Out of the 85 fatalities, four died of as a result of the burns, one jumped out of the. Firefighters quickly doused the flames, and no one was injured. "He set the fire. As he watched the Las Vegas Hilton burn the night of Feb. 10, 1981, the 23-year-old figured he had it coming. 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. [81] The fire was caused by a smoldering cigarette that had been dropped on a chair in a room on the fourth floor.[82]. "I never believed it was an accident," Lee said. He was probably headed to prison one way or another. No official cause was ever listed for the 1910 fire. Homicide detectives questioned him the next day. One witness recounted how she "grabbed whatever" & I couldnt handle it. [15] The fire broke out in the basement and shortly afterwards a bellhop heard a kitchen boy yell, "O Lawdy, fire". July 01, 2005. Helicopters plucked people from the. Like us on Facebook. 110 Years Ago Salvation Army collection wagon swallowed in Farber Court cave-in; SUBMIT ONLINE The fire killed 85 people, and sent 650 to the hospital, including guests, employees, and 14 firefighters. 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. On Christmas night 1961, a fire destroyed Nashville's Maxwell House. Three died and. None were required when the hotel was built, and there were no local safety codes that required subsequent installation. The son of a career Air Force veteran, Cline left his Bay Area home about 1980 and moved to Las Vegas, a glittering town he had once run away to as a young teen. Hero of Okanagan hotel fire remembered 110 years later - Penticton Western News Monument to Archie Hickling's bravery and memory on Aug. 10, 1909 erected in Vernon Park Monument to Archie Hickling's bravery and memory on Aug. 10, 1909 erected in Vernon Park Search Home Newsletters Subscribe Subscribe Login Logout Today in B.C. They were smoking a marijuana cigarette that accidentally caught the curtains on fire. ", The Veranda House Hotel's loss will be a blow to the island of Nantucket, according to The Boston Globe. The hotel was . Firefighters rushed to the Wayfinder Hotel on Admiral. The intentionally set blaze took the lives of 14 people, more . District Judge Michelle Leavitt set another hearing for March 9 to appoint him a standby attorney through the Clark County public defenders office. [48], On September 13, 1970, a fire broke out in the Ponet Square Hotel at Pico Boulevard and Grand Avenue in Los Angeles, killing 19 people. [32] According to fire captain Harold Cosgrove, 30 people were rescued by jumping onto nets and 27 were carried down ladders. The inquest also found that police commissioners were negligent in supervision of the police force; that the hotel was not properly equipped for the protection of its guests; that the chief of police, whose duty it was to inspect public buildings and hotels, did not do so. NEWPORT, R.I. (WLNE) Flames ripped through a section of a Newport hotel forcing guests to evacuate Monday night. Jon Gruden still must use arbitration, NFL argues, Supreme Court weighs arguments challenging closure of Family Court hearings, Woman sentenced after daughter died in hot, locked bedroom, Suspect in 2 Las Vegas killings could face death penalty, Alvin Kamara, 3 others plead not guilty to battery charges, Alleged cult leader pleads not guilty to sex assault charges, Judge allows Robert Telles to represent himself in murder case, Henry Ruggs gets new preliminary hearing date in fatal DUI case, Driver in deadly hit-and-run sentenced to prison, Temporary credit score ban upheld by Nevada Supreme Court. Guests broke windows and cried for help. [17], On January 3, 1940, a fire broke out in the aging Marlborough Hotel in Minneapolis, Minnesota, killing 19 people. (Roger Knox - Black Press), Monument to Archie Hicklings bravery and memory on Aug. 10, 1909 erected in Vernon Park. Another victim, Bruce Glenn, 47, of Plymouth, Minn., fell or jumped to his death from a 16th-floor window. [30] 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. [1] 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. 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. [9], Survivors of the fire included 1964 Miss America Donna Axum,[3] Manhattan Jaspers basketball coach Ken Norton, and Florida Gators basketball coach Norm Sloan. [23] On August 15, he was sentenced to 22 concurrent life terms in prison. At least five of the fire's fatalities were people who jumped from the upper stories. The fire broke out around 4am and the Kansas City, Missouri Fire department was alerted at 4:12am by the desk clerk. This fire spurred the City Council to enact stringent new fire codes, which forces hotel and apartment owners to add sprinklers and fire doors, and abide by other fire codes or be forced to close. After the emotional interview, the prison guards looked at each other and made a note to put Cline on suicide watch the rest of the day, and again on Thursday the anniversary of the fire. ", Officials have yet to estimate the cost of the damage to the Veranda House Hoteland the two additional building. Dana Fuller, 25, and Terry Brown, 21, had gone into the burning apartment building in downtown Bellows Falls to find the trapped residents in the rundown hotel. The fire was mostly extinguished at about 8 p.m. Saturday more than 14 hours after it began. The building was renovated in recent years and is now known as The Carling, an upscale apartment residence. [16] The fire spread quickly, choking off fire escapes and stairs just a few seconds after it caught. "I got scared.". Jan. 25, 2008 A fire at the Monte Carlo casino-hotel injured 17 people, most suffering from smoke inhalation, and closed the Strip resort for three weeks. [56], At about 2:30am 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, killing 12 people[1] and spreading from the brick building to seven adjoining buildings. Thats the one thing I want to get across.". Inside, hotel workers told people to stay in their rooms with towels under the doors as the hallways filled with black smoke. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Two people were found and guided out safely, the fire department said. The fire consumed 4 large buildings and required over 700 firefighters operating 110 apparatus to put out. . Rick Wuschenny and his family are from Ituna. It was the last one that made him a suspect. (Roger Knox - Morning Star), The final resting place and headstone in Vernons Pleasant Valley Cemetery of Okanagan Hotel bartender Julius Fuerst. . [43], In September 1966, a fire broke out in the two-story 33-room frame Lane Hotel in the main business district of Anchorage, Alaska, killing 14 people. Cline said he had nothing to do with any of those other fires, and he insisted what happened at the Hilton was never meant to harm. The 53-year-old man charged in last year's alleged arson at the historic Empress Hotel site now faces charges connected to 11 other arsons in Toronto. The hotels famous neon-lit windmill toppled in the blaze. After a polygraph test, Lee knew Cline wasnt being completely honest. Standing there on the street he was in safety; he knew the danger of going back. [12][13] The fire was thought to have been caused by careless smoking. [7], On December 3, 1913, a fire in the Arcadia Hotel, a flophouse on Washington Street in Boston's South End, killed 28 and injured 50. "I did it. April 7, 1955 A spectacular fire heavily damaged one of the second floor wings of the under construction Moulin Rouge hotel. "I was thinking, you know, all the stuff I had done prior stealing cars, stealing money was all coming back on me. Archie Hickling was a working man, what is often called a common man, yet in that last half hour of his career he did a deed which made his whole life sublime. [1] [1] The fire was fueled by a natural gas leak at the hotel,[60] which caused an explosion that blew out the windows of the hotel and shattered glass as far as nine blocks away. [10], Immediately after the fire many local Jacksonville residents, churches and businesses took in displaced hotel guests, and provided food and clothes to those displaced.[6]. Gentlemen, it has been the custom to erect monuments to those who have done noble deeds in all ages. In addition to recognizing the firefighters, Murphy thanked Nantucket residents who have supported the efforts of officials fighting the inferno. June 6, 1911 Hotel Bartz was built for a cost of about $4,000 on the corner of Florence Drive and Main Street in East Stanwood, where the H&H Railway tracks curved south. [14], The Hotel Roosevelt (in the foreground), in a 2001, Last edited on 24 February 2023, at 21:02, "Jacksonville, FL Hotel Roosevelt Fire, Dec 1963", "Roosevelt Hotel Fire: 22 people died in blaze, but heroes prevented that total from being even higher", "21 Perish In Hotel Fire In Jacksonville", "Florida Hotel Fire Damage Expected to Be Tremendous", "Basketball Team Rescued From Florida Hotel Fire", "50 years ago: Judge absolves city of liability in deadly Roosevelt Hotel fire | Jax Daily Record | Financial News & Daily Record - Jacksonville, Florida", "A Walking Tour of Jacksonville, Florida", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hotel_Roosevelt_fire&oldid=1141392226, This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 21:02. That night, 170 people perished trying to escape a fire that started from a kerosene lamp that fell over, a death toll that exceeds the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire that occurred in New York City three years later. EDITORS NOTE: This story has been upgraded with files from the Vernon and District Family History Society, The headstone erected for nine of the victims in Vernons Pleasant Valley Cemetery, including hero Archie Hickling, killed in the Aug. 10, 1909, fire at the Okanagan Hotel in downtown Vernon. [1], On January 28, 1966, a fire broke out in the 11-story Paramount Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts, killing 11 people[1] and injuring 57. [1][47][48] It was said to be the worst arson fire in Seattle. [48], Since the building lacked modern fire fighting facilities, Seattle made major changes to its fire codes. New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara was arraigned on Thursday along with three other men charged in connection with an alleged brawl at a Strip casino. 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 437m. The Ozark Hotel fire, Seattle, March 1971. On the night of the fire, Cline was working as a busboy in the hotels east tower. In 2009, Vernon filmmaker Bruce Mol produced a movie called When Duty Calls The Story of The Okanagan Hotel Fire of 1909, Vernon, B.C. We're fortunate to live in a community that sees only occasional four- or five-alarm fires, requiring help from multiple communities. FIRE Terrace is a year-round rooftop bar where you can eat and drink alfresco. Lucy sent its first signal to Earth from its own antenna to NASA's Deep Space Network at 6:40 a.m. In addition, a staff member repeatedly reset the alarm system, preventing transmission of information about the fire to the Fire Department,[79][80] and a poorly closing door allowed smoke to spread. Fred Ball, 45, and John Antwan Caver, 29, were arrested on arson charges. 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.[34]. Fire chief Huttner initially though the fire was caused by a boiler that had exploded in the furnace room,[18] 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. Fire Erupts At Florida Keys' Adults-Only All-Inclusive Resort Lifestyle Travel Massive Fire Erupts at the Florida Keys' First All-Inclusive Hotel Just Months After Opening The Bungalows Key. (Jae C. Hong/AP) Aug.3, 2005 - A late-night three-alarm fire rousts gamblers at the . Heavy smoke and flames could be seen billowing from the roof of the. Others believed he was a serial arsonist who had set other fires in the Hilton that night and was responsible for recent fires in other hotels, including the MGM Grand fire that killed 87. Those cases weren't as severe as the. The fire ignited from a spark from a welder's torch during the installation of an air conditioning unit. -- A fire apparently caused by a careless smoker destroyed a downtown hotel used as a rooming house for disaster. 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. [11], The former Hotel Roosevelt, located on Adams Street in downtown, is still standing. Then October 26, 1913, seven people, including some firemen, died fighting fire on the block. [21][22] 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. In March 1982, a fire broke out in the Westchase Hilton Hotel in Houston, Texas. [3] [4] Don't miss the big stories. [24], On January 16, 1945, a fire at the General Clark Hotel on the north side of the loop in Chicago, Illinois, killed 14 people. The historic Veranda House Hotelon Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, was damaged Saturday after a huge blaze ripped through the building. [58], On July 7, 1975, a fire broke out in the Pomona Hotel in Portland, Oregon, killing 11 people (initially reported as eight). The El Paso Fire Marshal's Office is still investigating the cause of Friday's stunning fire which gutted the vacant, 116-year-old De Soto Hotel building in the heart of Downtown . Retired Las Vegas police homicide Detective Chuck Lee, who got Clines confession during a polygraph test, always believed Cline intentionally set the deadly fire, perhaps as part of a homosexual encounter in that eighth-floor elevator lobby. The building, at 4th Avenue and Church Street, was one of the city's most famous structures until a fire severely damaged . On the night of the fire, 42 of the 62 rooms were occupied. 400,000 years ago . The hotel operator, L.A . The fire spread throughout the building via the stairway. [6] In addition, assistant chief J.R. Romedy collapsed of a heart attack during the initial rescue efforts, and died at the scene. A handful of people were treated for smoke inhalation, including hotel executive Herb McDonald. The fire started on the sixth floor and spread rapidly through the hallways and staircases, trapping more than 60 people,[52] but most escaped through windows. Video shows flames engulfing the building and dark smoke billowing up from the hotel. The disaster was investigated by reporters of The Daily Journal (now Milwaukee Journal), newly edited by Lucius W. Nieman. The two-story pink and red hotel that caught fire in Catarina last weekend was for many Laredoans a striking roadside attraction on the way to Eagle Pass. Fingers were pointed at hotel co-owner S.J. A homeless man who was charged with setting the fire suffered serious injuries. Search in ruin of Dubuque hotel hampered by toppling walls", "Atlantic City hotels fire toll may hit 25: 8 known dead, 17 missing in million dollar blaze", "Police search for arsonist in shore hotel fire", "Fire Department Journal The Paramount Hotel Fire", "At least 14 dead after hotel fire at Anchorage: Boiler room explosion suspected", "A Look at Swampscott's New Ocean House Hotel Fire 50 Years Later", "Arsonist kills 20 and injures 10 at the Ozark Hotel fire in Seattle on March 20, 1970", "Police Charge Hotel Fire Deaths to 16-Year-Old Boy: At least 28 died", "Man convicted in deadly Ariz. fire walks free", "A report to Milton J. Shapp, Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania", "Firemen continue hunt for hotel fire victims", "Oregon fire takes 8 lives; Man held on arson charge", "When the gas leak was confirmed, reaction time ticked into tragedy", "At least 13 are dead in Kansas City hotel fire -- many others missing", "Push on to solve NY arson case that killed 7 Canadians", "Fatal 1978 Holiday Inn fire still frustrates Greece officials", "After 36 Years, a New York Town Sifts Through Suspicions on a Fatal Fire", "Fire Chief Investigated for Deadly Arson That Killed 10 At Holiday Inn", "Flash Fire Kills 26 Executives in Westchester Hotel; 24 Hurt", "Lessons of the Stouffer's Inn fire, 25 years later", "Stouffer's Inn, Where 26 Died in Arsonist's Fire, Will Reopen", "Intelligencer: Stouffer's Fire: Defense Stiffening? There's a reason that the death toll of the Winecoff hotel fire in 1946 has never been surpassed. Crews in Texarkana, Texas responded to a fire at the Wyndham Garden Hotel on Stateline Avenue Tuesday, May 10, 2022. On March 20, 1970, a fire caused by arson broke out in the lobby of the Ozark Hotel in Seattle, Washington, at about 2:30am (a clock on the second floor had melted, showing the time as 2:45). [29][30] Two-thirds of hotel fire deaths in 1946 occurred in the La Salle fire and that in the Winecoff in Atlanta. . Philip Bruce Cline was convicted of arson and is serving eight life terms, plus 15 years in state prison. It was 110 years ago Saturday that Laurence Archibald (Archie) Hickling, a common man, as described in the Vernon News, was one of 11 men who died in a fire at the Okanagan Hotel. [10][11] Among the dead were seven Michigan state legislators: state senator John Leidlein and state representatives T. Henry Howlett, Charles D. Parker, Vern Voorhees, John W. Goodwine, Don E. Sias, and D. Knox Hanna, who were in town for a special session of the state legislature. A marker is also erected in the Pleasant Valley Cemetery commemorating the dead, though only nine are on the marker. The Ellis Hotel currently stands in the same spot in Peachtree as the Winecoff did. All hotel guests were evacuated. "He called it in and then started the fire," he said. Extensive archives on the fire, including valuable photographs, exist within the Jacksonville Fire Museum. They couldnt find the mystery man called Joe. He was to blame. Now 53 and balding, Cline revealed he never had been completely honest about what happened that night. The Hotel Roosevelt fire, on December 29, 1963,[1] was the worst fire that Jacksonville, Florida, had seen since the Great Fire of 1901,[2] and it contributed to the worst one-day death toll in the city's history: 22 people died, mostly from carbon monoxide poisoning.[3][4]. Kathy Zeller, then a 32-year-old accountant, said the womans testimony was key in convicting Cline. I was weak-minded.". Loggers, homesteaders and campers started some of the blazes accidentally. Fire crews from half a dozen communities were called about 8 p.m. to the . Caught unawares, many people were trapped on the upper floors, and most of the deaths were among people forced to jump. [1] The Winecoff Hotel fire of December 7, 1946, in Atlanta, Georgia, which claimed 119 lives, is the deadliest hotel fire disaster in the history of the United States.[2]. Considered one of Chicago's worst flophouse blazes,[37] a fire broke out in the five-story Barton Hotel on West Madison[38] 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 65cents per person. Now investigators are looking into violations of those standards in Oakland, California, where 36 people perished at a Dec. 2 concert inside the "Ghost Ship" warehouse. By 1 am the fire was out of control. NEWPORT, R.I. (WPRI) Three firefighters were injured while battling a massive fire that raged through a Newport hotel Monday night. The resort is now Bally's. [51], 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, killing 28 people, including several children and teenagers, and injuring 27. [16] The building was fully ablaze minutes after the alarm bell sounded shortly after 3:00 a.m.[16] Soon after the fire team arrived, the roof collapsed, hampering rescue efforts. The inquest recommended more modern fire fighting equipment be purchased and more fire hydrants be placed on Barnard Avenue. SPARE CHANGE: Wayfinder fire is a reminder of blazes I've covered in the past. Panic set in as flames climbed into the night sky, rekindling memories of the deadly MGM Grand hotel fire less than three months earlier. Fire Marshall Michael J. Corrigan described it as the worst fire in the loop district in 25 years.[26]. Rome teenagers Billy Walden, Charles Keith, James 'Buzz' Slatton and Lamar Brown were among 119 victims of a fire at the Winecoff Hotel in Atlanta on Dec. 7 of 1946. On November 5, 1978, a fire broke out in the Allen Motor Inn in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, killing 12 people and injuring five. The fire was concentrated near the casino on the upper entertainment level. "I cant bring back them eight people. Only he knows his intentions," Lee said. In January 1966, a fire broke out in the Hotel Carleton in St. Paul, Minnesota, killing 11 people. Nathan Chasing Horse pleaded not guilty Wednesday to sexual assault charges and invoked his right to a speedy trial. "We couldnt go with the death penalty, because we didnt think he did anything to hurt anybody," Kelley said. [52], 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. Monday will mark the 50th anniversary of the single biggest mass homicide in Alaska history, the Lane Hotel fire of Sept. 12, 1966. Because of the two incidents, there was a major reformation of state fire safety guidelines and codes. The jury endured a seven-week trial that included plenty of tedious technical testimony about the fire, flames and arson. Cline filled out three written statements that night, one for the hotel, one for fire investigators and one for police. Workers who did not have proper welding permits accidentally sparked the fire with molten metal from a hand-held cutting torch, according to Clark County Fire Department inspectors. Variance sought to extend height of Summerland development, Pentictons student robotics club competing in Victoria, Penticton Vees Josh Nadeau named B.C. On July 4, 1984, an arson fire set at a low-rent rooming house in Beverly, Massachusetts killed 15 people. On March 17, 1899, the Windsor Hotel at 575 Fifth Avenue caught fire, the first smoke and flames billowing from the building just as the city's annual St. Patrick's Day parade reached 47th Street. Even now he struggles to find the words he would say to the families he changed forever. There were 245 people staying at the hotel on the night of the fire. More than 100 survivors were taken by bus to the downtown Salvation Army Center. 4 min read. The sky was ablaze. [83] A resident of the hotel, Russell William Conklin, was convicted of arson and manslaughter and sentenced to 20 years in prison;[84] he served 12 years before being released in 1997. In 1999, a plaque was added to the back of the Hickling monument containing the names of 10 of the 11 men who perished: Wilbur Smith, carpenter; J.J. Funston, labourer; Jas. A link has been emailed to you - check your inbox. [1] It is the worst fire disaster in the history of Kansas City. The fire department reported that no civilians were injured in the fire. [8] A woman died after attempting to climb to safety from her 11th floor room, but slipped while on the makeshift bedsheets rope she had made. Thick black smoke filled the air ducts and escape . ", "At least 13 die in New Jersey hotel fire", "Handyman Sentenced To 20 Years For Hotel Fire", "St. George Hotel Complex 16- Alarm Fire", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_hotel_fires_in_the_United_States&oldid=1133991698, Articles with dead external links from December 2017, Articles with permanently dead external links, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2021, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 16 January 2023, at 13:32. "He just couldnt tell the same story twice.". The top two floors collapsed. [53] Two firemen were injured, including a fire captain who hung upside down on a 45-foot broken ladder for 25 minutes before being rescued. Firefighters remained on the scene through the night into Sunday, according to the release. The Hotel Roosevelt fire, on December 29, 1963, [1] was the worst fire that Jacksonville, Florida, had seen since the Great Fire of 1901, [2] and it contributed to the worst one-day death toll in the city's history: 22 people died, mostly from carbon monoxide poisoning. Its interesting to note different spellings of Gannett/Jarrett and McKay/Mackey on the monument and headstone. 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. The disaster led to the general publicizing of the fact that during a building fire, smoke inhalation is a more serious threat than flames. 2. Damage was estimated at $25,000. [52] 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. "It bothers me, just knowing that I cant undo what I did," Cline said. HONESDALE., Pa., Nov. 5 A fire that was considered suspicious swept a landmark 19th century hotel in northeastern Pennsylvania today and at least 12 persons were believed dead, officials said . He now lives just south of town, but . It just comes back and gets you.". [6], The Hotel Adams in Phoenix, Arizona was completely destroyed by an early morning fire which started in the hotel's basement. [40] The fire spread to adjacent buildings, all of which were closed for the season except for workmen, who were able to escape. [52], The hotel had been built in 1929. A 31-year-old woman is charged with arson and wilful damage after allegedly lighting a fire under a bed at a Cairns quarantine hotel, forcing the evacuation of more than 160 people. [1] After the fire, safety doors to enclosed stairwellslater known as "Ponet Doors", after the hotelwere installed in all pre-1943 residential structures of three stories or more in Los Angeles. Brain size increases rapidly . The Free Encyclopedia of Washington State History. Kind of weird family tradition I suppose, but LUCY LONG AGO came along at the perfect time for my 7 and 9 year old. [18][19] Some fell to their deaths when floors collapsed, notably the second floor, and buried them in the basement under tons of debris. [1] The 75-year-old hotel lacked alarm systems, sprinklers, smoke detectors, and stairway fire doors. 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. The early morning. Lucy Kennedy photographed at the Gibson Hotel.Picture Credit:Frank McGrath. Hundreds were hurt. The flames grew fast, climbing the curtains and igniting the couch. [1] The fire started at 1:17am and spread rapidly; the flames were reported to be very intense and many bodies were burned beyond recognition. The fire engulfed the world's largest gambling hall in smoke and flames. Eight people were dead. By Ron Grossman. Officials said in the release Sunday that the property was last inspected on April 12, when officials found it had a functioning alarm system and fire extinguishers. [4] Smoke was traveling throughout the 13-story building, and hotel visitors climbed out of the smoky building with the help of other patrons and bedsheets tied together. The fire department was also able to save some. The Hilton would eventually pay $16.5 million of a $22.8 million settlement to end a federal court lawsuit filed by fire victims naming the hotel and various companies responsible for its construction and furnishings. The paper reported an "appalling story of neglect, falsehood, manipulation and concealing of truth that preceded the tragedy. On March 28, 1944, a fire, believed to have been deliberately set, destroyed the New Amsterdam Hotel in San Francisco, California. Lucy, an example of the oldest known hominid australopithecus afarensis, died at roughly 15 years old in present-day Ethiopia.A small creature, about 3 feet 6 inches tall and only 60 pounds, she . Two people were killed in the blaze. [61], In January 1977, a fire broke out in the Stratford Hotel in Breckenridge, Minnesota, killing 17 people.