One of the spotlight sessions this morning focused on historic Chicago fires and their impact on code development. Paul Hart, regional field leader with Global Asset Protection Services in Homewood, IL, provided an overview of the tragic Iroquois Theater fire of 1903. The theater, billed as "Absolutely Fireproof", was occupied with 1,924 people who had crowded in to see a production of "Mr. Blue Beard" starring Eddie Foy.
Mr. Hart said the investigation showed that the fire was sparked by an arc light which ignited scenery curtains. An asbestos fire curtain was dropped on the stage, but was snagged on the way down and stopped about 10 feet above the stage, which allowed toxic smoke and flames to flow into the auditorium.
Once fire spread into the seating area, all lighting in the theater was lost. Mr. Hart said that 602 people perished in the blaze, most from crowd-crush, and another 250 theater-goers were injured. The fire was brought under control in about 15 minutes by responding firefighters.
Some of the changes made to building codes following the Iroquois Theater fire included the use of steel fire curtains, independent lighting systems for stairs and corridors, and requirements to keep passageways free of obstructions.
Read an NFPA Journal® overview of the Iroquois Theater fire, including an eyewitness account from actor Eddie Foy.