| ||||||||||
 
Dr. Ronald P. Rogers CHIROPRACTOR Support for your body's natural healing capabilities 270-384-5554 Click here for details 
  
Columbia Gas Dept. GAS LEAK or GAS SMELL Contact Numbers 24 hrs/ 365 days 270-384-2006 or 9-1-1 Call before you dig 
Visit ColumbiaMagazine's Directory of Churches Addresses, times, phone numbers and more for churches in Adair County Find Great Stuff in ColumbiaMagazine's Classified Ads Antiques, Help Wanted, Autos, Real Estate, Legal Notices, More... 
|
Beverly Hills fire led to safer buildings in Kentucky 1977 Southgate supper club fire killed 165, injured 200, in one of U.S..'s worst fire disasters By Jim Carroll, Kentucky Department of Public Safety May 28 marks the 30th anniversary of a horrific fire that swept through the Beverly Hills Supper Club in Southgate, KY. By the time the last embers were extinguished, 165 people were killed and 200 injured in one of the nation's worst fire disasters. Kentuckians are far safer today because of building code and fire safety measures adopted and enforced as a result of the Beverly Hills fire. 3,000 people jammed into popular nightspot The tragedy unfolded when nearly 3,000 people jammed into the popular northern Kentucky nightspot on Saturday, May 28, 1977. More than 1,000 patrons filled the club's main showroom, the Cabaret Room, eagerly anticipating a performance by singer John Davidson. Shortly before 9 p.m., fire broke out in a small area called the Zebra Room.# At first, staff and patrons did not realize it was a fire, but when they eventually saw flames they attempted to extinguish it while others made calls to the Southgate Fire Department. Within moments, the Zebra Room went up in flames as all its combustible materials ignited in a phenomenon known as "flashover." Thick smoke rolled down a hallway toward the over-crowded Cabaret Room. A few minutes later, a busboy, Walter Bailey, interrupted the two comedians on stage and informed the audience that a fire had broken out, asked them to evacuate and pointed to the exit doors. Some patrons believed he was part of the comedy act and stayed at their seats. Others began heading for the exits. Before long, thick, black smoke filled the Cabaret Room, the lights went out and panic ensued. Patrons rushed frantically in the dark trying to find the exits. Dozens of people crammed the exits, only to find the doorways were too narrow, the doors opened inward and they were blocked shut by the surging crowds. Outside, emergency crews from throughout the region were responding to the scene. In all, 33 fire departments comprising 522 firefighters rushed to the burning nightclub. Over the next two to three hours, the frustrated firefighters tried to get to the victims inside. The roof of the Cabaret Room collapsed around midnight and by dawn, rescue workers had pulled 134 bodies from the burning remains of the Cabaret Room. Then-Governor Julian Carroll order massive investigation Then-Governor Julian Carroll ordered a massive investigation of the tragedy. The results of the investigation were disclosed in a news conference on Sept. 16, 1977, which was attended by news media from around the world. The investigation found many building code and fire safety violations. As the club's owners made additions to the building, they did them in a piecemeal way, which did not follow building codes, and the owners had no knowledge of the need to have code-compliant wiring or non-flammable materials used in the construction and decorations. In addition, it was found that the building's architect was not licensed to practice in Kentucky. Improperly installed and faulty aluminum electrical wiring is believed to have started the fire. The club lacked smoke detectors, so its staff was slow to discover the fire and by then it was too late. As the blaze spread, overcrowding and poorly designed fire safety doors led to dozens of guests being trapped as toxic smoke filled the building. Wide-ranging reforms followed the disaster "Wide-ranging reforms followed the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire," said Van Cook, executive director of the Office of Housing, Buildings and Construction (OHBC). "The state adopted strict construction and fire safety codes including a requirement that any building undergoing major renovation must be inspected and brought up to existing code requirements." A unified OHBC, including the State Fire Marshal's staff, was created. OHBC oversees inspections of 190,000 buildings in the state; every structure except single-family dwellings must comply with code. "Kentucky now has a reputation as one of the top states in the country in our construction and fire safety code enforcement," Cook said. OHBC is an agency of the Department of Public Protection in the Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet. This story was posted on 2007-05-23 17:10:04
Printable: this page is now automatically formatted for printing.
Have comments or corrections for this story? Use our contact form and let us know. More articles from topic Kentucky:
Tourist group going after bus tours for this area Lake Cumberland levels to be reduced immediately $1 million in federal budget for Tourism in southeast Kentucky ''Deputy Sheriff'' Hardin lodged in Marion CO Detention Center Rev. Joey N. Welsh. May 21, 2006. More birthday appreciation Art in the Alley, Greensburg KY, 9am to 5pm. June 3 Rev. Joey N. Welsh, May 14, 2006. Some Twins, Birthday Appreciation Garlin man quoted on indictment of Gov. Fletcher Rev. Joey N. Welsh, May 7, 2006. Remembrance of Juleps Past Adair photographers return with exciting photos from Kentucky Horse Park View even more articles in topic Kentucky |
 
115 Jamestown St. Columbia, KY. 270-384-2496 
  
   
 Provided by the Adair Co Fiscal Court and the Adair Co. Emergency Mgt. Agency 
|
||||||||
|
| ||||||||||
|
Quick Links to Popular Features
Looking for a story or picture? Try our Photo Archive or our Stories Archive for all the information that's appeared on ColumbiaMagazine.com. | ||||||||||
|
Contact us: Columbia Magazine and columbiamagazine.com are published by Linda Waggener and Pen Waggener, PO Box 906, Columbia, KY 42728. Please use our contact page, or send questions about technical issues with this site to webmaster@columbiamagazine.com. All logos and trademarks used on this site are property of their respective owners. All comments remain the property and responsibility of their posters, all articles and photos remain the property of their creators, and all the rest is copyright 1995-Present by Columbia Magazine. Privacy policy: use of this site requires no sharing of information. Voluntarily shared information may be published and made available to the public on this site and/or stored electronically. Anonymous submissions will be subject to additional verification. Cookies are not required to use our site. However, if you have cookies enabled in your web browser, some of our advertisers may use cookies for interest-based advertising across multiple domains. For more information about third-party advertising, visit the NAI web privacy site.
| ||||||||||
