Current Table

Top 10 Costliest Large-Loss Fires, 2021 (1)
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($ millions)

Rank State Month Type of facility Estimated loss
1 Colorado December Wildland/urban interface, Marshall Fire $678.0 
2 Illinois June Chemical manufacturing 160.0 
3 California November Textile manufacturing 128.0 
4 Wisconsin February Ship in for repairs 100.0 
5 Tennessee July Cereal manufacturing 98.6 
6 Nevada January Apartments under construction 35.0 
7 Tennessee March Rubber manufacturing 35.0 
8 Colorado October Apartment building (81 units) 30.2 
9 Texas February Warehouse with foam products 26.0 
10 California January Restaurant 25.2 

(1) Large-loss fires of $20 million or more in 2021.

Note: Loss data shown here may differ from figures shown elsewhere for the same event due to differences in the date of publication, the geographical area covered and other criteria used by organizations collecting the data.

Source: Reproduced with permission from Large-Loss Fires and Explosions in the United States in 2021 by Stephen G. Badger, ©2023 National Fire Protection Association www.nfpa.org.

 

Archived Tables

THE TEN MOST COSTLY LARGE-LOSS FIRES OF 2008 (1)
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($ millions)

Rank State Type of facility Estimated loss
1 California Wildland $800
2 Michigan Steel plant 400
3 Georgia Sugar refinery 275
4 Nevada Hotel 100
5 Arkansas Meat processing plant 100
6 Pennsylvania Apartments under construction  75
7 California Wildland 55
8 Maryland Steel plant 50
9 California Wildland 50
10 Georgia Tire manufacturing plant 46

(1) Large-loss fires of $10 million or more.

Source: National Fire Protection Association.

 
THE TEN MOST COSTLY LARGE-LOSS FIRES OF 2009 (1)
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($ millions)

Rank State Type of facility Estimated loss
1 Illinois Casino pavilion $340
2 California Wildfire 100
3 Minnesota Meat preparation plant 50
4 Texas TV broadcasting vehicle 44
5 South Carolina Wildfire 44
6 Indiana Apartment building under construction 38
7 North Carolina Produce warehouse 30
8 Ohio Chemical waste recycling storage 30
9 Arkansas Machinery parts manufacturing  25
10 Michigan Single-family home 25

(1) Large-loss fires of $25 million or more.

Source: National Fire Protection Association.

 
THE TEN MOST COSTLY LARGE-LOSS FIRES OF 2010 (1)
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($ millions)

Rank State Type of facility Estimated loss
1 Colorado Wildfire $217
2 California Shopping mall 110
3 California Outside natural gas explosion and fire 65
4 Illinois Wastewater treatment plant explosion 52
5 Texas Electronics warehouse 40
6 Missouri Elementary school 29
7 California Produce storage 20
8 Texas Church 15
9 Texas Sawmill 15
10 Utah Church 15

(1) Large-loss fires of $15 million or more.

Source: National Fire Protection Association.

 
THE ELEVEN MOST COSTLY LARGE-LOSS FIRES OF 2011 (1)
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($ millions)

Rank State Type of facility Estimated loss
1 Texas Wildfire $400
2 California Plastic products storage 40
3 Texas Wildfire 40
4 Texas Plastic products storage 35
5 Kentucky Chemical manufacturing plant 35
6 Michigan Vehicle parts assembly plant 22
7 California Power generation plant 20
8 South Carolina Fertilizer manufacturing plant 20
9 Nebraska Office building 20
10 North Carolina Office building 20
11 Texas Chemical manufacturing plant 20

(1) Fires/explosions causing $20 million or more in property loss.

Source: National Fire Protection Association.

 
THE TEN MOST COSTLY LARGE-LOSS FIRES, 2012 (1)
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($ millions)

Rank State Type of facility Estimated loss
1 Colorado Wildfire $354
2 Maine Submarine in dry dock 400
3 Colorado Wildfire 114
4 Pennsylvania Plating shop 75
5 Georgia Vehicle parts manufacturing 50
6 Minnesota Paper mill 50
7 Illinois Galvanizing plant 31
8 Pennsylvania Single-family home 25
9 California Party goods store 25
10 Massachusetts Transformers 22

(1) Fires/explosions causing $20 million or more in property loss.

Source: National Fire Protection Association.

 
TOP 10 MOST COSTLY LARGE-LOSS FIRES, 2013
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($ millions)

Rank Month State Type of facility Estimated loss
1 June Colorado Wildfire $421
2 April  Texas Fertilizer manufacturing 100
3 April Connecticut Single-family home 50
4 January Wisconsin Egg processing plant 40
5 April Arkansas Aluminum die cast manufacturing 30
6 June Indiana Warehouse 20
7 July California Tunnel 17
8 October California Apartment building 15
9 December California Wildfire 15
10 February  Missouri Restaurant 15

Source: Reproduced with permission from Large-Loss Fires in the United States, 2013 by Stephen G. Badger, ©National Fire Protection Association. www.nfpa.org/research/reports-and-statistics.

 
Top 10 Most Costly Large-Loss Fires, 2014
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($ millions)

Rank Month State Type of facility Estimated loss
1 September California Pier  $100.2
2 October Kansas Airport flight safety building 61.5
3 March Texas Apartment building under construction 50.0
4 March California Apartment building under construction 41.0
5 March Iowa Meatpacking plant 30.0
6 May California Wildland/urban complex 29.8
7 December California Apartment building under construction 27.1
8 June California Yacht  25.1
9 December Wisconsin Cheese storage and manufacturing 25.0
10 August South Carolina Gas distribution plant 25.0

Source: Reproduced with permission from Large-Loss Fires in the United States, 2014 by Stephen G. Badger, ©National Fire Protection Association. www.nfpa.org/research/reports-and-statistics.

 
Top 10 Costliest Large-Loss Fires, 2015
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($ millions)

Rank Month State Type of facility Estimated loss
1 September California Wildland urban interface fire $1,500.0
2 September California Wildland urban interface fire 450.0
3 April Kentucky Appliance parts warehouse 110.0
4 April Nebraska Military fighter jet 62.0
5 March Pennsylvania Glass manufacturing plant 55.0
6 June Pennsylvania Fertilizer manufacturing plant 40.0
7 July California Church 31.0
8 September California Silk screening product plant 31.0
9 March Idaho Grain processing plant 24.0
10 August Washington Wildland urban interface fire          22.0

Source: Reproduced with permission from Large-Loss Fires in the United States, 2015 by Stephen G. Badger, ©National Fire Protection Association. www.nfpa.org/research/reports-and-statistics.

 
Top 10 Costliest Large-Loss Fires, 2016
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($ millions)

Rank Month State Type of facility Estimated loss
1 November Tennessee Wildland urban interface fire $911.0 (1)
2 August California Wildland urban interface fire (Clayton Fire) 174.6
3 March California Textiles warehouse 40.0
4 September Minnesota Warehouse 25.0
5 July Washington Unoccupied six-story mixed-occupancy building 20.0
6 July California  Unoccupied six-story apartment building 20.0
7 July California One-story multi-tenant strip mall 18.9
8 June Mississippi One-story manufacturing plant 17.6
9 October Oregon Office building 17.2
10 April Arizona Unoccupied three-story apartment building 17.0

(1) The NFPA notes that latest information for this event is not available.

Source: Reproduced with permission from Large-Loss Fires in the United States, 2016 by Stephen G. Badger, ©National Fire Protection Association. www.nfpa.org.

 
Top 10 Costliest Large-Loss Fires, 2017
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($ millions)

Rank Month State Type of facility Estimated loss
1 October California Wildland urban interface fire $10,020.0
2 December California Wildland urban interface fire 1,775.2
3 July Massachusetts Apartments under construction 110.0
4 July Hawaii 569-unit apartment building 107.4
5 April Maryland Apartments under construction 100.0
6 March North Carolina Apartments under construction 62.5
7 January Florida Paper mill 50.0
8 May California Apartments under construction 50.0
9 June Massachusetts Apartments under construction 45.0
10 March Pennsylvania Saw mill 35.6

Source: Reproduced with permission from Large-Loss Fires in the United States, 2017 by Stephen G. Badger, © 2017, National Fire Protection Association https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Data-research-and-tools/US-Fire-Problem.

 
Top 10 Costliest Large-Loss Fires, 2018
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($ millions)

Rank Month State Type of facility Estimated loss
1 November California Wildland Urban Interface fire, Camp Fire $8,473.4
2 November California Wildland Urban Interface fire, Woolsey Fire  2,932.1
3 July California Wildland Urban Interface fire, Carr Fire 892.6
4 May Kansas University library 70.0
5 April California Apartment complex under construction 60.5
6 September D.C. Occupied apartment building 47.0
7 July California Wildland Urban Interface fire, Ranch Fire 30.3
8 July Wisconsin Printing facility 21.0
9 February California Single-family home 20.5
10 May Missouri Hog farm 20.0
10 August California Wood product manufacturing Plant 20.0

Note: Loss data shown here may differ from figures shown elsewhere for the same event due to differences in the date of publication, the geographical area covered and other criteria used by organizations collecting the data.

Source: Reproduced with permission from Large-Loss Fires in the United States, 2018 by Stephen G. Badger and Matthew Foley, ©2019 National Fire Protection Association www.nfpa.org.

 
Top 10 Costliest Large-Loss Fires, 2019 (1)
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($ millions)

Rank State Month Type of facility Estimated loss
1 Texas November Petrochemical plant $1,100.0
2 California October Wildfire 383.8
3 California June Restaurant 36.0
4 California June Helicopter 30.0
4 Texas July Power generation plant 30.0
5 Ohio February Shipboard fire (In port for repairs) 25.0
6 California October Wildfire 20.5
6 Tennessee September Metal refining 20.5
7 North Carolina April Coffee shop gas explosion and fire 20.0
7 Massachusetts March Manufacturing 20.0

(1) Large-loss fires of $20 million or more in 2019.

Note: Loss data shown here may differ from figures shown elsewhere for the same event due to differences in the date of publication, the geographical area covered and other criteria used by organizations collecting the data.

Source: National Fire Protection Association www.nfpa.org.

 
Top 10 Costliest Large-Loss Fires, 2020 (1)
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($ millions)

Rank State Month Type of facility Estimated loss
1 August California "Siege"  wildfires (2) $4,200.0
2 July California Navy ship under repair 3,000.0
3 June California Online sales warehouse 300.0
4 August Minnesota Hotel under construction 80.0
5 February Georgia Apartments under construction  61.0
6 January New Jersey Apartments under construction 51.9
7 May North Carolina Manufacturing, special equipment 50.0
8 May Ohio Apartments under construction 26.1
9 July Massachusetts Cold storage warehouse 25.0
10 February Alaska Village school building 20.0

(1) Large-loss fires of $20 million or more in 2020.
(2) Includes multiple wildfires.

Note: Loss data shown here may differ from figures shown elsewhere for the same event due to differences in the date of publication, the geographical area covered and other criteria used by organizations collecting the data.

Source: National Fire Protection Association www.nfpa.org.