Today is the anniversary of one of the deadliest fires in US history. In 1903 over 600 people died in the Iroquois Theater Fire in Chicago when a spark ignited a curtain above the stage. The most immediate change as a result of the fire was the widespread use of “Panic Bar” hardware on exit doors. There are many sources of information about this historic tragedy, including IroquoisTherater.com , The Chicago Tribune and The Smithsonian Magazine.

LODD’s:

Dec 30, 2006

Career fire fighter dies and chief is injured when struck by 130-foot awning that collapses during a commercial building fire – Texas.

History:

December 30, 1803 – The Stars and Stripes flag was raised over New Orleans as the United States took formal possession of the territory of Louisiana, an area of 885,000 square miles, nearly doubling the size of the U.S. The territory had been purchased from France for approximately $15 million.