This is a list of notable fires in China, part of the series of lists of disasters in China.
This list includes British Hong Kong and Manchukuo.
Particularly fires in theatres and night clubs.
| Date/location | Name | Deaths, Injured | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 February 1977, Khorgas, Xinjiang | 694, 161[1] | A war movie was being shown at a hall during the Chinese New Year. A child set off a firecracker and ignited wreaths for the late Mao Zedong, which for over five months no one dared to dispose of. Most deaths were the children of the regiment at their military-agricultural colony. | ||
| 26 February 1937, Andong (now Dandong), Manchukuo | 650, 28 | During a play, fire spread from a stove in the backstage room to the ceiling, which quickly spread to the lobby. A latch on the main entrance prevented attendees from escaping. | ||
| 26 February 1918, Hong Kong | 614 | A horse racing grandstand collapsed and knocked over food stalls. | ||
| 8 December 1994, Karamay, Xinjiang | 325, 130[2] | Students were entertaining visiting officials at a theatre. When the fire broke out, students were ordered to remain seated to allow officials to walk out first. | ||
| 25 December 2000, Luoyang, Henan | 309, 7[3] | Sparks caused by welders triggered a fire in the basement, construction workers and retail staff evacuated, forgetting about the nightclub patrons trapped in the upper floors of the building. | ||
| 27 November 1994, Fuxin, Liaoning | 233, 4 | A sofa caught fire from a lit cigarette and newspaper, the fire spread and the buildings quickly collapsed. One of the escape doors was locked, which contributed to the high death toll. |
Most fires from 1949 to 1979 were not notable due to lack of records.
| Date/location | Name | Deaths, Injured | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 January 1878, Tianjin | 2000[4] | The gate of the soup kitchen was always locked to prevent the hunger from causing social unrest, which prevented evacuation in case of fire. | ||
| February 1975, Haicheng, Liaoning | 341, 980[5] | The earthquake evacuees lived in self-made tents, which caught fire.[6] | ||
| 15 February 1959, Yanyuan, Sichuan | Longtang Reservoir fire (under-construction) | 197, 86[7] | Fire started when all the staff were attending a meeting. | |
| 5 January 1960, Tongren, Guizhou | Tongren Airport fire (under-construction)[8] | 175, 5 | A fire broke out during construction at the Tongren Fenghuang Airport. It is the deadliest airport fire in China. | |
| 8 January 1965, Yuli, Xinjiang | 172, 10[9] | Most of the deaths were sent-down youth from Shanghai in the 35th Regiment at their military-agricultural colony.[10] | ||
| 25, 13 | Disgruntled youngsters set fire to a crowded two-story internet cafe in Beijing's university district after being banned. This was the deadliest fire in Beijing in more than 50 years. |
Over the history of China, three cities stood out to have suffered from repetitive urban conflagrations, including, Jiankang during the Northern and Southern dynasties, Hangzhou during Song dynasty and Chongqing between late Qing and the early republic.[15] [16]