The

National Fire Protection Association The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is an international nonprofit organization devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards. As of 2018, the NFPA claims to have 50,000 mem ...

(NFPA) has documented several dozen hotel fires in the United States since the 1930s that have killed more than ten people each, deeming these incidents to be fires of historical note. The

Winecoff Hotel fire The Winecoff Hotel fire of December 7, 1946, was the deadliest hotel fire in American history, killing 119 hotel occupants, including the hotel's original owners. Located at 176 Peachtree Street in Atlanta, Georgia, the Winecoff Hotel was advert ...

of December 7, 1946, in

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, which claimed 119 lives, is the deadliest hotel fire disaster in the history of the United States.

1880s

Newhall House Hotel

On January 10, 1883, a fire destroyed the Newhall House Hotel in

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...

, killing 71 people. The disaster was investigated by reporters of ''The Daily Journal'' (now

Milwaukee Journal The ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it is the primary newspaper. It is also the largest newspaper in the state of Wisconsin, where it is widely distributed. It is currently o ...

), newly edited by

Lucius W. Nieman Lucius William Nieman (December 13, 1857 – October 1, 1935) was an American businessman and founder of ''The Milwaukee Journal''. Biography Born at Bear Valley in Sauk County, Wisconsin, Lucius's father was Conrad Nieman; and Sara Elizabet ...

. The paper reported an "appalling story of neglect, falsehood, manipulation and concealing of truth that preceded the tragedy." The ''Journal''s exposeé secured it subscriptions, giving it viability in Milwaukee's competitive newspaper market. The city block where Newall house was located became Milwaukee's "death block" when Fire Chief James Foley and three firemen died there in 1903. Then October 26, 1913, seven people, including some firemen, died fighting fire on the block.

1890s

Windsor Hotel

On March 17, 1899, in the deadliest hotel fire in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

's history, the Windsor Hotel was destroyed, with approximately 86 being killed.

1900s

Park Avenue Hotel

On February 22, 1902, the Park Avenue Hotel in New York City was partially destroyed by a million-dollar fire that killed at least 14.

1910s

Hotel Adams Fire

The Hotel Adams in

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...

was completely destroyed by an early morning fire which started in the hotel's basement. Two people were killed in the blaze.

Arcadia Hotel

On December 3, 1913, a fire in the Arcadia Hotel, a

flophouse A flophouse (American English) or dosshouse (British English) is a place that offers very low-cost lodging, providing space to sleep and minimal amenities. Characteristics Historically, flophouses, or British "doss-houses", have been used for o ...

on Washington Street in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

's South End, killed 28 and injured 50. The fire was caused by the ignition of garbage in closet above the boiler.

1930s

Kerns Hotel

On December 11, 1934, shortly before 5:30 am, a fire broke out in the Kerns Hotel in

Lansing, Michigan Lansing () is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is mostly in Ingham County, although portions of the city extend west into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. The 2020 census placed the city's population at 112,644, making ...

. 34 people died and 44 were injured, including 14 firemen. The 211-room four-story hotel had been constructed of brick with a wooden interior, and the fire spread rapidly, trapping many of the hotel's 215 guests inside their rooms and forcing them to escape via fire ladders or

life net A life net, also known as a Browder Life Safety Net or jumping sheet, is a type of rescue equipment formerly used by firefighters. When used in the proper conditions, it allowed people on upper floors of burning buildings an opportunity to jum ...

s. Among the dead were seven Michigan state legislators:

state senator A state senator is a member of a state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. Description A state senator is a member of an upper house in the bicameral legislatures of 49 U ...

John Leidlein John Leidlein (1864-1934) was a member of the Michigan State Senate. He was one of those killed in the Kerns Hotel fire in Lansing on December 11, 1934. Also killed were state representatives Charles D. Parker, Vern Voorhees, T. Henry Howlett ...

and state representatives

T. Henry Howlett T. Henry Howlett was a member of the Michigan House of Representatives from Gregory, Michigan who was one of six members of the state House killed in the Kerns Hotel fire in Lansing on December 11, 1934.Charles D. Parker,

Vern Voorhees Vern Voorhees (1878-1934) was a member of the Michigan House of Representatives. He was one of six members of the state House killed in the Kerns Hotel fire in Lansing on December 11, 1934. Also killed were representatives Charles D. Parker, T ...

, John W. Goodwine, Don E. Sias, and D. Knox Hanna, who were in town for a special session of the state legislature. Several other state legislators were injured, but survived. The fire was thought to have been caused by careless smoking. It is regarded by the Lansing Fire Department as the worst fire disaster in Lansing's history.

Terminal Hotel

On May 16, 1938, a fire broke out in the Terminal Hotel in

, killing 35 people, although some sources claim the death toll was either 27 or 34. The five-story hotel was located at Spring and Mitchell Streets across the street from

Terminal Station A train station, railway station, railroad station or depot is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track and a station building providing such ...

in the

Hotel Row Hotel Row is both a National Register and locally listed historic district consisting of one block of early 20th-century commercial buildings, three to four stories high, located on Mitchell Street west of Forsyth Street in the South Downtown dis ...

district. The fire broke out in the basement and shortly afterwards a

bellhop A bellhop (North America), or hotel porter (carrier), porter (international), is a hotel employee who helps patrons with their luggage while check-in, checking in or out. Bellhops often wear a uniform (see bell-boy hat), like certain other Page (a ...

heard a kitchen boy yell, "O Lawdy, fire". The fire spread quickly, choking off fire escapes and stairs just a few seconds after it caught. The building was fully ablaze minutes after the alarm bell sounded shortly after 3:00 a.m. Soon after the fire team arrived, the roof collapsed, hampering rescue efforts. Traffic was blocked off for blocks around since the walls were also in danger of collapsing. One hotel guest reported having to jump from the second-floor elevator cage. Several people were killed leaping from the building, including William Oscar Webster, a railroad engineer from

Columbus, Georgia Columbus is a consolidated city-county located on the west-central border of the U.S. state of Georgia. Columbus lies on the Chattahoochee River directly across from Phenix City, Alabama. It is the county seat of Muscogee County, with which it ...

, who had jumped from a fourth-floor window. Firemen reported that they later found a whole family dead in one room, a woman in a rocking chair, a man and a boy stretched across the bed, and a girl kneeling by it. George P. Jones, the hotel manager, reported that there were about 75 people in the hotel at the time of the fire; a substantial number of them were railroad workers. The hotel was rebuilt in 1938 and not included in the Hotel Row District.

1940s

Marlborough Hotel

On January 3, 1940, a fire broke out in the aging Marlborough Hotel in

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

, killing 19 people. It was the city's deadliest fire. The fire burned quickly through walls and doors and engulfed most of the hotel's 56 single rooms and 23 apartment units, where some 123 tenants were sleeping. The guests either fled through the corridors with coats over their heads or jumped from their rooms and were killed because the stairways were blocked by the fire. Some fell to their deaths when floors collapsed, notably the second floor, and buried them in the basement under tons of debris. One child was trapped on the third floor of the hotel and screamed for 15 minutes before he died in the flames. One man, James Brown, pushed his wife Mabel out of the window when she refused to jump; she was killed but he survived. Another woman jumped head-first out of the window and was killed instantly. A resident across the street reported that he awoke to hear "the worst screams I ever heard" and saw that half the block in which the hotel was located was completely ablaze. Fifteen fire engines and five trucks containing some 130 firemen were called to the fire in icy January conditions, temperature −5 °C. At least 40 people were injured in the fire including 2 firemen and 23 required hospital treatment. The hotel was completely gutted and reduced just to a "charred hollow rectangle". Fire chief Huttner initially though the fire was caused by a boiler that had exploded in the furnace room, but it was later concluded that it was a "heat explosion" caused by a burning cigarette thrown into the garbage chute that had set fire to the thin wooden walls of the hotel. The garbage caught fire and became a ball of fire that exploded in "volcanic violence".

Gulf Hotel

On September 7, 1943, a fire broke out in the Gulf Hotel in

downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business distric ...

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

, killing 55 people. The fire remains the deadliest in Houston's history.

New Amsterdam Hotel

On March 28, 1944, a fire, believed to have been deliberately set, destroyed the New Amsterdam Hotel in

San Francisco, California San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

. It was the worst fire in that city since the

1906 San Francisco earthquake At 05:12 Pacific Standard Time on Wednesday, April 18, 1906, the coast of Northern California was struck by a major earthquake with an estimated moment magnitude of 7.9 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (''Extreme''). High-intensity sha ...

, killing 22 and injuring 27. On August 3, 1944, George Holman, a 47-year old cafe proprietor, was found guilty in San Francisco of 22 counts of murder in the first degree for setting the fire. On August 15, he was sentenced to 22 concurrent life terms in prison.

General Clark Hotel

On January 16, 1945, a fire at the General Clark Hotel on the north side of the loop in

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, killed 14 people. Six were hospitalized with injuries. Fire Marshall Michael J. Corrigan described it as the worst fire in the loop district in 25 years.

La Salle Hotel

On June 5, 1946, a fire broke out in the

La Salle Hotel The La Salle Hotel was a historic hotel that was located on the northwest corner of La Salle Street and Madison Street (Chicago), Madison Street in the Chicago Loop Community areas of Chicago, community area of Chicago, Illinois, United States. ...

in Chicago, killing 61 people, many of them children. The fire began in the Silver Grill Cocktail Lounge on the lower floor on the

LaSalle Street LaSalle Street is a major north-south street in Chicago named for Robert de La Salle, a 17th century French explorer of the Illinois Country. The portion that runs through the Chicago Loop is considered to be Chicago's financial district. Sout ...

side adjacent to the lobby, spread quickly through the highly varnished wood paneling in the lounge and the mezzanine balcony overlooking the lobby, and rose through stairwells and shafts. According to the

Chicago Fire Department The Chicago Fire Department (CFD) provides fire suppression, rescue services, Hazardous Materials Response services and emergency medical response services to the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States, under the jurisdiction of the Mayor of Chi ...

the fire started either in the walls or in the ceiling at around 12:15 am, but they were not notified until 12:35 am. While a significant number died from the flames, a greater number of deaths were caused by suffocation from the smoke. Around 900 guests were able to leave the building but some 150 had to be rescued by the fire services and by members of the public, including two sailors who were reported to have rescued 27 people between them. Two-thirds of hotel fire deaths in 1946 occurred in the La Salle fire and that in the Winecoff in Atlanta. The La Salle fire prompted the Chicago city council to enact new hotel

building code A building code (also building control or building regulations) is a set of rules that specify the standards for constructed objects such as buildings and non-building structures. Buildings must conform to the code to obtain planning permission ...

s and fire-fighting procedures, including the installation of automatic alarm systems and fire safety instructions inside hotel rooms. The hotel was refurbished after the fire and was finally demolished in July 1976; its lot is now occupied by the Two North LaSalle office building.

Canfield Hotel

On June 19, 1946, two weeks after the La Salle Hotel fire, a fire broke out in the six-story 200-room Canfield Hotel in

Dubuque, Iowa Dubuque (, ) is the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. At the time of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population of Dubuque was 59,667. The city lies at the junction of Iowa, Il ...

, killing 19 people. The fire started around 11:30 pm in a closet near the cocktail lounge on the ground floor and destroyed the four-story section of the building, which was built in 1891. Contributing factors that added to the severity of this incident were delayed alarms, open stairways, and the presence of combustible materials. According to fire captain Harold Cosgrove, 30 people were rescued by jumping onto nets and 27 were carried down ladders.

Winecoff Hotel

On December 7, 1946, a fire broke out in the

Winecoff Hotel The Ellis Hotel, formerly known as the Winecoff Hotel, is located at 176 Peachtree Street NW, in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Designed by William Lee Stoddart, the 15-story building opened in 1913. It is located next to 200 Peachtree, which ...

, killing 119 people. it remained the worst hotel fire in United States history; it prompted many changes in

s across the nation. : File:Winecoff-Hotel-Atlanta-03.jpg: Official plaque near the Winecoff Hotel The fire started in the 15-story building early in the morning, and engulfed all the floors of the hotel. The only route for people to escape was a single stairway; the building had no fire sprinklers,

fire escape A fire escape is a special kind of emergency exit, usually mounted to the outside of a building or occasionally inside but separate from the main areas of the building. It provides a method of escape in the event of a fire or other emergency th ...

s, fire doors, or even an alarm bell. The fire spread throughout the building via the stairway. Caught unawares, many people were trapped on the upper floors, and most of the deaths were among people forced to jump. Atlanta fire fighters could reach only up to the eighth floor with ladders, and the nets they had spread could not hold many who jumped into them—holding capacity was limited to jumps from up to 70 ft—and many people died on the sidewalks behind the hotel. Guests at the hotel included teenagers attending a Tri-Y Youth Conference organized by the YMCA in the city, Christmas shoppers, and people in town to see the film ''

Song of the South ''Song of the South'' is a 1946 American Live-action animated film, live-action/animated musical film, musical drama film directed by Harve Foster and Wilfred Jackson; produced by Walt Disney and released by RKO Pictures, RKO Radio Pictures. ...

''.

Arnold Hardy Arnold Hardy (February 2, 1922 – December 5, 2007) was the first amateur photographer who won the 1947 Pulitzer Prize for Photography. His 1947 award-winning photo of a woman plunging from a window of the burning Winecoff Hotel in Atlan ...

, a 26-year-old

graduate student Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate ( bachelor's) degree. The organization and stru ...

Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...

, became the first amateur to win a

Pulitzer Prize for Photography The Pulitzer Prize for Photography was one of the American Pulitzer Prizes annually awarded for journalism. It was inaugurated in 1942 and replaced by two photojournalism prizes in 1968: the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography and "Pulitzer Pri ...

for his snapshot of a woman, later identified as survivor Daisy McCumber, in mid-air after jumping from the 11th floor of the hotel during the fire. McCumber, born in 1905, broke her back, pelvis and both legs, but survived. Over a ten-year period, she underwent seven surgeries and lost a leg, but still worked until

retirement age This article lists the statutory retirement age in different countries. Background In some contexts, the retirement age is the age at which a person is expected or required to cease work. It is usually the age at which such a person may be enti ...

and lived until 1992. A plaque was erected at the scene as a memorial to the dead and the survivors, and to the fire-fighters who, with limited resources, tackled the fire and its consequences. Due to its dark history, the rebuilt version of the hotel switched hands often until it was refurbished into the

Ellis Hotel The Ellis Hotel, formerly known as the Winecoff Hotel, is located at 176 Peachtree Street NW, in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Designed by William Lee Stoddart, the 15-story building opened in 1913. It is located next to 200 Peachtree, which ...

. The Ellis Hotel currently stands in the same spot in Peachtree as the Winecoff did.

1950s

Barton Hotel

Considered one of Chicago's worst

blazes, a fire broke out in the five-story Barton Hotel on West Madison on February 12, 1955, killing 29 people and gutting the hotel, a 49-year-old structure with 336 tiny 4ftx6ft rooms with 7-ft high chicken-wire ceilings, where the nightly rate was 65 cents per person. There were 245 people staying at the hotel on the night of the fire. At 2:00 a.m., when the night manager came out of his office room to check a commotion in the hall, he discovered an already large fire that singed him badly. He immediately rang the fire alarm bell and rushed to wake guests by banging on room doors, but many were sleeping too soundly and he then ran out of the hotel. Many people who woke up were unable to escape and died in the rooms. A few broke the window panes and jumped out, or escaped down the fire escape. The fire department was also able to save some. 29 people died in the fire, many of them charred beyond recognition. The fire is attributed to a cigarette butt thrown accidentally by a 70-year-old man into a utensil containing alcohol used for massaging; he was killed.

1960s

Surfside Hotel

On November 18, 1963, a fire broke out in the Surfside Hotel

convalescent home A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal, make healthy'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, are antiquated names for specialised hospitals, for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments and convalescence. Sanatoriums are often ...

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

, killing 25 people, mostly elderly Jews. The fire spread to adjacent buildings, all of which were closed for the season except for workmen, who were able to escape. Police suspected that the fire had been set by a known arsonist, who boarded a bus shortly after the fire started.

Hotel Roosevelt

On Sunday, December 29, 1963, a fire broke out in the 13-floor

Hotel Roosevelt The Carling, formerly known as the Carling Hotel and Hotel Roosevelt, is a historic building in Jacksonville, Florida, United States built in 1925. It is located at 31 West Adams Street in Downtown Jacksonville. As its former names indicates it wa ...

Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which the ...

, killing 22 people. The fire broke out at around 7:30 am in the ballroom ceiling due to faulty wiring, and by 7:45 am, the

Jacksonville Fire Department The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department (JFRD) provides fire protection and emergency medical services for Jacksonville, Florida, as well as all unincorporated areas of Duval County. According to a list of the thirty largest fire departmen ...

had been called, later bringing three fire engines, two ladder trucks, a fire chief and two assistant chiefs; the mayor at the time,

W. Haydon Burns William Haydon Burns (March 17, 1912 – November 22, 1987) was an American politician. He was Mayor of Jacksonville, Florida from 1949 to 1965, and served as the 35th Governor of Florida from 1965 to 1967. Early life Born in Chicago, Illinois ...

, also requested eight helicopters from the U.S. Navy, and helicopters from

Naval Air Station Jacksonville Naval Air Station Jacksonville (NAS Jacksonville) is a large naval air station located approximately eight miles (13 km) south of the central business district of Jacksonville, Florida, United States., effective 2007-10-25 Location NAS Jack ...

, Naval Air Reserve Training Unit Jacksonville, and

Naval Air Station Cecil Field Naval Air Station Cecil Field or NAS Cecil Field was a United States Navy air base, located in Duval County, Florida. Prior to October 1999, NAS Cecil Field was the largest military base in terms of acreage in the Jacksonville, Florida area. NA ...

responded. By 9:30 am the fire had been suppressed, and approximately 475 people were successfully rescued, including four from the roof. However, 21 of the people who died in the fire died in their beds of smoke inhalation; the other fatality was assistant chief J.R. Romedy of the Jacksonville Fire Department, who died of a heart attack on the scene during the rescue effort. It was the worst single-day death toll in Jacksonville's history; even the

Great Fire of 1901 The Great Fire of 1901 was a conflagration that occurred in Jacksonville, Florida on May 3, 1901. It was one of the worst disasters in Florida history and the third largest urban fire in the U.S., next to the Great Chicago Fire, and the 1906 S ...

had fewer fatalities. Extensive archives on the fire, including valuable photographs, exist within the

Jacksonville Fire Museum The Jacksonville Fire Museum is part of the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department's Fire Prevention Division. The museum is home to artifacts detailing the history of the fire service not only in Jacksonville, but the entire state of Florida. E ...

Hotel Carleton

In January 1966, a fire broke out in the Hotel Carleton in

St. Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center o ...

, killing 11 people.

Paramount Hotel

On January 28, 1966, a fire broke out in the 11-story Paramount Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts, killing 11 people and injuring 57. Preceding the fire, an odor of natural gas was detected in the stairway going down to the first floor. The explosion was caused by a gas leak from a main pipe in

Boylston Street Boylston Street is a major east–west thoroughfare in the city of Boston, Massachusetts. The street begins in Boston's Chinatown neighborhood, forms the southern border of the Boston Public Garden and Boston Common, runs through Back Bay, and e ...

that seeped into the hotel's basement.

Lane Hotel

In September 1966, a fire broke out in the two-story 33-room frame Lane Hotel in the main business district of

Anchorage, Alaska Anchorage () is the largest city in the U.S. state of Alaska by population. With a population of 291,247 in 2020, it contains nearly 40% of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolitan area, which includes Anchorage and the neighboring Ma ...

, killing 14 people. The fire started at 1:17 am and spread rapidly; the flames were reported to be very intense and many bodies were burned beyond recognition. However, several victims died of asphyxiation from the heavy wood smoke. More than half of the occupants of the hotel died in the fire; only 25 guests were reported to have been registered at the time. The owner of the hotel, Virgil McVicker, believed that the fire was caused by an explosion in the boiler room.

New Ocean House

On May 8, 1969, The New Ocean House in

Swampscott, Massachusetts Swampscott () is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, located up the coast from Boston in an area known as the North Shore. The population was 15,111 as of the 2020 United States Census. A former summer resort on Massachusetts Ba ...

was destroyed by a fire. There were no guests at the time of the fire and only a clerk and three kitchen workers were in the building when the fire started. The fire started in the rear of the building and the first alarm was struck at 9:53 p.m. The hotel's sprinkler system and misty air helped suppress the fire and firefighters initially thought it could be contained. However, intense heat forced them back and the fire spread along the roof to the front of the building. Firefighting efforts were hampered by narrow streets and low water pressure and by 12:30 a.m. the fire had spread across the entire 300-foot front of the building. By 1 am the fire was out of control. Crews from 25 communities fought the blaze, which was not put out until 2:48 p.m. on May 10. No cause was determined, however a hotel spokesperson stated that it may have started in a staging area erected for plumbing work.

1970s

Ozark Hotel

On March 20, 1970, a fire caused by arson broke out in the lobby of the Ozark Hotel in

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...

, at about 2:30 am (a clock on the second floor had melted, showing the time as 2:45). It spread through two stairways and all the halls, killing 20 people (14 men and six women) and seriously injuring 10 others in a time span of 63 minutes until firefighters extinguished it. It was said to be the worst arson fire in Seattle. The hotel was a 60-year-old wooden building of five floors with 60 rooms and was a "

" housing many impoverished and elderly people. It was well known as a "high risk facility" to the Seattle Fire Department, and had been inspected six times between February 6, 1970, and one day before the fire. On the night of the fire, 42 of the 62 rooms were occupied. The fire was set in two places; in the main stairwell on the first floor and in the rear of the second floor; a wayside straggler alerted the authorities. The fire quickly engulfed the two staircases and the lobby that separated them. Open transoms in the rooms helped spread the fire. The top two floors collapsed. Those who could not reach the fire escape tried to jump from the windows of their rooms. The saving grace in the building was an open core area with a large shaft up to the second floor, which enabled two people to escape. The fire department devoted 14 engines and 4 ladders with a complement of over 100 firemen and 20 units to the fire and were able to control it within 50 minutes. The deaths were from smoke inhalation, burns, cuts and other injuries. Since the building lacked modern fire fighting facilities, Seattle made major changes to its fire codes. However, the new rules are reported to have made many people homeless in the 1980s, since those living in low-income housing could not afford to make the mandated changes and hence deserted their houses. Even small hotels with single occupancy rooms could not adapt to the rules. The arsonists were never caught, despite a large police inquiry.

Ponet Square Hotel

On September 13, 1970, a fire broke out in the Ponet Square Hotel at

Pico Boulevard Pico may refer to: Places The Moon * Mons Pico, a lunar mountain in the northern part of the Mare Imbrium basin Portugal * Pico, a civil parish in the municipality of Vila Verde * Pico da Pedra, a civil parish in the municipality of Ribei ...

and Grand Avenue in Los Angeles, killing 19 people. After the fire, safety doors to enclosed stairwells—later known as "Ponet Doors", after the hotel—were installed in all pre-1943 residential structures of three stories or more in Los Angeles.

Pioneer International

On December 20, 1970, a fire broke out in the 11-story Pioneer International on the corner of North Stone Avenue and Pennington Street in

Tucson, Arizona , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

, killing 28 people, including several children and teenagers, and injuring 27. 13 prominent Mexicans were among the dead, including two grandchildren of Ignacio Soto, a former governor of

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is d ...

; the wife and five children of Francisco Luken, a Sonora police chief; and Jose Jesus Antillon, a top Mexican

cardiologist Cardiology () is a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the cardiovascular system. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular hear ...

. The hotel had been built in 1929. The fire started on the sixth floor and spread rapidly through the hallways and staircases, trapping more than 60 people, but most escaped through windows. The majority of the occupants of the hotel at the time were attending three different banquets on the ground floor and those 650 or so people were easily evacuated. Of the 28 who died, 16 died of carbon monoxide poisoning, 7 from burns and 1 from smoke inhalation. One woman died after jumping from the seventh floor and three others died from jumping, one of them a small boy, who was found on the lower east wing roof. Two firemen were injured, including a fire captain who hung upside down on a 45-foot broken ladder for 25 minutes before being rescued. Although the hotel was supposed to be fireproof, synthetic carpeting, vinyl wall covering, painted doors and frames and open stairways fueled the spread of the fire, especially given that there were no sprinklers or smoke detectors. The fire was reported to be an arson attack and a 16-year-old, Louis C. Taylor, was charged with felony homicide and arson. He was found guilty of starting a fire in at least two places in the hotel and was imprisoned for life, although he never admitted causing the fire. He was released on April 2, 2013 after his conviction was called into question. The hotel remained standing after the fire and was renovated in 1977 and converted into offices. Since the conversion, paranormal activity has frequently been reported in the building, including the smell of smoke during the night, running on the upper floors, lights turning on and off, and apparitions.

Pennsylvania House Hotel

On January 16, 1972, a fire broke out in the Pennsylvania House Hotel in

Tyrone, Pennsylvania Tyrone is a borough in Blair County, Pennsylvania, northeast of Altoona, on the Little Juniata River. Tyrone was of considerable commercial importance in the twentieth century. It was an outlet for the Clearfield coal fields and was noted for m ...

, killing 12 people. The 75-year-old hotel lacked alarm systems, sprinklers, smoke detectors, and stairway fire doors. None were required when the hotel was built, and there were no local safety codes that required subsequent installation. The temperature at the time of the fire was well below zero; firefighters had to change clothes frequently after being drenched thawing out hoses and hydrants, and ice axes were used to search for victims. 31 people were treated at Tyrone Hospital, including 28 volunteer firefighters, mainly for frostbite and smoke inhalation rather than burns.

Washington House Hotel

At about 2:30 am on August 25, 1974, a fire broke out in the Washington House Hotel at the corner of Fairfax and Washington Streets in

Berkeley Springs, West Virginia Berkeley Springs is a town in, and the county seat of, Morgan County, West Virginia, United States, in the state's Eastern Panhandle. "Berkeley Springs" is also commonly used to refer to the area in and around the Town of Bath. In 1776, the Virg ...

, killing 12 people and spreading from the brick building to seven adjoining buildings. The fire's intense heat melted the face of the clock in the tower of the Morgan County Courthouse.

Pomona Hotel

On July 7, 1975, a fire broke out in the Pomona Hotel in

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

, killing 11 people (initially reported as eight). 26 were injured, 8 of them critically. The alarm was raised about 11 pm when smoke was seen drifting out of a second-story window and a man was hanging from a window; he was later rescued by firemen. The extent of the fire was minimal but it created considerable thick smoke, which hampered rescue efforts. The fire was ruled arson and a suspect was taken into custody, having been seen at the hotel and purchasing gasoline.

Hotel Pathfinder

On January 10, 1976, a fire broke out in the Hotel Pathfinder in

Fremont, Nebraska Fremont is a city and county seat of Dodge County in the eastern portion of the state of Nebraska in the Midwestern United States. The population was 27,141 at the 2020 census. Fremont is the home of Midland University. History From the 1830 ...

, killing 20 people. The fire was fueled by a natural gas leak at the hotel, which caused an explosion that blew out the windows of the hotel and shattered glass as far as nine blocks away. A flight instructor and a student pilot flying over the city at the time experienced severe turbulence.

Stratford Hotel

In January 1977, a fire broke out in the Stratford Hotel in

Breckenridge, Minnesota Breckenridge is a city and county seat of Wilkin County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,430 at the 2020 census. Breckenridge's twin city is Wahpeton, North Dakota. It is part of the Wahpeton, ND—MN Micropolitan Statistical ...

, killing 17 people.

Wenonah Park Hotel

In December 1977, a fire broke out in the Wenonah Hotel in

Bay City, Michigan Bay City is a city and county seat of Bay County in the U.S. state of Michigan, located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and it is the principal city of the Bay City Metropol ...

, killing 10 people.

Coates House Hotel

On January 28, 1978, a fire broke out in the six-story Coates House Hotel at 1005 Broadway in Downtown

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

, killing 20 people and injuring at least six. It is the worst fire disaster in the history of Kansas City. The Coates House was a former luxury hotel, and the building dated to 1886 and was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

, but it had become a

single room occupancy Single room occupancy (more commonly abbreviated to SRO) is a form of housing that is typically aimed at residents with low or minimal incomes who rent small, furnished single rooms with a bed, chair, and sometimes a small desk. SRO units are ren ...

hotel mainly housing the poor and elderly. The fire broke out around 4 am and the Kansas City, Missouri Fire department was alerted at 4:12 am by the desk clerk. The station of the first companies due at the scene was only 100 feet down an alley to the southeast of the hotel, yet they saw no smoke or fire when they arrived about two minutes later. Other companies arriving from the south on Broadway saw smoke coming from a few upper-story windows of the hotel. A second alarm was requested at 4:17 am, and ultimately the fire went to four alarms and at its height 23 fire trucks and at least 90 firemen were on the scene, more than three-quarters of all available on-duty Kansas City fire companies, including companies from

Kansas City, Kansas Kansas City, abbreviated as "KCK", is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas, and the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is an inner suburb of the older and more populous Kansas City, Missouri, after which it is named. As of ...

. It took more than four hours to bring under control. At one point the aerial ladder of one company's truck, which was more than 25 years old, froze barely a dozen feet in the air. At least five of the fire's fatalities were people who jumped from the upper stories. More than 100 survivors were taken by bus to the downtown Salvation Army Center. The hotel was gutted and the southern wing destroyed.

Allen Motor Inn

On November 5, 1978, a fire broke out in the Allen Motor Inn in

Honesdale, Pennsylvania Honesdale is a borough in and the county seat of Wayne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The borough's population was 4,458 at the time of the 2020 census. Honesdale is located northeast of Scranton in a rural area that provides many recrea ...

, killing 12 people and injuring five. The hotel had been the first concrete building in the state when it was built in 1858. Arson was suspected; there had been two other fires at the building in the previous two months. Frederick Weiler Blady, a 36-year-old drifter from New Jersey, was arrested and charged with arson in connection with this fire and with a previous fire at the same hotel on October 5, 1978. Blady was convicted of starting the October fire, but was found not guilty of the fatal November fire.

Holiday Inn (Greece, New York)

A fire broke out on November 26, 1978, at the Holiday Inn-Northwest in the Town of Greece, near

Rochester, New York Rochester () is a City (New York), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, the county seat, seat of Monroe County, New York, Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, ...

, and killed 10 people. Seven of the fatalities were Canadian; more than 130 Canadians were staying in the hotel at the time on a holiday shopping trip. The fire started on the first floor between the north and west wings of the hotel around 2:30 am. Cleaning supplies and paper products were stored in a closet near the fire's point of origin. Because of fire doors being left open and the nearby combustible materials, the fire spread very rapidly. The fire alarm system was not tied to the local fire department, and although some people reported a bell ringing, they failed to realize it was the emergency alarm bell. The fire was reported to the fire department at 2:38 am by Harold Phillips, an off-duty firefighter who was passing by. Initially the police did not consider the fire suspicious, but was officially ruled arson after an expert fire investigator brought in from New York City discovered that an uncommon and highly flammable chemical had been used to ignite it. No one was ever charged with the crime; in 2015 suspicions were raised that Phillips himself, who had since become the town's fire chief, might have set the fire.

Holiday Inn (Cambridge, Ohio)

On July 31, 1979, a fire broke out in the Holiday Inn in

Cambridge, Ohio Cambridge is a city in and the county seat of Guernsey County, Ohio, United States. It lies in southeastern Ohio, in the Appalachian Plateau of the Appalachian Mountains 74 miles east of Columbus. The population was 10,635 at the 2010 census. I ...

, killing 10 people and injuring 82. An arsonist, Gerald Willey of Randolph, Ohio, had poured gasoline on the carpet on the first floor of the two-story roadside motel and set it on fire with a lighted match. Willey was later convicted of one count of aggravated arson and 10 counts of involuntary manslaughter, and was sentenced to 14-to-50 years at Mansfield Reformatory. However, a well-known Cincinnati lawyer named Stanley Chesley held the motel responsible, arguing that the people on the second floor of the motel died from choking by toxic smoke and not by fire and that they were unable to escape because the floor-to-ceiling windows at the back of each room were not designed to be opened and had therefore trapped them. The liability case was settled out of court for US$6 million.

1980s

MGM Grand Hotel

On November 21, 1980, a fire broke out in the MGM Grand Hotel (now Bally's Las Vegas) in

Paradise, Nevada Paradise is an unincorporated town and census-designated place (CDP) in Clark County, Nevada, United States, adjacent to the city of Las Vegas. It was formed on December 8, 1950. Its population was 191,238 at the 2020 census, making it the fif ...

, killing 85 people, most through smoke inhalation. It remains the worst disaster in Nevada history, and the third-worst hotel fire in modern U.S. history. At the time of the fire, approximately 5,000 people were in the hotel and casino, a 26-story luxury resort with more than 2,000 hotel rooms. Just after 7:00 on the morning of November 21, 1980, a fire broke out in a restaurant known as The Deli. The Clark County Fire Department was the first agency to respond. Other agencies that responded included the North Las Vegas Fire Department,

Las Vegas Fire & Rescue Las Vegas Fire & Rescue provides fire protection and emergency medical services to the city of Las Vegas, Nevada. It is the second largest fire department in the state of Nevada after the Clark County Fire Department. The Las Vegas Fire & Resc ...

and the

Henderson Fire Department The Henderson Fire Department (HFD) is the agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for the city of Henderson, the second largest city in Nevada with 279,226 residents spread out over . USAR Task Force The HFD is a ...

. Smoke and fire spread through the building, killing 85 people and injuring 650, including guests, employees and 14 firefighters. While the fire primarily damaged the second floor casino and adjacent restaurants, most of the deaths were on the upper floors of the hotel, and were caused by smoke inhalation. Openings in vertical shafts (elevators and stairwells) and seismic joints allowed toxic smoke to spread to the top floor. The disaster led to the general publicizing of the fact that during a building fire,

smoke inhalation Smoke inhalation is the breathing in of harmful fumes (produced as by-products of combusting substances) through the respiratory tract. This can cause smoke inhalation injury (subtype of acute inhalation injury) which is damage to the respirator ...

is a more serious threat than flames. 75 people died from smoke inhalation and

carbon monoxide Carbon monoxide (chemical formula CO) is a colorless, poisonous, odorless, tasteless, flammable gas that is slightly less dense than air. Carbon monoxide consists of one carbon atom and one oxygen atom connected by a triple bond. It is the simple ...

poisoning and 4 from smoke inhalation alone; only 4 people died as a result of burns. On February 10, 1981, 90 days after the MGM fire, a smaller fire broke out at the

Las Vegas Hilton The Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino is a hotel, casino, and timeshare resort in Winchester, Nevada. Located near the northern end of the Las Vegas Strip, it is owned by Westgate Resorts. It opened in 1969 as the International Hotel, and was ...

. Because of the two incidents, there was a major reformation of state fire safety guidelines and codes.

Stouffer's Inn of Westchester

On December 4, 1980, a fire broke out at the Stouffer's Inn of Westchester, a newly built hotel and conference center in

Purchase, New York Purchase is a hamlet in the town and village of Harrison, in Westchester County, New York, United States. One myth explains that its name is derived from Harrison's purchase, where John Harrison was to be granted as much land as he could ride in ...

, killing 26 people. The fire started in the two-level conference center of the hotel, adjacent to the four-story, 365-room hotel tower. It spread rapidly because of a lack of sufficient sprinklers and the use of highly flammable carpeting and wall coverings; New York had no statewide fire code at the time. Together with the

MGM Grand fire The MGM Grand fire occurred on Friday, November 21, 1980 at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino (now Horseshoe Las Vegas), located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The fire killed 85 people, most through smoke inhalation. The fire began fr ...

, the Stouffer's Inn fire led to the adoption of stricter fire codes on the state and national levels. The fire was said to be a deliberate act but no one was convicted of causing it. The coffee waiter who was the chief suspect was arrested and initially convicted by the jury, but was later released by the judge for lack of evidence. The hotel reopened on April 4, 1981, four months after the fire. It today operates as the Renaissance Westchester Hotel.

Westchase Hilton Hotel

In March 1982, a fire broke out in the Westchase Hilton Hotel in

. 12 people died in the hotel, which was opened in 1980. A report by the National Fire Protection Association identified one reason for the deaths as inadequate escape routes: the stairways were located at the end of the corridor, so that as the hallways filled with smoke, people were unable to reach them and suffocated. In addition, a staff member repeatedly reset the alarm system, preventing transmission of information about the fire to the Fire Department, and a poorly closing door allowed smoke to spread. The fire was caused by a smoldering cigarette that had been dropped on a chair in a room on the fourth floor.

Alexander Hamilton Hotel

An arson fire burned the Alexander Hamilton Hotel in

Paterson, New Jersey Paterson ( ) is the largest City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Beverly, Massachusetts Beverly is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, and a suburb of Boston. The population was 42,670 at the time of the 2020 United States Census. A resort, residential, and manufacturing community on the Massachusetts North Shore, Beverly incl ...

killed 15 people. The fire was set by a man whose ex-girlfriend was going out with someone who was staying in the building. He set the fire by lighting gasoline-soaked newspapers an alcove adjacent to the front entrance. It was the deadliest arson fire in Massachusetts, the deadliest fire in the state since the

Cocoanut Grove fire The Cocoanut Grove fire was a nightclub fire which took place in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, on November 28, 1942, and resulted in the deaths of 492 people. It is the deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history, and the second-deadliest ...

in 1942, and the deadliest fire in Beverly's history.

Dupont Plaza

Fire broke out in the Dupont Plaza Hotel in

San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan (, , ; Spanish for "Saint John") is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2020 census, it is the 57th-largest city under the jur ...

, on New Year's Eve 1986, killing 98 people and injuring 140. It was described as one of the worst such fires of the century. The

conducted the inquiry into the causes of the fire, in association with the

U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE), commonly referred to as the ATF, is a domestic law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice. Its responsibilities include the investigation and prevent ...

and Puerto Rican authorities. It was established that the fire originated in a deliberate act of arson; three people were convicted for this. The inquiry report found that fire spread from new furniture temporarily stacked in a ballroom of size 5.5×9.4×1.8 m; the furniture consisted of dressers made of wood and particle board, mattresses and sofa beds, packed in cartons. The fire originated in this room and quickly engulfed the casino and the lobby; smoke spread from the two-story lobby to other floors, and flames spread over an area of 437 m². Most bodies were charred beyond recognition; 84 charred bodies were found in the casino, five in the lobby area, three in an elevator and one in a guest room on the west side of the hotel. National TV networks gave live coverage of the fire and the rescue operations undertaken by Puerto Rican firefighters, using helicopter services and rescuing people from the roof of the hotel.

1990s

Hotel St. George

On August 26, 1995 a fire broke out in the Clark Building of the 100-year-old Hotel St. George in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, New York. The fire consumed 4 large buildings and required over 700 firefighters operating 110 apparatus to put out. It consisted of 16 alarms, the largest in Brooklyn's history. There were no casualties.

2000s

Mizpah Hotel

On October 31, 2006, a fire in the 84-year-old Mizpah Hotel in

Reno, Nevada Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the ...

, killed 12 people. Casino cook Valerie Moore was convicted of setting the fire and sentenced to 12 consecutive life prison terms without parole.

References

{{hotel fires *Fires

Hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...