Lessons of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire of 1911

The sheer physical nature of fire is to consume all fuel that lay in its path. That is exactly what happened in the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire of 1911. The building itself was reported to be fire proof, but what about its contents? The amount of unused cotton and other fabric scraps that were piled up were ample amounts of fuel just waiting to be consumed by a spark. The business owners kept what little exits and escape routes the building had locked for fear of a thieving employee. The employees mostly took the elevators up and down the building, limiting their knowledge of possible escape routes. Given those three factors combined, it was only a matter of time before disaster would strike.

The fire started and quickly cut off escape paths. The stairs became consumed with flames as the fire spread from the 8th floor to the 10th. The employees found themselves trapped 100ft above the streets of New York. Without any previous fire drills or planned escape runs, the employees gathered near the windows in hopes of a rescue. As the fire grew, the trapped victims were faced wit...