The Lingering Mystery of the Cocoanut Grove Nightclub Fire

Historians, filmmakers, researchers, and others have covered much of the Cocoanut Grove Nightclub fire, but there is a lingering mystery about the incident too. In this episode of Learn Something New™ from NFPA Journal®, Casey Grant offers some insight based on continued study of the tragic event. Using modern fire modeling principles, it is apparent there are too many missing pieces to confirm why the fire traveled so fast. Too much is unknown about the interior finishes, the combustible materials in the construction, and whether there were other contributing factors. It remains a mystery nearly 80 years later. The fact that 492 people died that fateful night in November 1942 should never be forgotten. For more information, go to www.nfpa.org/cocoanutgrove. ©2019 National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®). All rights reserved.