Historical Fire Case Studies | F.I.R.E. Education

Lessons Archive

Case Studies That Shaped Fire Safety

Explore more than 100 historical fire incident case studies, examining how fires developed, the lessons learnt and their impact on fire safety and engineering.

From new legislation and regulation arising from serious fires of recent times to the historical lessons learnt from incidents in the past, here you can learn more about how these fires developed and, crucially, how those lessons learnt can help prevent recurrences.

2006

Al-salam Boccaccio 98 ferry disaster

What happened to the Al-salam Boccaccio 98 ferry? On 3 February 2006 a fire broke out aboard the Al...

2005

Mumbai High North complex fire accident

What happened at the Mumbai High North complex in 2005? On 27 July 2005 a fire broke out which dest...

2002

Arabdrill 19 jack-up rig blowout

What happened to the Arabdrill 19 (AD19) jack-up rig in Khafji Field? On 30 September 2002 a blowou...

1989

Santa Fe ‘Al Baz’ drilling rig blowout

What happened to the Al Baz drilling rig? On 28 April 1989 the Al Baz drilling rig, owned by Santa...

1988

Piper Alpha oil platform explosion

What happened to the Piper Alpha oil platform? On 6 July 1988 the Piper Alpha oil platform exploded...

1985

West Vanguard drilling rig blowout

What happened to the West Vanguard drilling rig? On 6 October 1985 a drilling brake occurred - the...

1982

Ocean Ranger offshore drilling unit sinking

Note: This case study is cited here not due to a fire incident but due to the lack of safety awarene...

1964

CP Baker Drilling Barge fire

What happened to the CP Baker Drilling Barge? On 30 June 1964 an explosion occurred aboard the CP B...

2011

Forsyth Barr Building earthquake fire

What happened to the Forsyth Barr Building? On 22 February 2011 a small fire of relatively short du...

2003

The Station nightclub fire

What happened to The Station nightclub in Rhode Island? On 20 February 2003 a fire broke out in The...

1998

Gothenburg discothèque fire

What happened at the Gothenburg discothèque? The Gothenburg discothèque fire broke ou...

1990

Heliopolis Sheraton hotel fire

What happened at the Heliopolis Sheraton hotel in 1990? On 1 May 1990 a fire spread to the Heliopol...

1986

Dupont Plaza Hotel arson

What happened at the Dupont Plaza Hotel on New Year’s Eve 1986? On 31 Dec 1986 a fire broke o...

1985

Bradford City stadium fire

What happened at Bradford City FC’s Valley Parade in 1985? On 11 May 1985 a fire broke out in...

1984

Six Flags Great Adventure Haunted Castle Attraction fire

What happened to the Haunted Castle attraction at Six Flags Great Adventure? On 11 May 1984 a fire...