Any time a fire occurs, it is a tragedy on some level. However, when a fire happens in a public place, the level of disaster only increases. Unfortunately, history recounts several of these horrible fires that have taken place in the U.S. While incredibly tragic, these fires can teach us some important lessons so that they do not occur in the future - if we will be good students of history. One fire that we can learn from is the Winecoff Hotel fire in Atlanta, Georgia.
Remembered as the deadliest fire in American history, the Winecoff Hotel fire still sends chills down the spine. While its owners prided themselves on having a hotel that was 'absolutely fireproof,' fateful events proved them wrong. While the framework of the hotel might have been technically fireproof, items inside the hotel were incredibly flammable, and that was where this event took a tragic turn.
On December 7, 1946, a fire broke out on the 3rd floor of the Winecoff Hotel. No one knows the cause exactly, but it is believed that the origin of the fire was a chair and a mattress that was in the hallway. Many believe that a cigarette that was carelessly tossed away ignited the mattress and the chair, giving rise to the powerful blaze. Once the fire started spreading, the burlap wall coverings gave it fuel to rapidly spread. Air coming through the transoms also aided the spread of this fire, and these transoms, as well as the doors, were burnt all the way from the 3rd floor up to the 15th floor.
This hotel was not designed for mass emergency escape; it had just one staircase that was in use for all 15 floors. If anyone was in the hotel at the time of the fire and they were above the 3rd floor, they were trapped with no safe way to exit. Those who managed to survive jumped out windows and were caught in nets that were held by firefighters, or the firefighters were able to rescue them from the windows. Sadly, there were many people who died trying to escape by jumping out the windows of the burning building. In fact, of the 119 people who perished, 32 of them died in their attempts to escape - either by jumping from windows or shimmying down ropes that were made from sheets.
As a result of this fire, many of the fire codes that were in existence at the time were reviewed, analyzed and later changed and improved. As this fire was fueled by highly flammable materials, new research was instituted in order to decipher the combustibility of certain items. Since then, building codes were changed, and now they address how to handle flammable finish and decorative materials.
Unfortunately, it often takes tragic events to wake us up to the threats that are all around us. Thankfully, we have studied these tragedies in history and have learned how to make our public spaces safer and better protected from fires. Especially in buildings where the public gathers, it is critical that decorative items be properly flameproofed, which is now part of FDNY regulations. As we've learned from the fire at the Winecoff Hotel, had decorative items and materials been fireproofed to today's standards, this tragedy might have been prevented. Today, drapes, hangings, curtains, scenery, and other decorative items must be treated with fire retardants, which has proven to be a successful preventative measure.
Here at Certified Flameproofing, we are in the business of keeping the public safe from the threat of fire. We know that business properties that are fireproofed are inherently safer for the public. We are happy to help with all of your flameproofing needs and share our expertise with you. Please call us today at 800-590-5530for a free, no-obligation estimate.