What caused the Cocoanut Grove nightclub fire?

An initial Boston Fire Department report written the day after the tragedy said the fire was “evidently” caused by a “young employee” who lit a match and accidentally ignited a fake palm tree. From that day on, blame would most often fall on the shoulders of Stanley Tomaszewski, then a 16-year-old bus boy.

What happened at the Cocoanut Grove fire?

Inside the Cocoanut Grove disaster, America’s deadliest nightclub fire that killed 492 people in 15 minutes. On November 28, 1942, a quick and deadly fire ripped through the Cocoanut Grove nightclub, killing 492 people, and becoming, in minutes, the worst nightclub fire in American history.

What holiday weekend did the Cocoanut Grove fire occur?

It was a night — Nov. 28, 1942, — that Boston has never forgotten, a night in which revelry turned almost instantly to tragedy. It also was a night that reverberated across the globe, and that changed the city of Boston forever. “This is 77 years later, and there’s still all this energy around this event.

What lessons were learned from the Coconut Grove fire?

Safety lessons learned from Cocoanut Grove Regulations for emergency exit doors were changed to ensure that all exit doors swing outward. Illuminated exit signage and emergency lighting was required. Requirements for widely separated means of egress for higher occupancy loads and minimum exit widths were established.

What was the occupant load of the Cocoanut Grove nightclub?

On the night of November 28, 1942, the Cocoanut Grove was well over capacity, with estimates of over 1,000 occupants in the building at the time of the fire. The fire began in the area of an artificial palm tree in the Melody Lounge.

Where was the Cocoanut Grove in Boston?

Boston
Cocoanut Grove fire/Location

What is the largest fire in the world?

Largest fires of the 21st-century

Where is the Coconut Grove nightclub?

Cocoanut Grove fire/Location

The Cocoanut Grove was a restaurant/supper club (nightclubs did not officially exist in Boston), built in 1927 and located at 17 Piedmont Street, near Park Square, in downtown Boston, Massachusetts.

Where can I watch six locked doors?

The video is now available for streaming on Vimeo, and it should be required viewing – not just for those of us who are involved in codes, but for anyone who enters buildings (that means everyone).

What happened to Great White band after fire?

Following the fire, Great White split into two separate groups, one led by Russell and the other by Kendall. Neither version of the band performed in any of the six New England states for over a decade.

What was the night of the Cocoanut Grove fire?

The night of November 28, 1942, promised all the glamour and glitz that made Boston’s most famous night spot, The Cocoanut Grove, legendary. That night, about a thousand revelers gathered to drink and dance the night away.

How many people were at Cocoanut Grove in 1942?

The legal capacity of the Cocoanut Grove was 460 people, but on Saturday, November 28, 1942, nearly 1,000 patrons, entertainers and staff were there dining and dancing. Downstairs in the Melody Lounge a young couple looking for a moment’s privacy unscrewed the light bulb over their booth.

Where was the Cocoanut Grove nightclub in Boston located?

Cocoanut Grove fire. The Cocoanut Grove Fire was a nightclub fire in the United States. The Cocoanut Grove was a premier nightclub during the post-Prohibition 1930s and 1940s in Boston, Massachusetts.

How old was Ann Gallagher in the Cocoanut Grove fire?

Ann Gallagher was a 16-year-old girl from NH who was in Boston with her family. Marshall Cole, another 16-year-old, was employed at the popular nightclub as a dancer. He has vivid memories of escaping the fire. Dr. Saul Davis, interviewed in 2007, also gives a harrowing account of the fire that claimed the lives of so many.