Coconut_Grove_Fire

Coconut Grove Fire The headline of the Boston Globe said it best, “Nightclub Burns, Hundreds Dead!” The worst nightclub fire disaster in history occurred more than 60 years before the Station Nightclub fire in Rhode Island. On 28 November 1942, the Coconut Grove Nightclub in Boston burned to the ground, killing 492 and injuring 166. It is believed that the fire started in the basement “Melody Lounge” section of the club, when 16-year old bus boy, Stanley Tomaszewski, lit a match in order to replace a light bulb. A fire started, fueled by artificial palm trees and crepe paper drapery. In just fifteen minutes, the entire building was engulfed in flames. The reason so many people died in the club was because they were unable to exit the club. The two revolving doors leading into and out of the club were blocked by a mass of frantic patrons. Many of the safety features we take for granted today, such fire, nightclub, club, tragedy, result, history, grove, coconut, boston, started, sprinklers, patrons, old, never, exit, event, died, dead, about, years, worst, workers, widespread, victims, unable, two, trees, tough, took, tomaszewski, today, take, steps, station, stanley