[colorado tanker]

The Cocoanut Grove fire was one of the worst in U.S. history. The main entrance was a revolving door that the crowd jammed. Other doors were locked to keep patrons from leaving without paying. Unlocked doors opened in rather than out.

The good that came out of this disaster was the reform of fire and building codes all over the country and a renewed emphasis on enforcement. That included doors opening out instead of in and multiple exits. Locked doors must open to the outside by crash bars. Some say the lover boy was a soldier.

The legend about how the fire started is that some lover untwisted a light bulb so he could smooch his girl in a dark corner. A busboy lit a match so he could see where to replace the bulb, after which fire was seen on a fake palm tree.

[CougarGA7]

This was a particularly good one. Right down to some technical difficulties getting it rolling. I wonder if the bus boy with the match was the grandfather of the lead singer for Great White.