The Deadliest Hotel Fires in History

Hotel fires occur around the world, but for unclear reasons, the United States has witnessed the deadliest blazes.

1. 1938, Terminal Hotel Fire, 34 deaths

On May 16, 1938, a fierce fire swept through the Terminal Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia, killing 34 people and injuring many others. The blaze started with an explosion in the basement or kitchen.

Alarm bells rang out urgently, but the fire was faster. Just minutes after emergency responders were deployed, the entire five-story building was engulfed in flames, with smoke billowing into the night sky. The tragedy at the Terminal would remain Atlanta’s deadliest hotel fire until the Winecoff Hotel fire in 1946.

2. 1934, Kerns Hotel Fire, 34 deaths

“The only reason I’m alive today,” said John Dykstra, a Michigan House Representative, “is that I spent so much time in the hotel that I knew every turn in the hallways.” Seven Michigan lawmakers, Dykstra’s colleagues, were not as fortunate. They perished along with 27 others in the Kerns Hotel fire, which occurred in the state capital of Lansing on December 11, 1934.

The alarm sounded around 5:30 AM when the night watchman of the nearby State Journal building saw flames in the hotel windows. When the fire was extinguished by 7:30 AM, the scale of the disaster became clearer: 34 dead and 44 injured, all victims of a discarded cigarette.

3. 1986, Siddharth Continental Fire, 38 deaths

In the final hours of January 23, 1986, a fire erupted in the basement banquet hall of the Siddharth Continental Hotel, quickly spreading through multiple floors of the building and killing 38 people. As a five-star hotel, Siddharth was popular with international guests, which was reflected in the tragic death toll. French, British, Argentine, Japanese, American, and Russian nationals were among the deceased.

“We found bodies on every floor,” a police officer stated, “Some were in their beds, others in the hallways.” Most of the victims succumbed to smoke inhalation, and undoubtedly, they panicked due to the poor emergency response.

There was much speculation about the cause of the fire. The hotel’s general manager believed it was arson, as did the building’s architect. However, a more credible explanation was provided by the fire department, which suggested that a gas leak from one of the banquet area cylinders may have been responsible.

4. 1977, Rossiya Hotel Fire, 45 deaths

With over 5,000 rooms, the Rossiya Hotel in Moscow was the largest hotel in the world when it opened in the late 1960s. It held this record until 1993 when the MGM Grand was inaugurated.

On February 25, 1977, a fire broke out, and even in a building of this massive size, the flames spread across the ground at a terrifying speed, climbing from the fifth floor to the twelfth and the hotel’s rooftop, destroying everything in their path.

5. 1943, Gulf Hotel Fire, 55 deaths

On September 7, 1943, there were 133 guests staying at the Gulf Hotel, a budget establishment exclusively for men in downtown Houston, Texas.

Alarmed by the smell of smoke, a night porter traced the scent to room 201, where he found a burning sheet and mattress. A small fire, which the porter extinguished and disposed of the fabric in the closet. However, the fire had not been completely put out, as the closet contained flammable solvents, rags, and other materials.

Within an hour, the fire flared up again with devastating force, consuming wooden panels at a terrifying rate. The men, many in their 60s and 70s, had little chance of escape as fire and smoke engulfed them. The Gulf Hotel fire remains the deadliest fire in Houston’s history.

6. 1946, La Salle Hotel Fire, 61 deaths

Built between 1908 and 1909, the La Salle Hotel was described as the “largest, safest, and most modern hotel west of New York City.” This claim was severely undermined on June 5, 1946, when a fire ravaged the building, killing 61 people.

The fire started around 12:30 AM at the hotel’s Silver Grill Cocktail Lounge, and as usual, the flames spread at a deadly pace. A “fireball from hell” destroyed the mezzanine and filled the rooms and hallways with smoke.

7. 1979, Corona De Aragon Hotel Fire, 72 deaths

On July 12, 1979, an explosion occurred in the café on the ground floor of the Corona De Aragon Hotel, a luxury hotel in Zaragoza, Spain. The ensuing fire killed 72 people in Spain’s deadliest hotel fire.

8. 1883, Newhall House Fire, 76 deaths

The Milwaukee Fire Department had long been wary of the fire safety of the Newhall House when flames erupted from the roof of the hotel on the morning of January 10, 1883.

Firefighter Sam McDowell recalled the horrific scene, “By the time we arrived at the hotel, the building looked like a pile of burning straw. You could see men and women at their windows, screaming for help in desperation.”

The fire originated from a wooden elevator shaft that caused flames to leap upward and engulf each floor of the building. Guests were burned and incapacitated by smoke. Others collapsed and died from the unbearable heat. Despite the heroic efforts of firefighters, the Newhall House fire remains the worst fire in Milwaukee’s history, claiming at least 76 lives.

9. 1980, MGM Grand Fire, 85 deaths

Robert List, Governor of Nevada from 1979 to 1983, said: “It was hell on earth, the fire is etched in my memory… the terrible smell and the colorless darkness… the bodies were there. It was horrifying.”

The fire at the MGM Grand was one of the worst hotel fires in American history. And like other deadly fires, the cause was preventable. An investigation by Clark County determined that the blaze, which resulted in 85 fatalities, was due to faulty wiring in the casino’s food shop.

10. In 1899, the Windsor Hotel Fire, 86 Lives Lost

Constructed in 1873, the Windsor Hotel occupied a highly valued stretch of real estate from 46th Street to 47th Street on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. In the 1890s, the Windsor Hotel was described as the “most comfortable and home-like hotel in New York.” However, just nine years later, the Windsor became a smoldering wreck, claiming the lives of 86 people.

The fire broke out around 3 PM on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 1899. While nearby streets were hosting festivities, the flames spread, engulfing the brownstone building. By 3:40 PM, the massive front wall collapsed. Fifty minutes later, nearly the entire structure had crumbled into a fiery heap of rubble, trapping dozens of people inside.

11. In 1986, the Dupont Plaza Hotel Fire, 98 Lives Lost

On the afternoon of December 31, 1986, a fire ignited in the ballroom of the Dupont Plaza Hotel and spread to the lobby and casino, resulting in the deaths of 98 people. This remains the deadliest hotel fire in the history of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Unlike the common causes of many fires, such as faulty wiring at the MGM Grand or a discarded cigarette at the Kerns Hotel, the tragedy at Dupont Plaza was an act of arson.

Shortly thereafter, disgruntled worker Hector Escudero Aponte admitted to setting the fire, and on June 23, 1987, he was sentenced to 99 years in prison. His accomplices, Jose Francisco Rivera Lopez and Armando Jimenez Rivera, received sentences of 99 years and 75 years, respectively.

12. In 1946, the Winecoff Hotel Fire, 119 Lives Lost

On December 7, 1946, a fire broke out at the Winecoff Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia, killing 119 people. This remains the deadliest hotel fire in American history.

The fire started on the third floor around 3:42 AM, although the exact cause has never been determined. However, it was clear that the Winecoff was ill-equipped to handle a large fire.

13. In 1971, the Daeyeonggak Hotel Fire, 164 Lives Lost

While the United States is often highlighted in the history of deadly hotel fires, the deadliest incident to date occurred at the Daeyeonggak Hotel in Seoul, South Korea. The fire began on Christmas Day in 1971 due to a gas explosion in the café on the second floor.

The flames engulfed the entire building within half an hour and raged for another eight hours, killing dozens of victims who succumbed to smoke inhalation, burns, or were forced to jump from windows to escape.

The walls were not fire-resistant, and the building’s two staircases were not designed as emergency exits, causing them to fill with smoke and become giant chimneys.

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