This study describes the epidemiology and mortality of patients with burns involving over 30 per cent of the body surface who were hospitalized between 1 January 1988 and 1 January 1990. During this period 302 patients were hospitalized (8.1 per cent of those treated); of these, 52 (16.7 per cent) had burns affecting more than 30 per cent of the total body surface. There were 38 males and 14 females (mean age, 43 years). The mean burn extent was 55.3 per cent of the total body surface, and the most common cause was fire (75 per cent); 67.3 per cent of accidents occurred at home. Patient mortality in our series was 30.7 per cent with a mean survival of 10.3 days.