Historical Fires

 

 

The most fatal single-building fire in U.S. history was the Iroquois Theatre Fire. The fire occurred during a musical in Chicago, Illinois, December 30, 1903. The fire began when a hot stage light ignited a velvet curtain. The fire quickly spread to the scenery that was decorated with oil paint. The stage did not have automatic sprinklers, and the stage fire curtain failed to close properly to contain the fire. The theatre also neglected to have emergency lighting, the stage smoke and heat vents were not operational, and many of the exits were either locked or opened into the theatre, impeding the audience from exiting the building. Tragically, 602 people died as a result of the fire.

The deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history was the Cocoanut Grove Nightclub Fire. The fire occurred in Boston, Massachusetts in 1942. Cocoanut Grove had paper palm tree decorations covering it's walls and ceilings that caught fire when someone lit a match. On that fateful night, there were approximately 1,000 people inside the nightclub, which was more than twice its 460 person capacity. The fire spread rapidly because the nightclub failed to have an automatic sprinkler system. The blaze closed off the stairway that connected to the basement and ground floor. Exit doors opening in the flow of traffic, doors and windows that were sealed shut, and the main exit having a revolving door made escape almost impossible. 492 people died at the Cocoanut Grove Nightclub Fire.