Searcy Titan II Silo Fire 1965
In August 1965, workers renovating a Titan II missile silo near Searcy, Arkansas, accidentally sparked a deadly blaze. A welding rod reportedly pierced a high-pressure hydraulic hose, igniting the fluid on Level 2. With poor lighting, inadequate ventilation, and narrow escape routes, smoke quickly filled the shaft. The silo's nuclear warhead had been removed for safety, but the fueled missile remained inside as 55 men fought to escape. Only two people survived, while 53 men suffocated or perished in the fire.
Investigators called it the deadliest accident ever at a U.S. nuclear weapons facility. After repairs, the missile and silo returned to service and operated until 1980, when this same missile exploded while in its new silo, blowing the 740-ton silo door off and ejecting the missile and its 9-megaton nuclear warhead. Fortunately, the warhead didn't detonate.