Research Paper on Hartford Circus Fire

Introduction

The Hartford Circus Fire was a life-changing event; it revolutionized fire codes, mass tort law, fireproofing and arbitration. The circus fire is regarded as one of the vilest fire tragedies in the past of the U.S. The fire took place on July, 6th, 1944 in Connecticut during a recital of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. About 200 people, mostly women, and children lost their lives during the fire and ensuing commotion (Skidgell, 30). Hundreds of people were also burned or seriously injured. The paper examines the causes of the Hartford Circus Fire and the ways it could have been prevented.

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How the Hartford Circus Fire

Records from the time of the inferno indicate that it was an extremely hot day, yet the conditions were clearly not adequate to prevent crowds of people from attending the circus. About 8,000 people gathered in the 500-foot-long big top, located in a field on Barbour St. The crowd was eager to enjoy the matinee show, which entailed performances by clowns, lion tamers, and trapeze artists.

Authorities termed the fire an appalling accident most likely caused by a casually thrown cigar and never charged any person with initiating it, but this did not acquit Ringling Brothers representatives from some form of liability. Four men faced charges for actions of neglect. Counted among these charges was a lack of fire prevention procedure on the part of circus administration. In 1950, a confessed arsonist, Robert Segee, somehow admitted to intentionally opening the event fire although he immediately renounced his concession and continued to refute his connection into his aging years. The circus tents had been waterproofed with a blend of gasoline and paraffin wax. The circus had numerous fire extinguishers but was not situated in the tent-they were near generators, and others were malfunctioning. The circus management failed to put 'No Smoking' signs; this meant that people had free will to smoke whenever they wanted. The commotion during the fire was worsened by the limited number of exits and blockage of some exits by animal runways (O'Nan, 67).

A report by Deputy Chief of the Hartford Fire Department and Local Fire Marshall Henry G. Thomas indicated that the fire began at the right side of the main entry about 20 feet, at the base of the side wall and possibly on the exterior of the marquee (the big top). In his opinion, he noted that the fire started at the base of the side hedge and the side barrage canvas being light and more flammable than the wood made it easy for the fire to spread (Woollett, 86).

A report by Marshall Edward J. Hickey, the Commissioner of the State Police and State Fire indicated that the fire started in the southwest corner of the man tent. He noted that one of the crutches that held up the top racket of the blue bench's seats illustrated sign of extreme burning at the bottom of the edge and the base directly neighboring the area was partially scorched. This report was authentic because Commissioner Hickey was in the event spectators with a crowd of people (Woollett, 89).

Professional evaluator, Thomas B. Brophy of the Fire Investigation Bureau of New York City was also invited to examine how the circus fire started. His report indicated that the fire started at the point or near the point where the wood jack entered one of the strands of the jacks. An investigation indicated that the fire spread in a northerly path and had burned the seats at the bottoms and also the jacks. Thomas also noted that the starting point of the fire was about 40 feet from the core of the main entry. He noted that ten feet south of the starting point, there was no burning of the jacks or beneath the seats. Thomas also noted that if by any chance there was dry grass or a flammable solid near the site of the canvas wall, then there was the likelihood that the careless smoker had started the fire. Based on his analysis, he noted that there was something else exterior the woody jack that was initially ignited (Cohn and Bollier, 78).

Reports by some eyewitnesses indicated that after the recital by the French lion tamer, Alfred Court, celebrated trapeze performers, the Great Wallendas, entered the stage inside the big top and started their performance. In the meantime, just outside the tent, an aimlessly tossed cigar near the wall to the men's lavatory initiated a small fire. Once in connection with tent canvas, the fire spread rapidly due to the water-proofing of the canvas through the use of paraffin wax mixed with gas. One of the artists saw the fire and shouted that there was fire on the tents. The predetermined signal to circus workers was sung to inform that something was wrong. The fire flames spread as high as 100 feet making the patrons panic and ran for the exits. However, several people were blocked by the animal cages as they were moved in and out of the tent. Some people unable to run away through the exits started making holes in the tents to save themselves (Massey and Davey, 44).

How the Fire Could Have Been Prevented

Since the cause of the fire was not officially determined, the only strategy that could have worked was preventative measures of its spread. Good fire regulations needed to be put in place to ensure that in case a fire occurred, it would easily be contained. The circus management needed to increase the number and size of exits. This would have reduced the number of casualties tramped during the fire. Additionally, fire extinguishers needed to be placed in strategic positions so that every official would have access to the devices. It would have been easy to contain the fire from its source. However, this was not the case in the circus fire because reports show that officials did not have access to fire extinguishers. Fireproofing and other safety issues would have worked well to reduce the impacts of the fire. The circus management had every right to put 'No Smoking' signs in every tent (Skidgell, 102). This way, the attendees would have taken precautionary measures such as avoid smoking or lighting anything that produced fire.

The circus fire could have been prevented if there was proper coordination between the city departments. After the initial reports on the fire were made, the city fire departments failed to coordinate rescue operations. The circus management could have prevented the fire by properly erecting the tents. Reports indicate that the massive tent was hastily erected. Instead of evaluating the risk precautions, they focused on the number of people the tents would hold. The security of the tents was not enough, and in case of fire, many people were bound to become casualties (Cohn and Bollier, 62). The circus management did not take into consideration the problem of congestion. When people are congested, it is easy to start a fire that can spiral out of control. The management should have decongested the people and ensure there was enough room to manage the crowd. The circus organizers also needed to put in place security agents-in-charge of monitoring activities of the attendants. This way, it was easier to recognize an activity that could result in a fire.

Conclusion

The Hartford Circus Fire is one of the most controversial infernos in the U.S. past. Many people perished while others were severely injured during the inferno. Reports from various officials indicated that the fire started at the base side wall of the tent. Some reports indicate that the fire started near the men's toilets and the side of the tent wall. The fire is thought to have been started by a carelessly tossed cigarette which fell on combustible material. However, it is believed that the circus management could have prevented the fire. First, they needed to put fire extinguishers a few meters from each other in the tent. The fire could also be prevented through proper coordination between the city departments and the circus management. The exits of the tents were also small making it difficult to access the area affected by the fire. Clearly, proper management of the circus event could have prevented the spread of the fire.

Works Cited

Cohn, Henry S, and David Bollier. The Great Hartford Circus Fire: Creative Settlement of Mass Disasters. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1991. Print.

Massey, Don, and Rick Davey. A Matter of Degree: The Hartford Circus Fire and Mystery of Little Miss 1565. Simsbury, Conn: Willow Brook Press, 2001. Print.

O'Nan, Stewart. The Circus Fire. New York: Anchor Books, 2000. Internet resource.

Skidgell, Michael. The Hartford Circus Fire. S.I.: Arcadia Publishing Inc, 2014. Internet resource.

Woollett, Laura A. Big Top Burning: The Story of an Arsonist, a Missing Girl, and the Greatest Show on Earth. Chicago Review Press. 2015. Print.