The National Traumatic Occupational Fatalities surveillance system recorded
1518 fire- and flame-related occupational fatalities among the civilian wo
rkforce in the United States between 1980 and 1994. The fatalities resulted
from 1221 separate incidents, of which 122 involved more than one victim a
nd accounted for 419 of 1518 deaths, Nearly 4 of 10 fatalities resulting fr
om a multiple-victim fire were workers in the manufacturing industry. Simil
arly, the highest frequency of fatalities in single-victim events, over one
fourth, were in manufacturing, For one fourth of the fatalities within eac
h event category, the usual occupation of the deceased was a precision prod
uction, craft, and repair worker Although this study sheds light on selecte
d characteristics of these fatalities, additional research on the causal fa
ctors associated with single- and multiple-victim events is needed to prese
nt specific recommendations for prevention efforts.