Buzz
While many are familiar with actors who lost their lives in plane crashes (Audie Murphy, Vic Morrow) or car accidents (James Dean), fewer are aware of those who died in fires. This list presents the Top 10 Actors Who Died in Fires. Some passed away in their homes, others during performances. The list includes both well-known figures and lesser-known talents. Some were victims of infamous blazes that claimed hundreds of lives, while others died alone in their residences. Each story is as compelling as the roles they portrayed, yet these tales are tragically real.
10. Claude Burroughs
Claude Burroughs was a promising young actor whose life was cut short in a fire more infamous than his brief acting career. He died on December 5, 1876, in the catastrophic Brooklyn Theater fire, which claimed at least 278 lives, possibly over 300. This tragedy ranks as the third deadliest theater fire in U.S. history, surpassed only by the Cocoanut Grove and Iroquois theater fires. The blaze began when a stage curtain ignited from a border lamp. Initially, the actors remained in character, attempting to prevent panic among the audience. However, as the flames grew and chaos ensued, their pleas for calm went unheeded. Burroughs and a fellow actor, believing they had time to retrieve their coats, tragically never made it out. Their bodies were discovered beneath the collapsed stage, severely burned and unrecognizable. At the time of his death, Burroughs was portraying Picard, the valet, in “The Two Orphans.” He had made his stage debut in 1865 in “Hamlet,” alongside Edwin Booth, the elder brother of John Wilkes Booth, President Lincoln’s assassin.
9. Bobby Young
Robert Howard “Clifton” Young passed away on September 13, 1951, at the age of 33, in a hotel fire caused by falling asleep while smoking. Born Robert H. Young, he was best known as Bobby Young, portraying “Bonedust” in nineteen Our Gang films between 1925 and 1931. His notable film credits include School’s Out, Nora Prentiss, Pursued, Possessed, Dark Passage, and Blood on the Moon. One of his final roles was as a menacing antagonist in the Roy Rogers western, Trail of Robin Hood.
8. Gloria Dickson
Gloria Dickson, a prominent American stage and film actress of the 1930s and 1940s, tragically lost her life on April 10, 1945, in a fire at her Los Angeles residence. She was only 27 years old. The blaze started when a cigarette left burning ignited an overstuffed chair on the ground floor while she slept upstairs. Her body, along with her pet dog, was discovered in the bathroom, suggesting she had tried to flee through the window. The cause of death was asphyxiation, with her lungs severely damaged by the smoke and her body sustaining first and second-degree burns. Dickson appeared in more than 20 Hollywood films, including notable titles like They Won’t Forget and They Made Me a Criminal.
7. Linda Darnell
On April 10, 1965, acclaimed Hollywood actress Linda Darnell perished in a house fire at the age of 41. The fire broke out at the home of her former secretary, where she had been staying with friends while preparing for a stage role. Although it was rumored that she had fallen asleep while smoking after watching her 1940 film Star Dust on television, no evidence supported this claim. Reports suggest Darnell suffered burns over 90% of her body while attempting to rescue her friend’s child, unaware the child had already escaped. Darnell starred in over 30 films and numerous TV shows, earning praise for her performances in Forever Amber (1947), Unfaithfully Yours (1948), and A Letter to Three Wives (1949).
6. Butterfly (Thelma) McQueen
On December 22, 1995, actress Butterfly (Thelma) McQueen, renowned for her numerous film roles, particularly her iconic portrayal of Prissy in Gone with the Wind, succumbed to severe burns sustained in a fire at her Augusta, Georgia, apartment. She was 84 years old at the time. The incident occurred when a kerosene heater she was attempting to light malfunctioned and ignited. Firefighters discovered her outside on the sidewalk, suffering from burns covering 70% of her body. Despite being rushed to the hospital, she passed away shortly after due to her injuries.
5. Teresa Graves
On October 10, 2002, actress Teresa Graves, known for her roles in TV’s “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In” and “Get Christie Love!,” tragically died in a fire at her Los Angeles home. She was found unconscious inside the burning house and rushed to the hospital but was declared dead on arrival. Investigators believe a faulty heater sparked the blaze. Graves, aged 53, was celebrated for her groundbreaking role as a police detective in the ABC series “Get Christie Love!,” making her one of the first African American actresses to headline a prime-time TV show.
4. Dennis Patrick
On Sunday, October 13, 2002, just days after the tragic passing of Teresa Graves, actor Dennis Patrick also lost his life in a house fire in Los Angeles. The 84-year-old Patrick, famous for his role as Vaughn Leland in the popular soap opera Dallas, was discovered by firefighters alongside his dog, Josh. Over 50 firefighters battled the blaze for 30 minutes before extinguishing it. The cause of death was determined to be smoke inhalation. His ashes, along with those of his dog, were scattered at sea. Patrick was widely recognized for his work on the TV series Dark Shadows and appeared in over 1800 guest roles across various TV programs during his four-decade career. He also holds the unique distinction of portraying television’s first vampire in a 1951 episode of Stage 13.
3. Jack Cassidy
On December 12, 1976, acclaimed TV and film actor Jack Cassidy tragically died in a fire at his West Hollywood apartment at the age of 49. The blaze began when a cigarette he was smoking ignited the couch after he fell asleep. Reports indicated he had been drinking earlier that evening, with a post-mortem blood alcohol level of 0.12%. The fire quickly engulfed the apartment, and his body was discovered on the floor, seemingly attempting to crawl to safety through sliding glass doors. Cassidy’s remains were severely charred and identified only through dental records and family signet rings on his hand. The official cause of death was listed as “extensive thermal burns of the body.” A two-time Emmy nominee, Cassidy appeared in numerous TV series, films, and stage productions. He was married to actress Shirley Jones, who starred in The Partridge Family alongside his son, David Cassidy. Known for his eccentric behavior, Cassidy, who had bipolar disorder, once made headlines for watering his lawn naked. Ironically, he had starred in a 1971 episode of Night Gallery titled “The Last Laurel,” where his character died in a similar manner.
2. Reg Evans
On February 7, 2009, veteran British/Australian actor Reg Evans and his partner, Angela Brunton, perished in the devastating 2009 Victorian bushfires, also known as Black Saturday. These fires, fueled by extreme weather conditions, became Australia’s deadliest bushfire event, claiming 173 lives and injuring 414. Evans had reportedly told friends he intended to stay and defend his property. Known for his roles in Australian TV series and films like Mad Max, The Island, and Gallipoli, Evans was most recognized as Keith Purvis in the TV series “Blue Healers.” He also appeared in “Matlock Police,” “Homicide,” and “Are You Being Served.”
1. Royce Applegate
Remarkably, just ten weeks after Dennis Patrick’s death, another actor, Royce Applegate, lost his life in a house fire. On January 1, 2003, the 63-year-old television and film actor died at his Hollywood Hills residence due to smoke inhalation. The cause of the fire remains undetermined. Two firefighters sustained serious injuries while battling the blaze. Applegate’s career included roles in films like “Splash,” “The Getaway,” “O Brother, Where Art Thou?,” and “The Rookie,” as well as TV series such as “Dallas,” “CHiPs,” “Twin Peaks,” and “JAG.”
+ Charles (Buck) Jones
Charles (Buck) Jones was among the 492 victims of the devastating Cocoanut Grove fire on November 28, 1942, in Boston, Massachusetts. Although he initially survived the blaze, he succumbed to his injuries two days later on November 30, 1942. Jones was the guest of honor at a party when the fire erupted, marking one of the deadliest fire disasters in U.S. history. A veteran of the Philippine-American War (1899-1913), also known as the Moro Rebellion, Jones began his film career as a stuntman before starring in over 160 films. By the 1920s, he became one of the era’s leading cowboy actors, alongside Hoot Gibson, Tom Mix, and Ken Maynard. Jones also served as a consultant for Daisy Outdoor Products, which released the Daisy “Buck Jones” model pump-action air rifle. Featuring a compass and sundial in its stock, it became one of Daisy’s premium air rifles and enjoyed strong sales for years. Interestingly, it was this model, not the “Red Ryder,” that Ralphie persistently sought in the beloved holiday film A Christmas Story.
