The Unsolved Mystery of the Cocoanut Grove Fire

The Cocoanut Grove Fire of November 28, 1942 in Boston MA was one of the highest loss of life nightclub fires in history, with 492 perished. That evening the Grove was packed with about 1000 revelers, and only half would survive. This presentation will review the background and details of this tragic event, and provide a focus on the “Unsolved Mystery of the Cocoanut Grove Fire”. One baffling aspect of this fire that has never been fully understood is how surprisingly fast it spread. In recent years new evidence has been found and new analysis methods used to clarify what happened that fateful Saturday evening. Today, a movement is now proceeding for a memorial near the Cocoanut Grove site, honoring the lost souls and recognizing the significant advances that resulted from this tragedy.

Presenter Casey C. Grant, P.E., is the Executive Director of DSRAE, LLC, an independent professional consulting firm with a focus on the design and implementation of research for the fire protection and emergency response communities. For more than a dozen years prior to 2019, Casey managed numerous research projects with the Fire Protection Research Foundation (FPRF), the non-profit research affiliate for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Casey holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland and a Master of Science degree from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, both in Fire Protection Engineering. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in Fire Protection Engineering in the States of California and Tennessee.

This program is presented as part of the Boston Public Library's Never Too Late Group created with older adults in mind. Due to the ample seating available in the Rabb Lecture Hall, registration is not required; instead, seating is first come, first served. Please note this program was rescheduled from 2022.

About the BPL's COVID-19 health and safety protocols:

• Program attendees are recommended to wear masks covering the nose and mouth.
• Read the BPL's latest COVID-19 guidelines for visiting the library.
• Program performers will remove their masks during the program.

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