Shortly after 11 p.m. on April 23, 1940, a fire broke out at the Rhythm Night Club in the town of Natchez, Mississippi. As a result of this catastrophic fire 207 African-Americans died and many others were seriously injured.
The fire, which occurred 70 years ago, still remains the second deadliest night club fire in the history of the United States. The fire also claimed the life of Vicksburg, Mississippi native and famous swing band leader, Walter Barnes.
“Poor fire protection design was a major contributing factor to the significant number of deaths and injuries,” said Chris Jelenewicz, Engineering Program Manager with the Bethesda, Maryland-Based Society of Fire Protection Engineers. “Additionally, many lives were lost because the night club was overcrowded.”
The exact number of people in the one-story, 120 foot long by 38 foot wide corrugated metal building when the fire started was undetermined, however, bystanders indicated the building was extremely overcrowded.
The fire started near the building entrance and spread quickly to the highly combustible decorative Spanish moss that covered the building’s ceiling for the length of the building. Once the moss was ignited, the fire spread quickly throughout the building.
At the time of the fire, the only available emergency exit was the doorway used as the main building entrance that was located at the front of the building. An additional doorway was located near this entrance but was padlocked shut. Moreover, the building was not equipped with a fire suppression system.
“Once the fire started, the burning moss fell to the floor and formed a barrier between the dance floor and the only available exit. This prevented the occupants from safely exiting,” said Jelenewicz. “Some of the building occupants were severely burned when the flaming moss fell on them and others were trampled to death as the occupants tried to run to safety.”
Many of the building windows were covered with shutters. Most of these shutters were secured with latches or nailed shut. If unsecured, many of the building occupants could have escaped the inferno through these windows.
“Because of the decorative Spanish moss, a lack of sufficient exits, extreme overcrowding and the lack of adequate fire protection systems, the occupants could not get out alive,” explained Jelenewicz.
As a result of this fire and other deadly night club fires, many building requirements were enhanced to make night clubs safer from fire. Some of these requirements include the installation of fire protection systems, provisions for safer building finishes and decorations, provisions for better exiting systems and the requirement to have trained crowd managers on duty.
“The Natchez night club fire reminds us of the threat that is posed by fire and the importance of designing buildings that that keep people safe from fire,” said Jelenewicz. “The fact of the matter, however, is that today most night clubs are much better protected. This is in large part due to the fire-safety strategies and systems designed by fire protection engineers that make
According to the Society of Fire Protection Engineers, a fire protection engineer applies science and engineering principles to protect people, homes, workplaces, the economy and the environment from the devastating effects of fires. Fire protection engineers analyze how buildings are used, how fires start and grow, and how fires affect people and property. They use the latest technologies to design systems to control fires, alert people to danger, and provide means for escape. Fire protection engineers also work closely with other professionals, including engineers of other disciplines, architects, state, and local building officials, and local fire departments to build fire safe communities. Fire protection engineers are in high demand. The number of available jobs far exceeds the supply.
Organized in 1950, the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) is the professional organization that represents engineers engaged in fire protection worldwide. Through its membership of over 5,000 professionals and 65 international chapters, SFPE advances the science and practice of fire protection engineering while maintaining a high ethical standard. SFPE and its members serve to make the world a safer place by reducing the burden of unwanted fire through the application of science and technology.
More information about SFPE can be found at www.sfpe.org.
