A fire that killed 85 people and injured nearly 700 occurred 30 years ago. The fire which is one of the deadliest in the United States at a hotel. This anniversary reminds each inspector about the need for studying the past and understanding how code changes have been implemented.
The MGM Grand Hotel/Casino was located at 3645 Las Vegas Boulevard South, City of Las Vegas (Clark County) which was occupied at the time of the fire has changed the shape of the Las Vegas strip.
Nevada (southeast corner of the intersection of East Flamingo Road and Las Vegas Boulevard South). Classified as Type 1 construction, it is a 26-story high rise hotel and casino complex (approximately 2,000,000 square feet). At the time of the fire there were approximately 5,000 people in the building. The fire which started in the deli and spread to the casino resulted in 84 deaths and an additional 679 were injured.
A deadly fire in the City of Perm in the Urals appears to have been sparked by fireworks which landed on a highly combustible ceiling. The fire’s early stages are caught on camera and prove to be graphic and an all too familiar sight to the Station Night club Fire.
According to the AP
Shocked residents of the Urals city of Perm laid carnations Sunday at the snowy scene of a cordoned-off nightclub where officials say at least 112 people died in a fire.
Pictures show how devastating this fire was, with nothing but a burned out area littered with shoes and support poles. On Saturday night, August 16, 2009 a wedding was taking place in the tribal town of Al-Jahra outside of Kuwait City, which quickly turned deadly. The fire has claimed the lives of 43 people and nearly 90 have been injured. The cause of this fire is under investigation, although news reports are indicating the ex-wife of the groom may have intentionally started the fire.
This Sunday, America’s Icon for forrest fire prevention will turn 65. The bear known as Smokey will celebrate his birthday with a renewed since of education and purpose as forrest fires still burn across this great nation. As the inspector what can we learn from this “old-timer” on building safety?
Sometimes it is hard to remember where we are going without looking at the past. The America Burning report provides a foundation of what the US was battling in the 70′s and is a must read for all inspectors of all disciplines.
The America Burning report was issued in 1974 and was intended to focus attention on the United States fire problem. The commission had 90 recommendations from code requirements to changes in administration. Some of these recommendations still plague the United States today.
The report highlights the need of the fire service and related professions to provide various actions to aid in reducing the fire problem. As a result of the report, [click to continue…]
From the Monroe County (NY) Fire Marshals and Inspectors Association to Firefighters across the world
This idea is based on the tragic loss of 9 Charleston firefighters. Building Inspectors, Fire Marshal’s Firefighters and all in code enforcement can help save lives and honor the lives that were lost.
On June 18, the City of Charleston, South Carolina along with the Firefighters all of the United States, Canada and the World, will observe the 2 year Anniversary of the Super Sofa fire that took the lives of 9 Charleston firefighters. As you well know, these Firefighters died in the Line of Duty while battling a fast moving fire in a furniture store.
Fire Started by Fireworks brought in by Spectators or may have part of New Years Display
At least 55 people were killed when a fire ripped through a nightclub in the Thai capital Bangkok early Thursday. The fire broke out at the Santika Club as people were celebrating New Year, a local administration official said.
Santika club is located in the city’s Ekkamai district, a popular entertainment area for locals and foreigners. Various news reports indicate an electrical explosion may have been the cause of the fire, although it is not clear yet.
Local television stations variously reported the cause of the blaze as a firework set off because of the New Year celebrations and an electrical fault at the club. Reuters reports that “We were all dancing and suddenly there was a big [click to continue…]
On the anniversary of this tragic fire, we are reminded that many of our code changes come out of the ashes and serve as a guardian to protect future lives. The our lady of angles fire, an extreme tragedy, where the City of Chicago Mourns and hearts are broken all across the world.
On December 1, 1958, a tragic fire broke out in a catholic school in Chicago which claimed the lives of 92 school children and three nuns. At the anniversary of this tragic event, it is important that we look at how this fire claimed so many lives and what can be done to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
The original building, a two story school house, was built around 1910 with several additions. The building could house up to 1600 students in K-8th grade and the building lacked many of today’s fire safety features such as enclosed stairways, multiple egress points, automatic sprinkler systems, automatic fire alarm systems, and good fire protection practices. The fire started in the basement approximately 20-30 minutes before it was detected in the cardboard waste basket. This fire sent smoke and heat up the stairwell and unprotected openings up to the attic. It cut off the only way for students and nuns on the second floor to get out. The first arriving fire department unit arrived in under four minutes and began rescuing children from the second floor, but the unbearable conditions had mad many children jump or were overcame by the smoke and heat.
Can we learn from fires which occur thousands of miles away? Can fires which happen over seas affect the administration of our codes and standards? Recently a major fire occurred in China which killed many people was not highly publicized in the major US media markets.
Recently a fire is sparked by a performer in a China Nightclub resulting in 44 deaths and almost 100 injuries. The fire which sounds vaguely familiar to the Station Nightclub Fire took place at the Dance King in city of Shenzhen, near Hong Kong. The fire started late on September 20, 2008 and details are limited due to the government officials in China.
Many of the deaths are due to the unlicensed club’s in adequate egress systems. Party goers seem to express that aisles were to limited and people were crushed under the stampede to exit the building. The fire is the latest in a string of fires which have killed hundreds of people in [click to continue…]
In 1871 a great fire consumed the City of Chicago and served as a catalyst for fire prevention week. The bulk of the damage was consumed by the fire on October 9, 1871 and was one of three major fires (Peshtigo Fire and the Great Thumb Fire) that week. The story is typically told about Mrs. O’Leary’s cow who tipped over a lantern and caused the start of the fire. Recently historians have worked to debunk the ethics of Mrs. O’Lery’s milking cows and may lead to careless smoking near the barn or a fiery meteorite which started the Peshtigo fire as well.
Details of the Chicago Fire included
250 Died
100,000 were left homeless
2,000 acres burned
17,400 structures were destroyed by fire
Regardless of how the fire started, the event triggered many events that have focus on public education on fires. 40 years after that fiery day, the International Fire Marshal’s Association (Approximately 1910) pushed to have the week set aside as fire prevention day. This included [click to continue…]
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