The Kiss nightclub fire in Santa Maria, Brazil that killed 233 people in 2013 is not an isolated event. The United States has one of the highest mortality rates from fire. The 2003 Station fire in Rhode Island that killed 100 people bears many similarities.
Too few exits
The Brazil nightclub had only one entrance and exit, according to reports. This exit was five door-spaces wide, but is just insane to think that one exit could handle thousands of people. The entire place is engulfed in smoke and fire in a matter of seconds. There were few windows. Rescuers had to literally chop holes into concrete walls to get into the Brazil nightclub.
The Rhode Island nightclub likewise had too few exits and windows. Choking smoke consumed the room in as little as 20 seconds. Too few exits led to trampling and choke-points at both nightclubs. The entire five-door exit was blocked with bodies that stacked up because of trampling at the choke point. People couldn’t get out and rescuers couldn’t get in.
Exits blocked
People were actively preventing people from exiting in both the Brazil and the Rhode Island fires, according to reports. Security guards in the Brazil nightclub reportedly thought they were trying to skip paying their tab. The Rhode Island nightclub reportedly had a table in the way of the exit. In both cases, the sole choke-point became blocked by lifeless bodies.
Exits hard to find
People in the Brazil nightclub reportedly scrambled desperately for the exit, but they lost their way and ended up in restrooms or closets. It was dark and people were drunk. In the panic of a smoke-filled space people have a difficultly finding their way out, and exits must be clearly marked with exit signs. The Rhode Island’s exits were oddly placed as well, difficult to find. In the video (which has been censored by a subsidiary of Media General Inc.), I didn’t see any signage. Maybe exit signs were there, but there is no way people saw them. Innovative signage places strings of lights on the ceiling that gesture to exits or brightly flash in case of a fire. That would have helped enormously in this situation. Flashing lights help people see in the smoke.
Occupancy limit exceeded
The Brazil nightclub had a limit of 1,000 people. But there were 2,000 people there that night, double the limit. How are you going to get all those people out of one exit???
The Rhode Island nightclub was also over the occupancy limit as well, with 440-458 people in a 420 limit space.
No fire sprinklers & smoke alarms
Where were the smoke alarms? In Rhode Island, the alarm went off 40 seconds after the fire began–much too late. People stood around gaping stupidly at the pretty fire during those few precious seconds they had to get out, simply standing there because there was no loud siren to tell them to move. People don’t act until they hear sirens. Every second counts.
There were no fire sprinklers. Modern building codes place much more emphasis on fire sprinklers because of their value in suppressing fires and also letting people know that there is a dangerous fire… assuming that the fire sprinklers are turned on. Also, there were no flashing lights to illuminate the dark and smoky space.
In the video, (which has been pulled down by a subsidiary of Media General Inc.), the singer at the front of the stage did not alert the crowd. Rather than alert the people of danger, the coward with the microphone is seen running for the exit. Reports from the Brazil fire likewise indicate the the performers were among the first to get out. One perished in the fire after going back for his accordion, according to AP, rather than helping others to get out.
The camera man for CBS-affiliated WPRI-TV in Rhode Island filmed people running around on fire but did not do much to help, in my opinion. Brian Butler’s behavior was especially controversial after it came out that WPRI reporter Jeff Derderian co-owned the nightclub. The station’s owner, LIN TV, settled a lawsuit with survivors of the blaze who claimed Brian Butler stood in the doorway and filmed footage rather than help people escape.
Fireworks indoors
Both fires started from pyrotechnics. Like the Brazil blaze, the Rhode Island nightclub fire reportedly began from pyrotechnics foolishly used indoors. And like the Brazil blaze, the pyrotechnics reportedly lit acoustic foam on fire, interior material that should have absolutely not been flammable. The fire spread quickly along the ceiling and easily reached the building’s structure. It only took 20 seconds until people were unable breathe and collapsed, probably before they could even notice that the ceiling was on fire.
Unfortunately many big corporations get away with selling unsafe construction material because of corruption in the government. Furniture and interior architecture is too frequently flammable and made with toxic glues. The people at the Rhode Island night club apparently did’t the foolishness of having a large spinning wheel of fire near the dance floor. While most fires begin in the kitchens of houses, 24% of structure fires result from heating systems or other flame producing mechanisms catching fire on nearby material.
Smoke Filling Confined Space
A warm nightclub full of bodies and devoid of windows is the perfect place for a fire to quickly kill. A little ventilation would prevent the room from getting filled up with smoke so quickly.
Both the blaze in Brazil and Rhode Island were inexcusable. Simple building codes and common sense would have prevented the slaughter. But it is really up to the public to stay aware of dangerous situations. Always look for exits, consider safety conditions, don’t get drunk in public, and react quickly.
