Burning Question: Should the History of High-Rise Fires Be Ignored?

Peter J. Denney
Thursday, 02 September 2010
Noted author David McCulloch once wrote, “History is a guide to navigation in perilous times.” Indeed, if history is a guide, one can look at high-rise building fires that have occurred in the past to address the issue of building safety. This review includes the fires that the 9/11 Commission concluded caused the collapse of the WTC Twin Towers, and WTC 7, for which officials declared the collapse was due to fires. Two high-rise fires listed below occurred after 9/11 and are especially noteworthy.

The history of high-rise, steel-framed buildings spans only about 100 years. Still, there are a number of very hot, large, and long lasting fires to review. One in particular, the Empire State Building, suffered a severe fire when it was struck by a B-25 bomber. The fire was fueled by high-octane gasoline, when the plane hit the 78th and 79th floors. Here’s a look at some high-rise fires through history, listed chronologically.

1. July 28, 1945—The Empire State Building—New York, NY