 Kerns Hotel in its early days, shown at left in the background. The three-story Hotel Wentworth shown in the foreground survived the fire. | |
| Date | December 11, 1934 |
|---|---|
| Location | Lansing, Michigan |
| Coordinates | 42°44′04″N 84°33′01″W / 42.73444°N 84.55028°W |
| Type | Fire |
| Cause | Carelessly discarded cigarette |
| Deaths | 34 |
| Non-fatal injuries |
|
The Kerns Hotel fire of December 11, 1934, in Lansing, Michigan, United States, killed 34 people, including seven Michigan state legislators, and according to the Lansing Fire Department, was the worst fire disaster in the history of Lansing. The fire occurred around 5:30 am and spread rapidly through the building's wooden interior, trapping many of the hotel's 215 guests in their rooms and forcing them to escape via fire ladders or life nets. In addition to the fatalities, 42 more people, including fourteen firemen, were injured in the fire, which was thought to have been caused by a carelessly discarded cigarette.[1][2]
- ^ "Box 23". Lansing Fire Department. Archived from the original on 2013-07-27. Retrieved 2016-01-08.
- ^ "The Hotel Kerns Fire". cadl.org. Capital Area District Library. Archived from the original on 2013-04-03. Retrieved 2016-01-08.