Through January 6, 2009

46 residential fire fatalities (non-arson) have been compiled by the Quick Response Program this year.

Significant Multiple Fatality Fires

Receive Civilian Fire Fatality Notices
by E-mail

Residential Fire Fatalities in the News

Daily Update (available Monday Friday)

The Nation's news media is reporting the following residential fire (non-arson) fatalities:

Tuesday, January 6

3 dead: Ringling, OK (Wichita Falls, TX Lawson, OK): Two sisters, ages 13 and 15-years-old and a male relative were killed in a home fire. The fire was caused by a lit gas stove being used as an alternative heating source.
1 dead: San Mateo, CA (San Francisco, CA): A man was killed in an apartment fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead: Burlington, IA (Davenport, IA Rock Island –Moline, IL): A woman was killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead: Little New York, TX (San Antonio, TX): A one-year-old girl was killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

To find out more about any of the reported incidents...

Please contact news media in the vicinity where the fatal fire occurred. USFA does not have any additional information other than what is listed on this page.

Monday, January 5

8 dead: Richland, NY (Syracuse, NY): Eight family members, including four adults, ages 41, 33, 26, and 19; as well as four boys ages 10-years-old, 6-years-old, 20-months-old, and 6-months old were killed in a home fire. The cause is still under investigation; however officials believe the fire may have been caused by a wood stove. The home had no working smoke alarms.
2 dead: Andrews, SC (Charleston, SC): A 24-year-old mother and her five-year-old son were killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead: Everett, WA (Seattle-Tacoma, WA): A person was killed in an apartment fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead: Matteson, IL (Chicago, IL): A 93-year-old man was killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead: Walkersville, MD (Washington, DC): A man was killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead: Marianna, FL (Panama City, FL): A 64-year-old man was killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead: Duquesne, PA (Pittsburgh, PA): A 61-year-old woman was killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead: Penelope, TX (Dallas-Fort Worth, TX): A person was killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead: Beaverdale, PA (Johnstown - Altoona, PA): A 27-year-old man was killed in an apartment fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead: Salisbury, NY (Utica, NY): A six-year-old girl was killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Friday, January 2

6 dead: Washington, DC (Washington, DC): Three adults, ages 72, 23, and 22; as well as three children ages 11, 10, and 4-years-old were killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire was due to an electrical malfunction in the home. Investigators are still trying to determine if a short was caused by a number of overloaded surge protectors.
3 dead: Victoria Township, MO (St. Louis, MO): A 39-year-old man and his two children, ages eleven and seven were killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
2 dead: Anderson, IN (Indianapolis, IN): Two sisters, ages one and two-years old were killed in a home fire. While the cause of the fire remains under investigation, officials believe the fire began in the children’s bedroom.
1 dead: Augusta, ME (Portland, ME): A woman was killed in an apartment fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead: Camden, NJ (Philadelphia, PA): A man was killed in an abandoned home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead: Tonawanda, NY (Buffalo, NY): A 23-year-old woman was killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead: Philadelphia, PA (Philadelphia, PA): A 70-year-old woman was killed in an apartment fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead: Columbia, SC (Columbia, SC): A man was killed in a mobile home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead: Winston-Salem, NC (Greensboro – Winston-Salem, NC): A 77-year-old woman was killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire was due to the woman smoking in bed.
1 dead: Corpus Christie, TX (Corpus Christie, TX): A 94-year-old woman was killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead: Appalachia, VA (Tri-cities, TN): A three-year-old girl was killed in a home fire. Although the cause of the fire is still under investigation, investigators believe the fire may have been caused by a candle in the living room.
1 dead: Fond du Lac, WI (Green Bay, WI): A 56-year-old man was killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead: Garfield Park, IL (Chicago, IL): A 55-year-old woman was killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead: Harris County, TX (Houston, TX): A 50-year-old woman was killed in a mobile home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Wednesday, December 31

1 dead: Fond Du Lac, WI (Green Bay, WI): A person was killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead: Aldine, TX (Houston, TX): A 50-year-old woman was killed in a mobile home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead: Mascoutah, IL (St. Louis, MO): A 64-year-old woman was killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead: Concord, CA (San Francisco, CA): An 85-year-old woman was killed in an apartment fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead: Leon County, TX (Waco, TX): A man was killed in a home fire. While the cause of the fire remains under investigation, officials learned that a burning wood stove was in use inside the home.
1 dead: Lower Frederick, PA (Philadelphia, PA): A 74-year-old man was killed in an apartment fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Tuesday, December 30

2 dead: Grand Forks, ND (Fargo, ND): A 65-year-old man and a 50-year-old woman were killed in a home fire. A radio was either left on top of, or fell onto, a hot plate and caught fire. An attempt was made by the residents to extinguish the fire but it reignited later and spread to the countertop. Toxic fumes from the plastic killed the victims.
1 dead: Clinton, SC (Greenville, SC): A 44-year-old man was killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead: Austin, TX: A 40-year-old man was killed in an apartment fire. The apartment did not have a smoke alarm. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead: Corpus Christi, TX: A nine-year-old boy was killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead: Newcastle, OK (Oklahoma City, OK): A 47-year-old man was killed in a home fire. Officials believe unattended burning candles may have caused the fire. The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation.
1 dead: Fairmont, WV (Charleston, WV): An elderly man was killed in an apartment fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1 dead: Smiths Station, AL (Columbus, GA): A 51-year-old woman was killed in a home fire. Officials believe an electrical problem in the kitchen caused the fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

About Quick Response

Information on residential fire fatalities is compiled for the USFA's Quick Response Program from a daily Google search of news media reports throughout the country. The primary purpose of the Quick Response program is to distribute fire safety and prevention materials through the news media and fire departments in the local area affected by the fire.

Residential Fire Fatalities Compiled through Quick Response

Microsoft Excel Help

Download

Quick Response Residential Fire (non-arson) Fatalities, Jan-Dec08 (XLS, 327 Kb)
USFA estimates the Quick Response program captures approximately one-third to one-half of the total number of residential fire fatalities that occur each year. Data is obtained from news media reports published or aired within 24-48 hours after the fire; therefore, complete information is not available. Most fires require a post-incident investigation that may take days or months to complete. Only at the conclusion of the investigation will relevant facts be determined. For this reason, the statistics found in this file are only preliminary and should be viewed as such.
Quick Response Residential Fire (non-arson) Fatalities, Jan07-Dec07 (XLS, 343 Kb)

Report a Residential Fire Fatality to Quick Response

If you are aware of a residential fire fatality not captured through the Quick Response program, please report it here.