Fire Safety Science Digital Archive

Pyrotechnic devices activated in a small nightclub ignited a fire that killed 100 people and injured at least 200 others in February, 2003. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the National Research Council of Canada (NRCC) undertook a research project to study the behavior of building occupants in this incident as they evacuated the building. The analysis was based on an examination of witness statements collected by various police agencies after the fire. Statements were available from 355 survivors present in the building at the time of the fire. This paper summarizes their reactions and responses, exit route choices and travel paths.