Panic in the Smoke: The Tragedy of the Cocoanut Grove Fire

How could nearly five hundred people die in a matter of minutes inside a popular, crowded nightclub without the building ever actually burning to the ground? The horrific Cocoanut Grove fire of 1942 is a story of catastrophic architectural negligence and the terrifying psychology of a mass crush. Decorated with highly flammable artificial palm trees and cloth draped across the ceilings, the Bost...