Top ten deadliest prison fires in the United States
| Rank |
Event |
Date |
Number of deaths |
| 1. |
Ohio State Penitentiary (PDF)
Columbus, Ohio |
April 21, 1930
|
320
|
| 2. |
Maury County Jail (PDF)
Columbia, Tennessee |
June 26, 1977 |
42
|
| 3. |
Harrison County Jail (PDF)
Biloxi, Mississippi |
November 8, 1982 |
29
|
| 4a. |
Seminole County Jail (PDF)
Sanford, Florida |
June 9, 1975 |
11
|
| 4b. |
Prison
Goldsboro, North Carolina |
March 7, 1931 |
11
|
| 4c. |
Lancaster County Jail (PDF)
Lancaster, South Carolina |
December 17, 1979 |
11
|
| 7. |
McDowell County Prison
Marion, North Carolina |
June 30, 1976 |
9
|
| 8. |
Mitchell County Jail
Bakersville, North Carolina |
May 3, 2002 |
8
|
| 9. |
Hudson County Jail
Jersey City, New Jersey |
April 14, 1982 |
7
|
| 10a. |
Mason County Jail
Point Pleasant, West Virginia |
March 2, 1976 |
5
|
| 10b. |
Federal Correctional Institute (PDF)
Danbury, Connecticut |
July 7, 1977 |
5
|
Disclaimer: Death tolls are based on information in NFPA’s records. Please contact us at
osds@nfpa.org to provide any updated information.
Source: NFPA’s Fire Incident Data Organization and archive records.
Updated 1/10