Zella Webb's miraculous survival and self-preservation during a lamp fire
Published October 6, 2026 at 3:32 AM
Contributed by
Millennial Star Research
Zella Webb of Provo was in her house alone when a coal-oil lamp, which she had left burning beside her bed, exploded or was knocked over while she was asleep. The ensuing fire caused her severe burns, yet she successfully extinguished the flames through her own efforts without calling for help. She survived and recovered from her injuries.
Fuller account of this event (the complete account as preserved in The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star, Vol. 48, No. 41, 11 October 1886, p. 656):
Miss Zella Webb, of Provo, was severely burned on the 12th inst. A coal-oil lamp, which she had left burning by her bed, was knocked over while she was asleep, and the bedclothes caught fire. She was alone in the house, but succeeded in extinguishing the flames, though not until she was terribly burned.
In Their Own Words
“Miss Zella Webb, of Provo: on retiring to bed on the night of Sept. 15th, left her coal-oil lamp burning on a chair beside her bed, intending to read until she became sleepy. She unconsciously dropped off to sleep, and the lamp exploded or was knocked off the chair. In the conflagration that ensued she was very badly burned, but with great heroism succeeded in extinguishing the flames without taking time to call for help, although she was alone in the house. She is recovering from her injuries. — Millennial Star 48:41”
Sources & References
The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star (Manchester, later Liverpool, England, May 1840–1970), 11 October 1886 (Vol. 48, No. 41). https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_the-latter-day-saints-millennial-star_1886-10-11_48_41 (account extracted verbatim from the issue's Internet Archive OCR text; research confidence: high) Complete account: The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star, Vol. 48, No. 41, 11 October 1886, p. 656 https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_the-latter-day-saints-millennial-star_1886-10-11_48_41
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