72 years ago the Hartford Circus Fire (July 6, 1944)
Grant Mogford, CFPS, CESI, CECS
![Grant Mogford, CFPS, CESI, CECS]()
Grant Mogford, CFPS, CESI, CECS
Fire Safety Expert & Senior Consultant at Flue Steam, Inc.
July 6, 1944
The Hartford Circus Fire took place during a Ringling Brothers’ Barnum and Bailey Circus performance in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1944. The tent was coated with a mix of paraffin and gasoline (some sources say kerosene), which was a common waterproofing method of the time, and when a side wall of the tent caught on fire this combination caused the flames to spread rapidly. More than 100 of the 168 people killed were younger than 15.
The fast spread of the fire caused the tent to collapse, trapping circus spectators beneath the burning debris. Of the inadequate number of exits, many were blocked, and this, along with the overcrowding of the tent, made escape difficult.
Fire Safety Expert & Senior Consultant at Flue Steam, Inc.
8 年situational awareness, everywhere you go.
Convention Security
8 年Good to have sobering reminders, reminders of the basics and need for survival awareness.