Pioneer International Hotel Fire (1970)

Pioneer International Hotel Fire (1970)

After midnight, on December 20, 1970, a possible car fire was reported near the Pioneer. Minutes later, a fire was confirmed, however, not a car fire, but a fire inside the Pioneer Hotel. 28 fatalities occurred from people trapped on the 6th through 11th floors. Of 28 victims, carbon monoxide poisoning took 16 lives, burns claimed 7, and smoke inhalation was responsible for 1 death. “Fall” was responsible for the death of 4 victims. Fire Investigators found that the fire was ignited by an arsonist in at least two separate locations on the fourth floor. Though the hotel was touted as fireproof, several factors contributed to this fire: Open stairways, synthetic carpeting, vinyl wall coverin, painted doors and frames. The hotel also had no sprinklers or smoke detectors. As a direct result of this tragedy in Tucson, uniform fire codes were established nationally. http://tucsoncitizen.com/paranormal/2010/12/18/pioneer-international-hotel-fire-forty-year-old-tragedy-still-haunts-tucson/