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When Chicago’s original McCormick Place was completed in November of 1960, it was the largest exhibition center in the United States, housing nearly 1.2 million square feet of space for exhibitions, performances, conferences, and support facilities.
An article from Time magazine stated: “…Chicago outdid itself by building McCormick Place, an edifice along Lake Michigan that ran the size of six football fields… McCormick Place cost $35m to build, and one boast was that it would be 'more durable than the Colosseum.'”
But in the early hours of January 16, 1967, a tragic fire occurred. According to an NFPA Journal® report on the fire, “Within 30 to 45 minutes after the first alarm, the roof trusses started to buckle at the center, pulling the roof loose from the columns at the walls. The interior columns canted and the major portion of the roof collapsed. The fire in the upper level subsided only when the fuel was consumed.”
In all there were a total of five alarms and four special alarms responding with 94 pieces of fire apparatus including three fire boats, three Chicago Civil Defense Units, and more than 500 firefighters.
On Tuesday, June 9, from 8:00-9:00 am, Randy Tucker, of Rolf Jensen & Associates, and an NFPA Board member, will discuss the McCormick Place fire, the investigation, and resulting changes in codes and standards and the insurance industry.
Beginning at 9:30 am, Daniel Cozzi, fire marshal for McCormick Place, will lead a tour of the facility’s command center and discuss the fire protection features of the current 2.6 million square foot complex.
Register for the NFPA Conference & Expo now to be sure to take part in this special presentation and tour.
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