What was the Summerland leisure centre disaster?

On 2 August 1973 a fire spread quickly and undetected through the Summerland leisure complex, which had only opened two years prior. The 3.5 acre resort was billed as ‘the biggest and most innovative indoor entertainment centre in the world’.

The building conforming to the building code of the day did not require fire detection and water sprinkler systems. The building had just two fire escape exits and no management evacuation plan for controlling crowds.

When the fire broke out there were around 3,000 people at the resort. When people eventually became aware of the fire they moved around the building looking for loved ones instead of evacuating.

The call to the fire services was delayed for more than 30 minutes. When it was finally made it came from a ship captain some two miles out to sea via the coastguard.

How did the Summerland leisure centre fire start?

Three boys were smoking cigarettes in a disused golf kiosk, unintentionally setting it alight. The kiosk burnt until losing its structural integrity and collapsing against the exterior of the resort. The wall’s soundproof material along with the external bitumen coating provided poor fire resistance, allowing the flames to quickly take hold.

What can the industry learn from the Summerland leisure centre disaster?

A public enquiry into the event concluded that human error and a series of events that went wrong contributed to the disaster.

The event changed fire safety and building regulations, calling for similar building materials to be condemned.