December 1st was the 55th anniversary of the fire at Our Lady of the Angels school in Chicago, which killed 92 students and three nuns and made international headlines.
“The fire started in the Humboldt Park school’s basement and went unnoticed for 20 minutes before spreading to the first and second floors. The building was made entirely of wood and the floors were coated with a highly flammable wax that, when heated, emitted a thick black smoke that cut off the regular egress points of the building. Most of those who died in the fire died of smoke inhalation; others were injured jumping from second-floor windows.”
The tragedy spurred major changes in fire safety prevention at schools and other public buildings around the country. Chicagoist shares a series of pictures from the fire, and more information is available at the Our Lady of Angels Memorial Website.
