Cleveland Clinic Fire, Cleveland, OH (1929)

Cleveland Clinic Fire, Cleveland, OH (1929)

The Cleveland Clinic fire was a major structure fire at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio on May 15, 1929. It started in the basement of the hospital and it was caused by nitrocellulose x-ray film that ignited when an exposed light bulb was too close to the film.[1], causing poisonings and two separate explosions. The fire claimed 123 lives,[2] including that of one of the founders, Dr. John Phillips[3]. The first explosion came at a few seconds past 11:30AM; a clock on the third floor balcony stopped at that time. Despite the heavy loss of life, firemen estimated the property damage at only $50,000. Policeman Ernest Staab was killed by the gas while rescuing 21 victims. While the clinic wasn't at fault for the fire, according to investigators, the disaster was responsible for influencing significant changes to fire-fighting techniques. The city of Cleveland, for instance, decided to issue gas masks to its fire departments and proposed a city ambulance service.[1] One national response to the disaster was for medical facilities to establish standards for the storage of nitrocellulose film, among other hazardous materials. http://www.nfpa.org/~/media/Files/Research/Fire%20Investigations/cleveland.pdf