List of the deadliest firefighter disasters in the United States

Below is a list of the deadliest firefighter disasters in the United States, in which more than five firefighters died. "Firefighter" is defined as a professional trained to fight fires. Hence the 1933 Griffith Park fire is excluded, as it killed 29 untrained civilians.

List

RankEventDateFirefighter FatalitiesCoordinatesReference
1September 11 attacksSeptember 11, 200134340°42′46.8″N 74°0′48.6″W / 40.713000°N 74.013500°W / 40.713000; -74.013500[1]
2Great Fire of 1910August 22, 191078[N 1]47°25′34″N 116°6′13″W / 47.42611°N 116.10361°W / 47.42611; -116.10361[1][3]
3Texas City disasterApril 16, 19472729°22′39″N 94°53′29″W / 29.37750°N 94.89139°W / 29.37750; -94.89139[4][2]
4Chicago Union Stock Yards fire (1910)December 22, 19102141°49′8.31″N 87°39′40.08″W / 41.8189750°N 87.6611333°W / 41.8189750; -87.6611333[4][2]
6McKee refinery fireJuly 29, 19561935°57′21.28″N 101°53′11.49″W / 35.9559111°N 101.8865250°W / 35.9559111; -101.8865250[4][2]
Yarnell Hill FireJune 30, 20131934°14′47.84″N 112°45′20.94″W / 34.2466222°N 112.7558167°W / 34.2466222; -112.7558167[2]
8Blackwater fire of 1937August 21, 19371544°24′43″N 109°44′30″W / 44.41194°N 109.74167°W / 44.41194; -109.74167[5]
Rattlesnake FireJuly 9, 19531539°39′19.05″N 122°38′9.67″W / 39.6552917°N 122.6360194°W / 39.6552917; -122.6360194[4][2]
10South Canyon FireJuly 6, 19941439°34′26.48″N 107°25′36.82″W / 39.5740222°N 107.4268944°W / 39.5740222; -107.4268944[4][2]
11Strand Theatre fire (Brockton, Massachusetts)March 10, 19411342°4′58.40″N 71°1′9.58″W / 42.0828889°N 71.0193278°W / 42.0828889; -71.0193278[4][2]
Mann Gulch fireAugust 4, 19491346°52′46.56″N 111°54′17.64″W / 46.8796000°N 111.9049000°W / 46.8796000; -111.9049000[4][2]
Friedlander Leather Remnants Factory fireDecember 21, 19101339°58′5.50″N 75°8′29.35″W / 39.9681944°N 75.1414861°W / 39.9681944; -75.1414861[4]
Bowen-Merrill Bookstore FireMarch 17, 18901339°46′02.7″N 86°09′32.0″W / 39.767417°N 86.158889°W / 39.767417; -86.158889[6]
15Kingman explosionJuly 5, 19731235°12′54.10″N 114°1′48.95″W / 35.2150278°N 114.0302639°W / 35.2150278; -114.0302639[4]
23rd Street FireOctober 17, 19661240°44′27.39″N 73°59′20.01″W / 40.7409417°N 73.9888917°W / 40.7409417; -73.9888917[4]
Loop Fire DisasterNovember 1, 19661234°20′05″N 118°23′47″W / 34.33472°N 118.39639°W / 34.33472; -118.39639 [N 2][7]
18Inaja FireNovember 25, 19561133°5′54″N 116°39′50″W / 33.09833°N 116.66389°W / 33.09833; -116.66389[8]
W. T. Jennings FireApril 25, 18541140°42′44″N 74°00′29″W / 40.71233°N 74.008109°W / 40.71233; -74.008109[9][10]
20West Fertilizer Company explosionApril 17, 20131031°48′58″N 97°05′17″W / 31.816°N 97.088°W / 31.816; -97.088[11]
21Charleston Sofa Super Store fireJune 18, 2007940°44′27.39″N 73°59′20.01″W / 40.7409417°N 73.9888917°W / 40.7409417; -73.9888917[12]
Hotel Vendome fireJune 17, 1972942°21′4.55″N 71°4′43.09″W / 42.3512639°N 71.0786361°W / 42.3512639; -71.0786361[4][2]
Collins Block Fire (Syracuse, New York)February 3, 1939943°3′4.79″N 76°9′12.92″W / 43.0513306°N 76.1535889°W / 43.0513306; -76.1535889[13]
24Great Boston Fire of 1872November 9, 1872842°21′13.75″N 71°3′30.80″W / 42.3538194°N 71.0585556°W / 42.3538194; -71.0585556[1]
1975 Philadelphia Gulf refinery fireAugust 17, 1975839°54′7″N 75°12′17″W / 39.90194°N 75.20472°W / 39.90194; -75.20472[14]
Jackson Pyrotechnic Explosion (Chester, Pennsylvania)February 17, 1882839°50′46″N 75°21′24″W / 39.84611°N 75.35667°W / 39.84611; -75.35667[15]
27Woolworth Fire- Charleston WVMarch 4, 1949738°20'.970"N 81°38'.139' W
28Waldbaum's supermarket fireAugust 2, 1978640°35′33.93″N 73°57′0.48″W / 40.5927583°N 73.9501333°W / 40.5927583; -73.9501333[16]
28Queens soap plant fireOctober 26, 1962640°43′39″N 73°55′24″W / 40.72740°N 73.92338°W / 40.72740; -73.92338[17][18]
28Kansas City ammonium nitrate explosionNovember 29, 1988639°50′47.98″N 94°34′22.49″W / 39.8466611°N 94.5729139°W / 39.8466611; -94.5729139[19]
28Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse Co. fire (Worcester, Massachusetts)December 3, 1999642°15′36.23″N 71°47′34.17″W / 42.2600639°N 71.7928250°W / 42.2600639; -71.7928250[4]


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