What happened at the Gothenburg discothèque?

The Gothenburg discothèque fire broke out in a building on Hisingen Island, Sweden that had been rented for the purpose of hosting a halloween disco/party for secondary school students.

The building was constructed in 1930 and made of a combination of concrete and masonry block. The interior finishes were mainly of non-combustible materials, however there were halloween decorations suspended from the walls and ceilings that night.

Most doors opened outward in the direction of escape and many windows were equipped with security bars. The building was not equipped with automatic fire detection or a water sprinkler system. There was, however, a hose reel located at the entrance of the hall.

How did the Gothenburg discothèque fire start?

The fire was an arson attack which tragically killed 63 people and injured 213 more.

At the time of the fire it’s estimated that there were more than 400 people in the building, despite the fact that it was only permitted to hold 150 by the Gothenburg Fire Brigade. A permit for the event should also have been obtained beforehand, but no permit was issued.

The fire started in the stairway on the south east end of the building, it then spread into the hall through the door at the top of the stairway. The furniture stored in the stairways fueled the fire, along with combustible wood panelling and Halloween decorations.

What can the industry learn from the Gothenburg discothèque fire?

An investigation by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) concluded;

• Overcrowding exceeded the means of egress capacity
• Lack of a fire alarm system and sprinkler system
• Ignition of combustible fuel load in a stairway and decorations

The number of occupants exceeded the egress capacity - fire service personnel reported removing bodies piled behind exit doors, likely overcome by toxic gases and heat.

Placing furniture in the stairway also created two problems; first, it obstructed the exits and, second, it provided a fuel load that was deliberately ignited, rendering this means of egress unusable.