2005 — March 10, Fire, Residential t/hse, candle sets mattress on fire, Marrero, LA — 11

— 11  NFPA. “Multiple-Death Fires for 2005.” NFPA Journal, September/October 2006.

— 11  NFPA. The U.S. Fire Problem. “Home Fires with Ten or More Fatalities (1980-2007).” 2008.

— 11  USFA. Fatal Fires, Topical Fire Research Series, Vol. 5, Issue 1.  2005.  5.

 

Narrative Information

 

NFPA: “The largest loss of life residential fire [in 2005] killed 11 people, including three children under the age of six. This fire occurred in March in a two-story single-family townhouse.

 

“A 14-year-old woke to find his bed on fire. Once he told his uncle, the uncle removed the blanket and attempted to extinguish the fire. He then moved the burning mattress downstairs in an attempt to throw it outside. A second adult relative also came downstairs and attempted to open the front door but was not able to because of a deadbolt lock with which the family was unfamiliar. The uncle placed the mattress on some packed cardboard boxes and attempted to open the door. As the boxes started to burn, fire and smoke forced the two to exit using a rear door, which they left open. A third relative, carrying a small child, exited the structure by way of a second-story window. The adults went around to kick open the front door, but fire was already quickly engulfing the front room and spreading up the stairway to the second story. The victims were all found in second-story bedrooms and a bathroom. The fire began when the bedding was exposed to a candle on the windowsill. The family was just moving into the house and the power was not yet turned on, so candles were used for light.” (NFPA. “Multiple-Death Fires for 2005.”  NFPA Journal, September/October 2006.)

 

USFA: “A March 2005 townhouse fire in a New Orleans suburb resulted in the deaths of 11 members of a family. Four people were able to escape. The fire was caused by a candle igniting a mattress. Authorities said one of the family members tried to move the burning mattress down a flight of stairs, limiting vital escape time and contributing to the tragedy.” (USFA. Fatal Fires, 2005, p. 5.)

Sources

 

National Fire Protection Association. “Multiple-Death Fires for 2005.” NFPA Journal, September/October 2006. Accessed at: http://www.nfpa.org/publicJournalDetail.asp?categoryID=1301&itemID=29867&src=NFPAJournal

 

National Fire Protection Association. The U.S. Fire Problem. “Home Fires with Ten or More Fatalities (1980-2007).” Quincy, MA:  NFPA, April 2008 update. Accessed at:  http://www.nfpa.org:80/itemDetail.asp?categoryID=953&itemID=30981&URL=Research%20&%20Reports/Fire%20statistics/The%20U.S.%20fire%20problem

 

United States Fire Administration. Fatal Fires, Topical Fire Research Series, Vol. 5, Issue 1.  March 2005, 7 pages. Accessed at: http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/downloads/pdf/tfrs/v5i1.pdf