Signficant Fires

[jlcooke3]

I'm compiling a list of significant fires that have occurred in American history. Specifically those fires that have had a impact on public awareness, fire codes, and/or fireground strategy and tactics. What incidents do you consider significant in American Fire Service history?

[jccrabby3084]

I'm compiling a list of significant fires that have occurred in American history. Specifically those fires that have had a impact on public awareness, fire codes, and/or fireground strategy and tactics. What incidents do you consider significant in American Fire Service history?

Iriqouis Theatre
Cocoanut Grove
Beverly Hills Supper Club
MGM Hotel
Triangle Shirtwaist
Our Lady of Angels schhol
Texas City
Kansas City
Worcester Cold Storage
Charleston Super Sofa
...and the list goes on

[FWDbuff]

Iriqouis Theatre
Cocoanut Grove
Beverly Hills Supper Club
MGM Hotel
Triangle Shirtwaist
Our Lady of Angels schhol
Texas City
Kansas City
Worcester Cold Storage
Charleston Super Sofa
...and the list goes on

Dont forget the Happyland Social Club and the Station Nightclub fire.

[mrpita]

Well of course there's Chicago, Peshtigo, San Fran earthquake/fires, etc....

Osage Ave./MOVE incident, 1985
One Meridian Plaza, 1991

Suprised 9/11 not mentioned yet.


See also:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_historic_fires

[FiremanLyman]

A few lesser publicized fires occurred in on and off campus college dorms and frat houses. Prompted sprinkler legislation in dorms and increased off campus student housing inspections.


Bloomsburg University (BSD frat house)October 1994, killed 5.
University North Carolina (PhiGD frat house) May 1996, killed 5.
Seton Hall University (Boland Hall) January 2000, killed 3.
Bloomsburg University (TKE frat house) March 2000, killed 3.

In 2005 there were 3300 college housing fires, and between 2002 and 2005 there were 39 deaths, over 400 injuries. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20381637...ews-education/

[InsuranceLCRep]

Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ on Jan. 19, 2000, a fire killed three students and injured 58 others.

The fire inside six-story Boland Hall was deliberately set. The New Jersey Legislature swiftly acted to prevent another tragedy in the state. The New Jersey Senate unanimously passed a bill (SB 891) requiring the state’s public and private colleges and universities to install sprinkler systems in all existing buildings used to house students. The legislation is unprecedented because it also applies to sorority and fraternity houses, as well as to boarding and military schools with dorms.

The act requires sprinkler installation to be completed in four years.

Almost a year after the deadly fire, a fire started in a trash can in Boland Hall.
Fortunately, a sprinkler system had been installed. One sprinkler head activated and extinguished the fire without any
reported injuries to the 600 residents.

http://www.csg.org/knowledgecenter/d...Sprinklers.pdf

[MemphisE34a]

None. They stay in the spotlight for a couple of weeks and then the fire service is fighting for scraps again.

Within 12 months of the terrorist attacks in NYC on 9-11, the FDNY was closing companies.

[SreusingSFD]

Beverly Hills Super Club in Southgate Ky city is located in Northern KY 2 mile south of Cincinnati Just south of Newport KY
Killed 165 people mostly in the cabaret room. emptied out three counties in ambulances and fire equipment. had equipment responding from as far away as supposedly Mason Ohio. Changed electrical codes and occupancy codes mostly on how many people can be in a room and how many exits and means of egress are needed. Also made changes about Al wiring in buildings. up to 500 responders. building had been modified several times with and without permits. This fire is one of the first enterprise liability lawsuits in US history. All and their was another major fire at a company called Duro Paper bag that same night in Kenton County which borders the county Southgate is in.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverly...pper_Club_fire
http://www.kentonlibrary.org/genphotos/index.cfm type in Beverly Hills and a box on the left will have a selection and click on the fires heading. the 100 or so acres still stands vacant to this day

[snowball]

None. They stay in the spotlight for a couple of weeks and then the fire service is fightign for scraps again.

Within 12 months of the terrorist attacks in NYC on 9-11, the FDNY was closing companies.

co-signed...

[233wacker]

I'm compiling a list of significant fires that have occurred in American history. Specifically those fires that have had a impact on public awareness, fire codes, and/or fireground strategy and tactics. What incidents do you consider significant in American Fire Service history?

the eastland disaster....not a fire, but significant in "american fire service history." in chicago this was the first time the fire department was called for an incident that was not a fire.

[pasobuff]

Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ on Jan. 19, 2000, a fire killed three students and injured 58 others.

The fire inside six-story Boland Hall was deliberately set. The New Jersey Legislature swiftly acted to prevent another tragedy in the state. The New Jersey Senate unanimously passed a bill (SB 891) requiring the state’s public and private colleges and universities to install sprinkler systems in all existing buildings used to house students. The legislation is unprecedented because it also applies to sorority and fraternity houses, as well as to boarding and military schools with dorms.

The act requires sprinkler installation to be completed in four years.

Almost a year after the deadly fire, a fire started in a trash can in Boland Hall.
Fortunately, a sprinkler system had been installed. One sprinkler head activated and extinguished the fire without any
reported injuries to the 600 residents.

http://www.csg.org/knowledgecenter/d...Sprinklers.pdf

Not only did this have an impact on NJ, but was also the catalyst for the Campus Fire Safety Act in NYS which requires all colleges, public and private to be inspected by OFPC, AND sets forth punishment in the way of fines for identified violations that are not corrected in a timely manner. Anywhere from $50- to $500- per day/per violation.....

[LaFireEducator]

If you can get a hold of Dennis Smith's "A History of Firefighting" he discusses several landmark fires.

Just remember that fires that killed a large number of firefighters may not be significant, if you define "significant" as providing a platform for changes in fire codes and building construction, as often multi-LODD incidents cause little change in those areas. They are significant within the firefighting community but often not significant beyond that.

[hwoods]

And............

There have been quite a few Fires over the years that were not definable as a specific Structure alone. What we now refer to as the Wildland Urban Interface Fire problem is one heck of a lot older that the Descriptive Term is. WUI Fires started happening as soon as the white man reached the shores of North America. There are numerous examples of WUI Fires that had some kind of impact, including Storm King Mountain, Colorado, where 14 LODDs occured. My pick for the Major Impact of Wildfire would have to be the Southern California Fires of the early 50s. It's a long and convoluted trail, but as a result of the Fires in that era, work started on the "Firescope" Project which has resulted in today's "NIMS" Incident Management System.......

[LaFireEducator]

There have been quite a few Fires over the years that were not definable as a specific Structure alone. What we now refer to as the Wildland Urban Interface Fire problem is one heck of a lot older that the Descriptive Term is. WUI Fires started happening as soon as the white man reached the shores of North America. There are numerous examples of WUI Fires that had some kind of impact, including Storm King Mountain, Colorado, where 14 LODDs occured. My pick for the Major Impact of Wildfire would have to be the Southern California Fires of the early 50s. It's a long and convoluted trail, but as a result of the Fires in that era, work started on the "Firescope" Project which has resulted in today's "NIMS" Incident Management System.......

Certainly some of the wildland fires in the Los Angeles area back in the 60's and 70's would be significant, as well as the Oakland Hills fire in 1992 (I think).

[FWDbuff]

If you can get a hold of Dennis Smith's "A History of Firefighting" he discusses several landmark fires.

Just remember that fires that killed a large number of firefighters may not be significant, if you define "significant" as providing a platform for changes in fire codes and building construction, as often multi-LODD incidents cause little change in those areas. They are significant within the firefighting community but often not significant beyond that.

Hey Meat Head, here was the original question:

I'm compiling a list of significant fires that have occurred in American history. Specifically those fires that have had a impact on public awareness, fire codes, and/or fireground strategy and tactics. What incidents do you consider significant in American Fire Service history?

All of the fires quoted thus far either had a significant impact on building codes, construction, or strategy and tactics.

Oh, wait....Silly me. None of these fires involved standing in the front yards of the property, therefore you having no knowledge of them. I apologize.