areas 4.5

All other areas of origin 26.4

Total 100.0

Source: NFIRS 5.0

417 incidents

84 incidents with area of origin undetermined

Notes: Total may not add to 100 percent due to rounding. 

Bedrooms include both those with fewer than five occupants and those with five or more occupants.

Fire Spread

Analysis of flame spread illustrated that flames spread 

farther in multiple-fatality fires than in single-fatality fires 

in residential buildings. Seventy-nine percent of multiplefatality residential fires are confined to the building or spread 

beyond the building of origin. In single-fatality fires in 

residential buildings, these large fires represent 62 percent of 

fatal fires (Figure 4). 

Figure 4. Fire Spread in Multiple- and Single-Fatality Fires in Residential Buildings 

(NFIRS, 2004-2006)

Source: NFIRS 5.0

417 multiple-fatality fire incidents

2,524 single-fatality fire incidents

What Catches Fire

Figure 5 shows that furniture and utensils usually were the 

first to catch fire in multiple-fatality fires between 2004 and 

2006. A close second was a structural component or some 

type of finish. The percentage of multiple-fatality fires with 

undetermined items first ignited is extremely high, suggesting the need for further investigation and proper documentation at the time of a fire. 
TFRS Volume 9, Issue 3/Multiple-Fatality Fires in Residential Buildings Page 7

Figure 5. Item First Ignited in Multiple-Fatality Fires in Residential Buildings 

(NFIRS, 2004-2006)

Source: NFIRS 5.0

417 incidents

229 incidents with item first ignited undetermined

Smoke Alarms 

There was no smoke alarm present in one-quarter of the 

multiple-fatality fires reported to NFIRS. In another 38 

percent of these fires, firefighters were unable to determine 

if a smoke alarm was present. Smoke alarms were present in 

only 37 percent of multiple-fatality fires. Smoke alarms are 

known to have operated in 12 percent of reported multiplefatality fires. Note that the data presented in Table 5 are 

the raw counts from the NFIRS data set and not scaled to 

national estimates of smoke alarms in residential building 

multiple-fatality fires.
TFRS Volume 9, Issue 3/Multiple-Fatality Fires in Residential Buildings Page 8

Table 5. NFIRS Smoke Alarm Data for Multiple-Fatality Fires in Residential Buildings 

(NFIRS, 2004-2006)

Presence of 

Smoke Alarms Smoke Alarm Operational Status Smoke Alarm Effectiveness NFIRS Incident Count Percent

Present

Smoke alarm operated

Smoke alarm alerted occupants; occupants 

responded 25 6.0

Smoke alarm alerted occupants; occupants 

failed to respond 5 1.2

Smoke alarm failed to alert occupants 6 1.4

Undetermined 13 3.1

Smoke alarm failed to operate 36 8.6

Undetermined 68 16.3

None present 106 25.4

Undetermined 158 37.9

Total Fires 417 100.0

Source: NFIRS 5.0

417 incidents

Notes: The data presented in Table 5 are raw data counts from the NFIRS data set. They do not represent national estimates of smoke alarms in multiple-fatality fires in residential buildings. They are presented for 

informational purposes. Total may not add to 100 percent due to rounding.

Examples

Recent examples of multiple-fatality fires:

•	 January 2009: Five men were killed in a 3 a.m. fire at 

a homeless shelter in Paris, TX. The fire burned for 3 

to 4 hours, destroying the second floor where people 

slept. The fire was believed to have started in a pile 

of donated clothes stacked on a table, but a cause was 

unknown. The fire and smoke were so unbearable that 

attempts to extinguish the fire lasted only about 10 

minutes before victims began to escape. The shelter 

was a converted bakery.6

•	 June 2007: Five children died of smoke inhalation in 

a fire that started at 1:23 a.m. in Pittsburgh, PA. The 

cause of the fire was thought to be children playing 

with matches. The door to the bedroom where the 

children were located was locked from the outside. 

The 17-year-old babysitter could not be found after 

the fire was extinguished. The fire spread to vacant 

houses around the home, and the roof collapsed as 

well. One smoke alarm on the second floor of the 

home where the fire started was inoperable.7

•	 March 2007: A three-alarm fire occurred in a home 

where four families lived together in Bronx, NY. Eight 

children and one adult were killed in the fire which 

started around 11 p.m. and burned through two of 

the three stories in the home. The fire was believed to 

have been caused by a fault in the electrical cord of a 

space heater in the basement of the home. Batteries 

in the two smoke alarms in their home were also not 

functioning.8,9
TFRS Volume 9, Issue 3/Multiple-Fatality Fires in Residential Buildings Page 9

Conclusion

Multiple-fatality fires result in the loss of hundreds of lives 

each year. Most of these fires occur at home in winter in the 

early morning hours. Many can be traced back to electrical 

malfunctions or negligence. 

Information about each multiple-fatality fire can take a substantial amount of time to gather, since investigations may 

take weeks or even months. Additionally, data collected may 

not always be complete. Without thorough records of each 

multiple-fatality fire, it is very difficult to obtain an appropriate estimate of the characteristics of each fire; thus, many 

causes and attributes of fires remain unknown. Learning 

more about these tragic fires may lead to the creation and 

implementation of significant fire safety campaigns for target 

audiences, which could, in turn, reduce the occurrence of 

multiple-fatality fires across the United States and save hundreds of lives. In order to further understand, gather pertinent information, and provide more answers, investigations 

must be done as completely and precisely as possible and the 

resulting information reported to NFIRS.

NFIRS Data Specifications for MultipleFatality Fires in Residential Buildings

Data for this report were extracted from the NFIRS annual 

public data release (PDR) files for 2004, 2005, and 2006. 

Only version 5.0 data were extracted.

Multiple-fatality fires in residential buildings were defined 

as:

•	 Incident types 111 to 123:

Incident Type Description

111 Building fire

112 Fires in structure other than in a building

113 Cooking fire, confined to container

114 Chimney or flue fire, confined to chimney or flue

115 Incinerator overload or malfunction, fire confined

116 Fuel burner/boiler malfunction, fire confined

117 Commercial compactor fire, confined to rubbish

118 Trash or rubbish fire, contained

120 Fire in mobile property used as a fixed structure, other

121 Fire in mobile home used as fixed residence

122 Fire in motor home, camper, recreational vehicle

123 Fire in portable building, fixed location

Note that incident types 113 to 118 do not specify if the structure is a building.

Incident type 112 is included, as previous analyses have showed that incident types 111 and 112 are used 

interchangeably.

•	 Aid types 3 (mutual aid given) and 4 (automatic aid given) were excluded to avoid double counting of incidents.

•	 Property use 400 to 464:
TFRS Volume 9, Issue 3/Multiple-Fatality Fires in Residential Buildings Page 10

Property Use Description

400 Residential, other

419 One- or two- family dwelling

429 Multifamily dwelling

439 Boarding/Rooming house, residential hotels

449 Hotel/Motel, commercial

459 Residential board and care

460 Dormitory-type residence, other

462 Sorority house, fraternity house

464 Barracks, dormitory

•	 Structure type:

o 1 - Enclosed building;

o 2 - Fixed portable or mobile structure; and

o Structure type not specified (null entry).

•	 More than one fatality resulted from the fire.

To request additional information or to comment on this report, visit 

http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/applications/feedback/index.jsp

Notes:

1

 Because the number of NFIRS multiple-fatality fires is small, the 

analyses in this Topical Report are presented as preliminary findings only, and no definitive conclusions concerning these fires 

should be drawn.

2

 Residential buildings include, but are not limited to, one- or 

two-family dwellings, multifamily dwellings, boarding houses or 

residential hotels, commercial hotels, college dormitories, and 

sorority/fraternity houses.

3

 In the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS), version 5.0, a structure is a constructed item of which a building 

is one type. In previous versions of NFIRS, the term “residential 

structure” commonly referred to buildings where people live. To 

coincide with this concept, the definition of a residential structure fire for NFIRS 5.0 has, therefore, changed to include only 

those fires where the NFIRS 5.0 structure type is 1 or 2 (enclosed 

building and fixed portable or mobile structure) with a residential 

property use. Such fires are referred to as “residential buildings” 

to distinguish these buildings from other structures on residential 

properties that may include fences, sheds, and other uninhabitable 

structures. In addition, incidents that have a residential property 

use, but do not have a structure type specified, are presumed to be 

buildings.

4

 National estimates are based on 2004 to 2006 native version 5.0 

data from NFIRS and residential structure fire loss estimates from 

the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) annual survey of 

fire loss. Fires are rounded to the nearest 50, deaths to the nearest 

5, injuries to the nearest 25, and loss to the nearest $million.

5

 The causes of fires for multiple-fatality fires have changed from 

years past in part due to the changes in the cause methodology 

implemented for the NFIRS 5.0 data. Arson, heating, smoking, and 

playing with heat sources played major roles in prior years.

6

 Associated Press, “Fatal fire at homeless shelter in Paris, Texas,” 

January 5, 2009, http://www.khou.com/news/state/stories/

khou090105_tnt_paris-fire.3e89b7f5.html, (accessed January 

2009).

7

 Torsten Ove, “5 small children die in fire,” Pittsburgh PostGazette, June 13, 2007, http://www.post-gazette.com/

pg/07164/793640-53.stm (accessed January 2009). 

8

 Michelle L. Devon, “Bronx Fire in Highbridge Kills 8 Children, 

1 Adult.” March 9, 2007, http://www.associatedcontent.com/

article/173354/bronx_fire_in_highbridge_kills_8_children.

html?singlepage=true&cat=8 (accessed January 2009). 

9

 ABC News, “Devastating NYC Fire Kills 8 Children, 1 Adult,” 

March 8, 2007, http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=2933810

(accessed January 2009).