Cocoanut Grove nightclub fire kills 492 – Deseret News

A look back at local, national and world events through the Deseret News archives.

On November 28, 1942, a fire ravaged the Cocoanut Grove nightclub in Boston, killing 492 people in the deadliest nightclub fire ever recorded.

According to reports at the time, the Cocoanut Grove, one of the largest nightclubs in the country, was one of the most popular nightspots in wartime Boston.

It was the second worst fire in U.S. history, after the Iroquois Theater fire in Chicago in 1903, which killed 602 people.

Estimates after the Cocoanut Grove fire indicate that nearly 1,000 people were crammed into the nightclub, which was only allowed to accommodate 460 people.

Grove owner Barnett Welansky, who locked the exit doors so customers couldn’t leave without paying, was jailed for manslaughter and violating public building laws.

In this November 28, 1942 file photo, smoke billows from the Cocoanut Grove nightclub during a fire in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood. A 2019 documentary film, “Six Locked Doors: The Legacy of Cocoanut Grove,” tells the story of the disaster that claimed 492 lives, leading to an overhaul and stricter enforcement of building safety codes . | Associated Press

Such tragedies are rare these days, thanks to uniform safety measures across the country, although they sometimes occur in unauthorized locations, such as the 2016 fire in Oakland, California, at a massive warehouse and a collective of artists. At least 24 people died in the fire.

In 2003, indoor fireworks during a Great White show at The Station nightclub in Warwick, Rhode Island, set the building on fire and left 100 dead and 200 injured.

In 1977, a Memorial Day fire broke out at the crowded Beverly Hills Supper Club in Southgate, Kentucky, in which 165 people died and 200 were injured.

In 1940, a fire broke out at the Rhythm Club in Natchez, Mississippi, killing 209 people. The Spanish moss that lined the dance hall was engulfed in flames. The windows had been boarded up to prevent people from sneaking into the club.

Here are some stories from the Cocoanut Grove Fire of 1942, how those who lost their lives are remembered, and reports of other similar tragedies around the world:

“Boston remembers the deadly fire of 1942”

“Survivors and families of victims mark 50th anniversary of fatal fire”

“Explosion at Tokyo nightclub traps and kills 44 people”

“Deadly fire leads to finger pointing”

“Fire in overcrowded Philippine nightclub kills 150”

“4 detained in Russian club fire; death toll at 112

“No alarm, only 1 exit in nightclub fire”

“Nightclub fire in Peru kills 25; bartenders are blamed »