Humanity is well acquainted with suffering. Since the dawn of time, we've experienced grief and heartaches that are sometimes very hard to understand and process. While tragedies often don't make sense, we can find some redemption if we look for the lessons within them and vow to do better. One tragic event in American history was the fire at the Winecoff Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia. While devastating, we have learned lessons from this tragedy that have helped make us safer from fires like this.
On December 7, 1946, tragedy struck the city of Atlanta. The Winecoff Hotel was a rare beauty in its time, and, ironically, it was considered 'absolutely flameproof.' On that fateful day, in the 3rd-floor hallway, an unexpected fire began. While no one is absolutely sure of its origin, it's believed that the fire was started because of a cigarette that was tossed on a mattress and chair that was placed in the hallway. As the fire gained in strength, it spread first to the burlap coverings that were on the walls, which only added tremendous fuel to the blaze. Then, it moved to the doors and transoms and burned them completely through, straight up to the 15th floor.
As the building was going up in flames, as you can imagine, there was sheer terror in the hearts of those trapped inside. Sadly, this spectacular hotel was not designed for a mass emergency exit. There was just one single staircase that could be used for evacuation, for all 15 floors. In essence, everyone who was in the building from the 3rd floor to the 15th floor was trapped inside the building as it turned into an inferno.
Many individuals took their chances and looked to the windows for escape. Luckily, some were caught in rescue nets while others were saved right at their windows. Thirty-two individuals lost their lives in attempting to escape by jumping from the windows or by climbing down with sheet ropes. By the time the smoke and fire cleared, 119 people perished in the blaze.
In the only redemption possible from an event like this, we have taken important lessons and carried them with us into the future. Because the chair, mattress, and burlap wall coverings provided such strong fuel for the fire, the awareness of the combustibility of fabrics and textiles was brought to the forefront of our awareness. Now, it is an FDNY requirement that curtains, fabrics, upholstery, decorations, hangings, etc. in public gathering places, such as hotels, be treated with fire retardants. Other fire safety practices are in place today as well, such as adequate fire exits and automatic sprinkler systems.
Fortunately, we don't hear of too many fires like the one at the Winecoff Hotel. This is truly a testament to how far we have come in fire protection and prevention.
At Queens Flameproofing, we are committed to working our hardest to see that tragedies like the one in Atlanta never occur in our borough. We are dedicated to providing flameproofing services to the entire Metro NYC area and beyond, into New Jersey, Westchester, Long Island, and Connecticut. If you have flameproofing needs, we would be happy to answer questions and provide you with a free, no-obligation quote. Please give us a call today: 1-800-972-5587..