November 20, 1910 Barnard, Missouri Four members of the Hubbell family are shot before their house is burned to destroy any evidence The evening before the shootings, Oda Hubbell had been seen in an argument with Hezekiah “Hez” Rasco over a financial issue. Depending on the source, Oda had won either $60 (about $1,650 today)…
Woman dies in fire, possibly the victim of spontaneous human combustion
November 8, 1964Upper Darby, PennsylvaniaHelen Conway (51) dies in a fire in — what some have argued — a case of spontaneous human combustion At the time of her death, Conway was being visited by two of her grandchildren, ages 6 and 8. At some point, a neighbor noticed smoke coming from the home and…
A family of six, five of whom are children, are found dead after a house fire
November 2, 1942Chatsworth, GeorgiaSix members of the Pulliam family are found dead in the burned wreckage of their home On the morning of November 2, neighbors noticed the Pulliam house in flames and immediately formed a bucket brigade. It was initially suspected the family had stayed the night with Mark Pulliam’s brother, whom they had…
Two men trapped on top of a burning wind turbine perish
October 29, 2013Ooltgensplaat, NetherlandsA fire starts in a wind turbine, trapping two workers at the top On October 29, four engineers were performing maintenance on 12 turbines at Deltawind’s Piet de Wit wind farm in the Netherlands. A fire began in the engine room and, while two of the workers were able to escape the…
The Winecoff Hotel Fire
December 7, 1946Atlanta, GeorgiaThe Winecoff Hotel catches on fire, killing 119 and injuring over 90 The 15-story Winecoff Hotel was advertised as “fireproof,” owing to its steel construction. The walls and other interior components were still made of combustible materials, however. It was opened in 1913, and building codes in 1912 allowed for buildings under…
