Deaths caused in fires is by outright stupidity (Part 2)

1942 Knights of Columbus Hall in St. John’s, Newfoundland (killed 100); arson fire in dance hall spread rapidly; killed 100 and injured 107 of 500 people inside, mainly soldiers; windows in the new wooden building had been boarded for blackout purposes and doors were locked or barred from the exterior.

1944 Ringling Brothers Circus Tent Fire in Hartford, Connecticut (killed 169); 700 injured in 520-foot long, 180-foot wide tent with new canvas waterproofed with a mixture of 6,000 gallons of white gas and 18,000 pounds of paraffin; world’s largest circus tent; crowd of 7,500 in 13,000 capacity tent; nearest hydrant 900 feet from tent; fire extinguishers were not distributed; 4 fire trucks were parked outside tent; fire probably started by cigarette flipped on roof; crowd delayed exiting; most victims tried to exit spectator entrance, few tried to exit the 2 performer entrances, most died in front of an exit blocked by animal cages; 2 blocked exits; fire department arrived shortly after the fire began; large tent support poles began falling 3 minutes after crowd stampeded; most of tent was ablaze 6 minutes after fire start; tent was consumed in 10 minutes; some survivors found alive under piles of bodies; psychotic arsonist later confessed to setting fire, then recanted confession, sentenced to 40 years, investigators unable to verify his presence in Hartford; casualty count probably higher due to vagrancy, incineration and poor records; more than 100 children killed; 9 circus officials arrested, 7 served 1-year sentences; 2 American big tops with the same waterproofing had previously burned in 6-10 minutes in 1910 and 1912 and a huge tent burned in Los Angeles in 1929; fire resulted in development of NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) Standard 102 on Grandstands, Folding and Telescopic Seating, Tents, and Membrane Structures which requires tents be constructed from fire-resistive materials; 2000 International Building Code and 2003 NFPA 5000 Building Construction and Safety Code both reference NFPA 102; Connecticut subsequently banned circus big tops; circus profits for next 10 years paid for more than 600 damage claims; circus began treating tents with other flame retardants in 1945; fire was the deadliest American amusement facility fire.

1946 Winecoff Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia (killed 120); early morning fire injured another 168 of 304 guests; built in 1913, brick exterior with fireproofed steel frame; only one staircase in 15-story building; internal location of open stair rapidly spread flames throughout building; interior walls covered with painted burlap and wallpaper; open transom above light wood doors on half the guest rooms; window shutters prevented escape from some rooms; no fire detection or suppression system; no fire escape; building recently passed fire marshal inspection; delayed fire department notification; room temperatures exceeded 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit; many people saved by ladder bridges to adjacent building; many victims jumped to their deaths; fire extinguished after 6 hours; worst multiple-death U.S. hotel fire of the 20th century; building is still standing empty.

1953 GM Transmission Plant in Livonia, Michigan (killed 6); 4,200 evacuated safely; 1.5 million square feet under 1 flat roof of 4-year old building; no interior fire walls or partitions; oil-soaked wood floor; cutting torch ignited conveyor drip pan oil; building was 866 feet wide, hose streams penetrated only 75 feet; only 20% sprinklered; absence of fire walls and roof vents prevented containment of smoke and fire; no fire protection for flammable liquids; unprotected roof steel trusses collapsed in minutes allowing melted roof asphalt to drip feed fire; ineffective fire brigade; delayed fire department notification; cinderblock wall didn’t stop fire; $32 million damage; Ford Motor Company had suffered a major fire in 1952 at a Livonia tank plant; subsequent code changes included restrictions on use of combustible tar in built-up roofs, assignment of hazardous operations to separate buildings, increased sprinkler use in industrial buildings, fire coating of steel framing and introduction of automatic fire doors; fire led to development of NFPA 204, Guide for Smoke and Heat Venting.

1958 Our Lady of the Angels Grade School in Chicago (killed 95); built in 1910 and remodeled in 1958; inspected 2 months prior to fire; nearly 1,300 students in attendance; basement rubbish accumulation under stairs provided ignition source for afternoon arson fire; delayed notification to school and Fire Department; dense smoke quickly traveled up stairwell without fire doors into classroom corridors; no sprinkler system; open wood stairs contributed to fire spread through two upper floors; fire fighters arrived within 3 minutes and extinguished blaze in 1 hour; surviving children were mainly from 1st floor; 77 children injured; subsequently Illinois changed school fire code to require fire alarms, automatic sprinkler systems, 1-hour enclosed stairwells, noncombustible acoustic materials, additional exiting and signage, self-closing exit doors opening outward, 1-hour walls, dedicated emergency lighting circuits, 2-hour fire doors over basements, fire doors at corridors, stairwells and openings in room partitions and fire-resistant walls, ceilings and doors around furnaces; fire codes nationwide were revised to require sprinklers in schools; 2/3 of U. S. towns and cities subsequently improved school fire safety.

1970 Cing September Club in Saint-Laurent-du-Pont, France (killed 146); fire at a dance hall built inside a large warehouse; lounges decorated with hardened cardboard furniture and polyester fabrics formed an interior maze; plastic ceiling above main dance floor, no phone or fire alarm in club; Halloween fire started by defective heater; Fire Department arrived soon after fire started; all exits were padlocked; turnstiles blocked main entrance; bodies were piled before exits; fire burned for 3 hours and killed mainly young adults and teens; 5 people, including mayor, were indicted and received suspended sentences.

1974 Joelma Building in Sao Paulo, Brazil (killed 227); 25-story high-rise office building; fire started in air conditioning unit on 12th floor; spread rapidly due to highly combustible interior wall coverings; many victims trapped on roof and balconies due to no fire escapes; several rescued by helicopter, 18 people rescued by rope path to adjacent building; many people jumped to their deaths.

1977 Beverly Hills Supper Club in South Gate, Kentucky (killed 167); injured 130; club experienced a large fire 7 years earlier; deficient wiring included aluminum wiring; state fire inspection performed 4 months prior to fire; fire of electrical origin began in Zebra Room where heat was noted by an exiting wedding party; fire flashed over Zebra Room 20 minutes later; building staff decided guests in a large ballroom called the Cabaret Room were not jeopardized due to remote location from fire origin; busboy later notified 1,300 guests in crowded Cabaret Room (3 times capacity) to evacuate 20 minutes after fire discovery; hot fire and smoke traveled down corridor to Cabaret Room and flashed over this room minutes later, trapping occupants and leaving only 2 other exits; chairs in aisles and chairs on stage ramps; excess crowd stood in hallways; temperatures reached above 2,000 degrees Farenheit in Cabaret Room; 125 people died before 1 exit and 34 people died before the 2nd exit; only 2 fatalities outside Cabaret Room; corridor finish materials contributed to rapid flame spread; fire burned for 5 hours and smoldered for another 24; many additions and other modifications; building was 500 people over capacity with 2,800 occupants; labyrinthine corridors in 1.5-acre building; poorly marked exits; some blocked exits; some unmarked exits; narrow exits; unprotected door and window openings; most exits led to corridors rather than exterior; insufficient exiting, code required 28 exits, 17 existed; inward-opening doors;; combustible wall coverings included paneling and smoky plastics, fabrics and composite structural materials; foam seat cushions accelerated fire spread; combustible ceiling tiles; no sprinklers (required by current Kentucky code), detectors, alarms or fire separations; staff delayed evacuation announcement for 10 minutes after fire discovery and delayed fire department notification; staff had no emergency training or evacuation plan; staff assisted evacuating patrons; over $60 million paid to settle insurance claims; subsequent code changes required sprinklers in nightclubs and public assembly areas over 300 capacity, banned aluminum wiring; first fire where scene was preserved for investigation.

1980 MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas (killed 87); injured 750; deadliest U. S. fire of 1980s and second deadliest U. S. hotel fire; most deaths on upper levels due to smoke inhalation; demonstrated importance of sprinkler systems; led to extensive Las Vegas retrofit program.

1987 Dupont Plaza Hotel/Casino in San Juan, Puerto Rico (killed 97); arson fire in casino ballroom set by 3 workers; Sterno cans ignited new furniture wrapping, then furniture; combustible ballroom interior and partition; fire flashed over ballrooms 9 minutes after ignition; fire spread rapidly through foyer to casino with 300 occupants and 2 exits; first exit blocked by smoke, second exit was an inward opening door which took 2 simultaneous actions to open, second exit jammed, fireball engulfed most victims, many found by second exit; smoke spread to high rise through elevator shafts, HVAC system and stairwells; no sprinkler system; no detection system; manual alarm not working; fire department notified 18 minutes after fire discovered; 85 of 97 victims found in casino; helicopters rescued some from 20-story hotel tower roof; 140 injured; fire led to legislation requiring sprinklers in U. S. motels and hotels.

1990 Happy Land Social Club in New York City (killed 87); illegal occupancy in an unlicensed club; insufficient egress; insufficient fire protection; locked exit doors; this building in the East Tremont area of the Bronx was repeatedly closed for code violations then reopened illegally; no sprinkler system on 1st floor; 2nd floor sprinkler system branch line was plugged; bouncer ejected patron after argument with ex-girlfriend; patron returned with plastic gas can and set flash fire by splashing 1 gallon of gasoline at ground entrance (only exit available for patrons); flashover in ground floor barroom; toxic smoke quickly traveled up only (open) stairway into club and filled 2nd story room; little flame reached upper floor; majority of victims were Honduran immigrants trapped on 2nd floor who died within seconds from smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning; fire exits blocked to prevent entry without paying cover charge; some escapees broke a metal gate over 1 door; arsonist went home and fell asleep; arsonist confessed hours later and was convicted of 87 arson/murder counts and sentenced to 25 years in jail; club ordered to close based on building and fire code violations; combustible interior finish materials; insurance claims settled for $15 million; New York City later increased efforts to monitor licensed clubs and close illegal clubs.

1994 Fluxin Discotheque in Liaoning, China (killed 234); fire in dance hall, many crushing deaths at emergency exits that were chained shut.

1994 Karamay, China (killed 385); concert hall fire killed mainly children; all exit doors except one were locked.

1995 Rajiv Marriage Palace in Mandi Dabwali, India (killed 540); spark from a short circuit in an electric generator ignited a synthetic tent erected under the tin roof of a building with brick walls; no construction permit for building; afternoon fire at the main entrance trapped 1,500 occupants inside with only a single exit door available for evacuation; fiber mats and plastic chairs contributed to rapid spread of 5-minute fire, 170 children killed.

1996 Ozone Discotheque in Manila, Philippines (killed 160); sparks at a deejay booth started a fire which consumed and collapsed the ceiling in this nightclub with 400 teens packed into a converted residence licensed for 60; crowd thought sparks were part of a strobe effect; fire flashed over club within 2 minutes when the sole, narrow, inward-opening door was ripped down by the escaping crowd; soundproofing on walls accelerated fire spread; 2nd exit blocked by neighboring construction; owner and several officials indicted and sentenced to probation.

2000 Dongdu Commercial Building in Luoyang, China (killed 309); only construction crew and hundreds of disco patrons were in building on Christmas day; welders performing unlicensed renovation work in a large, 4-story shopping mall started a 9:30 p.m. basement fire by dropping molten metal on flannel rags and wooden furniture; welders fled without warning others; construction workers trapped on 2nd and 3rd floors; over 200 party guests in an illegal 4th floor discothèque were overcome by smoke quickly traveling up stairwells; no fire prevention equipment or emergency exits in the poorly lit room; construction materials blocked exits; a shop blocked 1 emergency exit, 1 of 2 disco exits was hidden behind a bar while the other was blocked by smoke; only 60 escaped the Christmas night fire which was extinguished after 3 hours; many jumped from 4th story; dozens injured; firefighters used cranes to rescue people from upper floors; fire extinguished after 3 hours; 12-year old building had a 3-year history of safety violations and failed a fire inspection 1 week before the fire due to merchandise blocking emergency exits; building had no fire alarms, sprinklers or smoke detectors; 23 people placed on trial; some sentenced to 7-13 years in prison including the construction manager, 2 policemen for bribery and 1 fire inspector who altered reports.

2003 The Station Nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island (killed 100); an 11 p.m. fire injured more than 200, many smoke inhalation injuries, backstage pyrotechnics at the start of a crowded indoor concert ignited combustible urethane foam packaging used as soundproofing on wall behind stage; foam soundproofing added 18 months earlier due to neighbor noise complaints; combustible foam purchased at half the cost of fire retardant foam; owner was well aware of combustibility of urethane foam; foam is 20 times more combustible than wood and emits dense, toxic smoke; flames climbed foam at 1 foot per second, then flames climbed curtains; lead singer failed to extinguish fire with a water bottle; no fire extinguishers on stage; crowd thought flames were part of the pyrotechnic effects; exiting crowd jammed main entrance; lights went out as crowd was evacuating; toxic smoke quickly filled low-ceiling room; most bodies were found piled at front entrance; some were trampled; few in crowd used 3 other fire exits; 60-year old building did not require sprinklers; local code exempted small buildings built before 1974 from sprinkler installation; club passed a fire inspection New Year’s Eve; no pyrotechnics permit for this property; crowd was over capacity of 404; flames engulfed 1-story wood-frame building in 3 minutes; club owners claimed they denied permission for the band to use pyrotechnics; band claimed club owners granted permission; other bands claimed pyrotechnics were previously used at this club; other clubs claimed this band recently had used indoor pyrotechnics without permission; worst fire ever in Rhode Island which subsequently placed a moratorium on indoor pyrotechnics at facilities with less than a 300 person occupancy limit; charges of 200 counts of involuntary manslaughter were filed against the band manager and club owners; many states later began extensive nightclub inspections; 8 states tightened indoor pyrotechnics regulations; Boston banned indoor fireworks; the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) adopted a new standard which recommended sprinklers in new clubs with 50 or more occupants and existing clubs with 100 or more occupants; Rhode Island adopted new regulations 5 months after the fire which banned indoor pyrotechnics in assembly facilities with less than a 1,000 person occupancy limit, required sprinklers by 7/1/2005 for nightclubs with more than 300 occupants, required sprinklers by 7/1/2006 for nightclubs with more than 150 occupants, Large eliminated the “grandfather clause” exempting older buildings from new code compliance, required low-level exit signage for all nightclubs by 2006 and gave local fire officials the authority to inspect nightclubs during operating hours and close those violating fire codes.

2004 Ycua Bolanos Botanico Supermarket in Asuncion, Paraguay (killed 464); injured 524; grease buildup in a horizontal section of charcoal grille chimney started this noon fire in an upper level food court of this crowded, new, 2-story supermarket; emergency exit was welded; guards locked many of the main exits to prevent looting; exit doors did not swing outward; building was non-sprinklered; roof coated with sprayed urethane foam which was not fireproofed; building had fire hose cabinets, fire alarms, smoke and heat detectors; flames engulfed food court and lower level parking garage; flames burst through upper face of duct, then ignited foam roof; 1 floor collapsed; many children killed; firefighters knocked holes in walls of neighboring houses to access supermarket; store owners and 4 security guards arrested for questioning.

2004 Cro-Magnon Republic Club in Buenos Aires, Argentina (killed 188); fans shooting flares ignited a foam ceiling in this nightclub at 11 p.m. during the start of a rock concert attended by 4,000 people in a building with a capacity of 1,500; concert permit was for 1,100 guests; staff searched entering guests for firecrackers and flares and made announcements not to ignite pyrotechnics; some of the casualties were children in an improvised day care center located in a club restroom; 4 of 6 exit doors, including 2 emergency exits, were either tied shut or chained and locked to prevent entry without paying a cover charge; 1 usable exit door was narrow while wider doors were locked; many bodies piled up before 1 locked exit; building quickly filled with thick smoke; crowd panicked and stampeded for exits; fire was quickly extinguished; many fatalities from smoke inhalation; 889 injured; firefighters inspected club 8 months previously and foam ceiling was installed after this inspection; club owner was arrested and mayor subsequently closed all nightclubs in city for 15 days.

2004 Ycua Bolanos Botanico Supermarket in Asuncion, Paraguay (killed 464); injured 524; grease buildup in a horizontal section of charcoal grille chimney started this noon fire in an upper level food court of this crowded, new, 2-story supermarket; emergency exit was welded; guards locked many of the main exits to prevent looting; exit doors did not swing outward; building was non-sprinklered; roof coated with sprayed urethane foam which was not fireproofed; building had fire hose cabinets, fire alarms, smoke and heat detectors; flames engulfed food court and lower level parking garage; flames burst through upper face of duct, then ignited foam roof; 1 floor collapsed; many children killed; firefighters knocked holes in walls of neighboring houses to access supermarket.