Fire dangers present in nightclubs, bars

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Kali L. Gradishar
  • 52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany --  Fourteen people died and approximately 200 injured when a fire erupted inside a nightclub in Volendam, The Netherlands, in 2001. Nearly 150 people died and approximately 150 injured at a nightclub in Perm, Russia, in 2009. One hundred and ninety were left dead and more than 700 injured at a nightclub in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2004.

These incidents are only three of many that occurred throughout the last 10 years that alone claimed more than 300 lives and injured more than 1,000.

Causes of each incident include a variety of common occurrences seen in nightclubs worldwide - overcrowding, blocked fire exits, decorations and panic.

"These all have similar factors, and it becomes a toxic mix, but the main problem with these kinds of clubs is overcrowding," Chief Master Sgt. Richard Lien, 52nd Civil Engineer Squadron fire chief, said. "A nightclub can be its own worst enemy because owners have a difficult time turning paying customers away. A business owner looks at a door as a way for paying customers to get in. A fire inspector looks at a door as a way for people to get out in case of emergency."

On March 3, 52nd Fighter Wing Commander Col. Christopher Weggeman, placed Zur Kajϋte, a nightclub in Binsfeld, Germany, off limits partially for that reason - overcrowding.

"I did an official risk assessment of the site and found it to be dangerous, so we recommended the owner make changes. If he was unwilling or unable to make the recommended changes, then we would make the site off limits to Sabers, and that's what happened," the fire chief said. "I visited the club with (52nd Fighter Wing Command Chief Master Sgt. Sandra Miller) in October 2010, and there were well over 1,000 people ... Wittlich County inspectors went out and set the occupancy rate for the whole nightclub at 763 (people).

"Literally, bodies were pressed up against one another, and I couldn't lift an arm," he recalled.

Emergency exit doors didn't swing outward in the direction of travel - a dangerous trap in the event people were required to exit the building immediately. Exits were blocked or locked. And the occupancy appeared, to the fire inspector, to be well above the German standard of allowing only two people per square meter.

It would be unfortunate for an incident to occur at Zur Kajϋte "similar to what happened in Volendam. The reason there are such high numbers of injury and death in these situations is people panic because in an emergency situation, you cannot control people; and when people panic, they stampede," Chief Lien, a 25-year Air Force firefighter, said.

Thinning the crowd and improving emergency exits provides a safer establishment for people to congregate, something the owner of Zur Kajϋte is working to accomplish.

"The owner is complying with our requests so Americans can patronize there," the chief said. "I can see why it's a great attraction for people. To mingle with Americans, Germans and other Europeans, it's like a cultural melting pot.

"We don't want people afraid to go out. However, we do want people, when they go out to a club, to realize that their safety is their responsibility," he added.

Chief Lien suggests applying the wingman concept when attending a nightclub, beyond having a sober driver.

"When people drink, they process risk different. As a wingman, a designated driver can also look out for friends if there is an emergency," Chief Lien said. "It's not just making sure everyone has a safe ride home, but also knowing how to get friends out of a club if there's an emergency."

The 52nd Fighter Wing Safety Office recommends people look at the building before they enter to determine if they feel comfortable entering at all; locating all possible exits in case the main exit is blocked; and check for clear, unobstructed paths to exits. The safety office also advises people to act immediately once an alarm sounds or there is indication of an emergency, as well as to remain calm.

(Information from the 52nd Fighter Wing Safety Office, BBC News and the TNO Centre for Fire Research, The Netherlands, was used in this article.)