My uncle was a Boston fire fighter who responded to the fire. He had numerous books about it and studied all the reports to see something like this would never happen again. He later became a Fire Chief! Good man!

This is so nauseating for me to watch. I learned this week on the 80th anniversary we lost my father's great aunt Sadie in this fire. His grandfather's brother Ben survived. They were out with Sadie's sister and her husband, Addie and Ted who also perished. The three are buried together in West Roxbury. Your very thorough coverage is important to our family. Thank you. May they Rest in Peace.

I live in Boston, and because of this, the city as a whole still takes fire safety *incredibly* seriously, above and beyond the legal requirements. In a lot of places in the US, violating fire code gets you a warning to correct it before the fire marshall comes back to check, but in Boston, they often shut the venue down entirely until it's fixed.

The tragedy within the tragedy was heartbreaking! Surviving such horrible burns only to die when his vehicle crashed and went up in flames...

I learned about this in law school, when they used Welansky's case to teach us about involuntary manslaughter. I went to school in Boston, so I went and checked out the site myself. Bay Village is such a lovely, quiet little neighborhood, it was hard to imagine there ever being either an active nightclub or devastating inferno.

Always take a second to check where the exits are. If it's a nightclub or other crowded venue, remember that exits through less-used areas (staff areas, kitchen areas, etc.) are often easier to get out of if there is a fire or other emergency. Most people will blindly move toward the way they entered so there is often a crush of people at main entrances.

Year ago I remember reading about this fire. In particular there was one man who had horrific facial burns. It was so bad that he wore a mask whenever he was outside his home and carried cards that he would hand out to people who stared at him. They said 'I was burnt in the Coconut Grove fire'. I always wonder what happened to him. Such a terrible tragedy.

If I might make a suggestion. In the 1950s there was a terrible school fire in Chicago at the Our Lady of Angels catholic school. My father was a boy at the time, growing up in Chicago, and though he didn't attend that school, he has memories of it happening and how it suddenly changed everything for all of Chicago's schools and fire safety.

Apparently, not everyone learned the lessons that this horrific event taught. Next year will be the 20th anniversary of the Station Nightclub fire in the state of Rhode Island. Many of the conditions there were similar to the Coconaut Grove, poorly defined exits, lack of sprinklers, and especially, the wrong stage pyrotechnics. One hundred patrons died in the crush. May all who perish in these senseless tragedies rest in peace.

It's so scary thinking about what those poor victims went through. Thank you for covering it in your normal respectiful and brilliant way.

My Grandmother was born in 1898 in Worcester. She and my Grandfather did sometimes treat themselves to a night out. During War times what with rationing, everyone was careful with money and having gotten through the Great Depression they were thrifty. My Grandpa was too old to enlist which is why they were home. It was merely luck they did not go as this was very close to her birthday and they loved to dance to live music. They did lose some friends from Malden & Cambridge. You might say they had a bit of ptsd because after this they Rarely went to any indoor affair and if they did they sat as close to a working door as possible. I also lost a Great Uncle attending a show at the Knickerbocker. My Mom refused to let me go to the movies when it snowed lest the weight of the snow caved in a flat roof. As a teen I thought it was ridiculous, but later understood her fear of snow on roofs.

Such a terrible tragedy. The good news is that the event led to many safety and health improvements.

This is the leisure version of the Triangle Shirt Factory Fire: lots of flammable materials and locked, blocked or restricted exits.

I sit here stunned at how fast people died...some with drinks still in their hands . My heart hurts for all who were in there . Such a sad tragedy. 😔

This video reminded me of the D.C. Potomac river plane crash on January 13 1982. I lived in Alexandria at that time. The wings of the plane needed deicing, but this was ignored. 30 seconds after take off, it skipped over the 14th street bridge. The plane's roof was sheared back by the river's ice sheet as it broke through and sank. A few passengers swam up through the peeled off roof. The loss of life was 78, 4 motorists on the bridge and 73 on the plane. Only 6 survived.

Eerily reminds me of the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire of 1977. That building had no sprinklers or clearly visible exit signs. That building was made out of flame resistant materials, but also heavily decorated with flammable decorations.

Gentle and clear coverage of an horrific event. Thank you Paul & team.

two minor corrections: the Coconut Grove Lane cuts through the original property, with the part on the left being condominiums now while the rest is a garage/car park along with the hotel… the tragedy caused the immediate closure if two historic theatres resulting in the gutting of one to allow the second to survive. the gutted theatre was the birthplace of Vaudeville, sadly it’s all but forgotten with only the space where its entrance once was remaining

So tragic. May all the victims RIP.

How horrific, so many tragedies such as this have occurred over the years, the summerland fire 1973, The Kingscross fire 20-30 years later, the Bradford City football fire, and, fairly recently, The Grenfell tower fire. It all amounts to the same thing, lives must be lost before action is taken to avoid recurrence but what a dreadful price to have to pay. Ironically, mr Johnson passed away the day before I was born, RIP sir

Know this story well. Between spending 27yrs service as a Firefighter/EMS First Responder and studying the Coconut Grove fire in college (earning Fire Science Engineering and Technology degree)...a lot of changes afterwards.

"If" is a very big world in sad cases like this one..... IF that customer hadn't removed the light bulb, the waiter wouldn't have used a match whilst trying to refit it. However, it was clearly a disaster waiting to happen.....sooner or later. RIP to all those who died.🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀

I've been morbidly obsessed with this story since I was a kid. Back in the '80s HBO had a series called Remember When, and they did an episode about this tragedy. That was the first time I had heard about it and I've been obsessed ever since.

No one is trained to rescue burned bodies of this amount. How awful, memories to haunt them forever. RIP to these people 😔❤️

Oh my lord! I’ve never heard of this horrible fire and loss of life! I can’t imagine the fear everyone felt. May all those who perished Rest In Peace. Thank you Paul for sharing this with us. I always try to remind my friends and family to be sure you tell your loved ones how much you love them & give them hugs and kisses before they walk out the door. Blessings to you Paul & your family and staff! ❤️✝️

The fear those poor souls must have felt in their final moments is beyond comprehension. May every one of them rest in peace.

My father was a huge fan of Buck Jones. He was a young teen at the time of this fire, and remembered being devastated at the death of one of his movie heroes. 😢

I can't believe the number of people involved! What an absolute horror. It's as if the building was designed to be a total death trap with a naked flame.

Over 490 people died in that place? My God, RIP to all of them. Can't imagine how bad it was.

Absolutely fascinating account of this tragedy. February of 2003 saw 100 souls lost in The Station Nightclub fire in Rhode Island.

My grandparents were planning to go to the Grove that night, but their college football team lost the game that day and decided to give it a miss. I wouldn't be here today if they had gone.

When I was a child I met a couple who were in the fire. The rescuers thought that he was dead and he woke up in a makeshift morgue with a sheet over him. He really freaked out some people when he sat up and said what the hell! Can you imagine that, creepy!!

Thanks for reviving this infamous tragedy. For them to blame a bus boy is incredulous since everyone smoked back then. Just a matter of time in that consideration. The electricity was faulty, and all the décor just added to the kindling. Maximum occupancy laws might have been beneficial for more to survive. With so many of these large crowd tragedies, I personally limit visiting such venues and events.

Apparently Fire inspectors didn't learn much-nationwide-from the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire. Or the Iroquois Theater fire. Poor Clifford Johnson, his heroic, chivalrous attempt to locate the woman he brought to the Coconut Grove was rewarded by the universe with another horrendous fire, the second one fatal. 😞

As soon as he said the survivor got a job as a fuel truck driver I knew exactly where the story was going, how sad.

HORRIFIC!! Just another reason why I despise CROWDS, you never know what someone will do!

Ooo - yet more excellence from this brilliant channel. You're a star. By the way, Paul, if you see this - attractive accent; some Scotch element? (You've got flawless diction, naturally enunciating consonants accurately). Because of your measured narration I've now binge-watched your splendid videos, having just discovered you. Great research, careful presentation, and accomplished use of language. Boo to Yankee sensationalism; go Well, I Never!

Between this, the Southgate, Kentucky fire, and the Station fire, I’ve learned to always know where the exits are. What a tragic and unnecessary loss of life.

Given that there were over a thousand customers in the place, plus staff, it's amazing that the death toll wasn't even higher.

I vaguely remember hearing about this. It is always seems to be a case that profit is more important than safety. Patrons die because the owners don’t want anyone skipping out without paying. Excellent presentation as always, I do love listening to your voice as well as the care you take with these cases.

Unfortunately, despite all the emergency procedures and what not, night club fires still do happen. The Station Nightclub fire is first to pop into mind, but there were 4 that occurred this last year. Always note where the exits are when you go to a nightclub! Those places can be deathtraps,

Poor Clifford!🥺That poor man was cursed!😔

Such a heart breaking story for all involved. The pain of being a burn victim is like no other. RIP to all that perished.

As a lifelong resident of Greater Boston I’ve read a lot and heard lots of stories about this horrible tragedy. I must say your telling of the story was concise and well told. There is a big to-do about what caused the fire. The cause now is being re-studied and the gas in the kitchen was probably the cause. It was not poor Stanley. He lived the rest of his life in such despair that he COULD have been the cause. He was harassed the rest of his life. Thank you for such good reporting on this. There have been other terrible fires here but this one will stay with us as the worse.

The reminds me of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York city as the exits were locked because owners wanted profits over the workers taking breaks.

it's hard for me to pay attention but you really make it easy to understand, thank you!!!!

At 4:47, the usual blame for the fire is the busboy who lit the match near an artificial palm tree. But the lit match did NOT start the fire. Coincidently, a fire had already begun behind the false wall behind the palm tree. The fire was caused by a short-circuit. The busboy was later cleared of starting the fire.

No matter how many times I hear this story, it never ceases to shock me. 😢

I grew up in West Warwick Rhode Island. Nightclub fires hit particularly close to home

At 6:22, it doesn't escape my ironic soul that there's a photo of a fireman with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. Excellent presentation of the story though.

Thank you, Amazing, I'd heard about this, but you did an excellent job explaining it. Sadly, so many lives lost.

Omg! What a heartbreaking story. The death count is staggering.

Hello Paul you and your crew Always make sure your fans are never bord I enjoy your context keep up the sensational job

This is very interesting and important to talk about

3:20 It's still one of the worst home losses in Boston College history, but not *the* worst: just three years later, Holly Cross throttled BC, 46-0, at Fenway Park.

I love listening to you tell a story. Thank you ❤️

Very well researched. You avoided several popular though untrue theories. You always present us with fascinating content.

My aunt was a waitress at the Cocoanut Grove during that fire.

Your an amazing story teller my friend. This happened before my time but close to home. Things have come a long way. Yet the station night club fire shows we have a long way to go....peace💜

I’ve had to read the oh&s for different jobs. ( occupational health and safety) and it’s sad knowing most of the rules if not all stem from people being severely injured or dying. Too bad it takes tragedy for good changes to be made for safety.

(As usual, but even more so..) a great video. And most educational too. Despite all the emergency exits and other safeguards, the stampede collective behavior of a bunch of people stays the main cause of casualties in such horrible circumstances..,. 😢

Consisting of a warren of interconnected buildings, a basement lounge filled beyond capacity with a single stairway exit, unmarked and/or locked emergency exits, highly flammable decorations and a single revolving main door exit, the Coconut Grove was a tragedy waiting to happen. I can only imagine how that poor young waiter felt when the newspapers the next day placed the deaths of almost 500 individuals at his feet! Perhaps because it occurred during the horrors of WWII, it seems to get forgotten amongst a half decade of immense death and destruction. It also eerily foreshadows the 1977 'Beverly Hills Supperclub' fire and the 2003 'Station' nightclub fire.

Another wonderful informative video. Thank you.

What an awful tragedy. The only good that came of it was the fire safety improvements and better burns treatment. At least we learned from it. Poor Clifford though 😔 His story was so sad.

Thank you.

Such a sad story 😪 .i love your stories though. Keep them coming .

Sometimes it does make you wonder if life is preordained🙏⚘️✨️

Awesome video, Very Well done !

Never a wasted time of mine; Thank You dear Sir. 🏆🤓👩🕵😎

6:22 Seeing a firefighter at a disaster with a cigarette in his mouth is really something else! Can't blame him

I loveeee your videos

This is very sad. It reminds me of the story of a circus fire way back when. It, too, brought about new fire safety regulations.

Thanks

Thank You

As someone who lives near Coconut Grove, the Florida Community, it's kinda surreal seeing something with the same name having a horrible history.

Oct 1994, the Coconut Grove nightclub in Dundee burns to the ground.

Thanks that was a horrendous tragedy 😢

Excellent

My mother's sisters used to go to the Coconut Grove all the time, apparently there was a medical emergency and they had to stay home and that saved their lives.

A nice warm story on a cold winter's night on the Canadian Prairies...wait a minute...😨😨😨

I just recently found out that my I believe either great grade or great great great aunt was a survivor of this fire she just passed away recently I wish I had a chance to meet her she seemed like a incredible woman

This was really sad😢 but just like you said ..sometimes unfortunate things happen and only then things will be done better tin order to guarantee safety

Fascinating Horror did a video on this as well. They put a lot of research into their videos like you do. I watches their video awhile ago so watch this one reminded me. On a side note have you or would you do a video on ether the Radium Girls or the Matchstick making girls?

I'd heard of this terrible occurrence but first time hearing the details. One minute everyone's having a good time then BAM! Disaster. Kindest thoughts and prayers for the victims and their families.

Almost 500 died?! Horrible.

Wow I only ever knew of the Triangle fire not this tragedy

ALWAYS LOOK FOR THE FIRE EXIT WHEN ENTERING AN ESTABLISMENT OF ANY KIND...YEARS AGO IN MY YOUTHFUL DAYS LOVED TO GO OUT CLUBBING. WENT TO A CLUB WITH ONLY ONE ENTRANCE IN, WHILST STANDING THERE LOOKING AROUND I LOOKED FOR AN EXIT SHOULD A FIRE OR SOMETHING UNTOWARDS SHOULD HAPPEN.. THERE WAS NOTHING. MADE A PROMISE TO MYSELF. NEVER AGAIN!!!

One gets the feeling that these videos cause you some distress, you would not be human if they didn't. Take care my friend. Regards.

Great video, but sad... It makes me think about fate.

I was wondering how the fire shot around so quickly. Using flamable gas instead of freon in the ACs 😬

I am horrified, but things don't change..... More harn done by good people doing northing, than bad people doing harm. No one wants to be involved. Now. We just walk by....Sad, but true.

If there is any questions as to why building codes and such are as they are, you need only look at New York.

That is just sickenin

Similar disaster in Rhode Island at the station nightclub Windows has been painted black it was just a disaster

So sad😢

Just terrible to hear 🤦‍♀️ may they RIP 🙏

Interesting that the modern spelling of coconut is different than the mid-20th century spelling.

You know you're in an old commercial building when the door opens inwardly. This disaster probably has resulted in saving countless lives because of the new building codes.

The man carrying a stretcher, with a burn victim, is holding a lit cigarette...

Well, I never.