Boston Cocoanut Grove Fire Disaster Documentary

[MisterCairo]

I confess I had not heard of this terrible disaster from 1942, when nearly five hundred people died in a fire at the Cocoanut Grove nightclub in Boston. In addition to overcrowding, several doors were locked to prevent people from leaving without paying bills, and the revolving doors that were opened of course jammed in the panic.

Out of this came many fire code rules, including one I'd never thought of before - we need to have two ordinary doors on the sides of revolving ones.

http://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world...ns-cocoanut-grove-fire/ar-BBXqAAY?ocid=ientp2

 

[LizzieMaine]

There's an exceptional book about the Grove fire -- "Fire In The Grove -- The Cocoanut Grove Fire In Its Aftermath," by John Esposito. It delves deeply into the web of mobsterism and police corruption that allowed the disaster to take place.

The Grove fire is something that was, at one time, deeply penetrated into the New England soul. Every year the Boston papers would run retrospectives on the fire, with "where are they now" interviews with survivors, but as time has gone by the story is being forgotten. And as the Station Nightclub fire of 2003 shows, the lessons are being forgotten as well.

 

[Fading Fast]

...Out of this came many fire code rules, including one I'd never thought of before - we need to have two ordinary doors on the sides of revolving ones....

I assumed they were there for deliveries and other things that couldn't easily go through revolving doors - never thought it was a fire safety requirement. As with many things, once you know the real reason, it makes perfect sense.

 

[Woodtroll]

That was indeed a horrible fire. Along with several other tragic fires (Our Lady of Angels and he Triangle Shirtwaist fires), this is one of the case studies used to train upcoming firefighters about fire behavior, people behavior, building construction, and the foundations for modern fire code law.