1979 — July 31, Arson Fire and smoke inhalation, Holiday Inn, Cambridge, OH — 10
— 10 Demers. “Familiar Problems Cause 10 Deaths in Hotel Fire.” Fire Journal, Jan 1980, p.52.
— 10 Demers/NBS/USFA. Investigation Report, Hotel Fire, Cambridge, Ohio, Ten Fatalities…
— 10 Greenpeace. PVC Fires List. Cambridge, Ohio, July 31, 1979.” June 1994.
— 10 Leagle, Inc. “State v. Willey.” 5 Ohio App. 3d 86 (1981).
— 10 McKay, Robert. “Stan Chesley…Master of Disaster.” Cincinnati Magazine, Mar 1985, 80.
— 10 NFPA. “Recent Multi-Fatality Fires,” US Congress, House. Boarding Home Fires, 71-73.
— 10 NYT. “Arson is Blamed for Motel Blaze in Ohio Killing 10 and Injuring 78.” 8-10-1979.
— 10 UPI. “10th victim of Cambridge fire is dead.” Sandusky Register, OH. 8-4-1979, p. A8.
Narrative Information
Demers/NFPA: “Ten people died and 82 others were injured in a fire in the Cambridge, Ohio, Holiday Inn on July 31, 1979. The fire was almost a carbon copy of the Holiday Inn fire that killed ten in Greece, New York, on November 26, 1978. In both cases, the primary factors that led to deaths were combustible interior finish, unprotected vertical openings, and inadequate notification of the occupants…. [Abstract, p. 52.]
“The hotel was constructed about 1968, and was reportedly redecorated and refinished in 1975…. The guest-room wings of the two-story building formed a wide V configuration…A passageway connected the northeast end of the guest- room wings with the restaurant-registration area of the building. The latter part of the building was not directly involved in the fire, but did receive smoke damage.
“The building had 107 guest rooms and an interior corridor system. There were three stairways in the guest- room wings, one at each end and one approximately in the middle….
“Building Details. The building was constructed of masonry and would be classified as protected noncombustible. Exterior walls were concrete masonry units faced with brick. Partitions between guest rooms were eight-inch concrete masonry units, and the partition between guest rooms and the corridor was gypsum board on steel studs. There was fiberglass sound insulation in the stud channels. The ceiling-floor system and ceiling-roof system consisted of poured-in-place reinforced concrete. All ceilings were of plastered concrete, with the exception of the first-floor corridor. The first-floor corridor had a suspended ceiling of acoustical tile in metal channels. The tile was of limited combustibility. Utilities were placed in the concealed space above the first-floor ceiling.
“The three stairways were about five feet wide and were constructed of steel and masonry. An enclosed storage closet was constructed underneath at least one of the stairways. There was no barrier to fire spread at the end of the corridors, resulting in open stairways.
“The 32-inch-wide doors of guest rooms were of solid composition construction. There were no self-closing devices on guest-room doors. Also, there were no smoke- barriers within the corridors.
“On the exterior wall of each guest room were two 32-inch-by-77-inch factory-assembled, non-openable windows… [end of p. 52]
“The interior wall covering of the guest-room wings included two types of combustible vinyl. A plain vinyl was used on most of the corridor walls. Around guest-room doors, a striped vinyl material was utilized. Under these solid vinyl wall coverings were several thicknesses of material, which included vinyl, fabric, and paper….The surface vinyl materials behaved quite differently during the fire incident. The striped vinyl melted, dripped, and burned, while the plain vinyl burned in place.
“The floor covering consisted of nylon shag carpeting with a jute backing and pad. The carpeting did contribute to the fire….
“There was no emergency lighting in the hotel.
“The building was equipped with a fire alarm system that had manual pull stations as initiating devices. One six-inch gong was provided for each 190 feet of corridor, with a total of four gongs for the entire corridor system of the guest-room wings. The alarm system was set up for a local alarm only and was not connected to the Cambridge Fire Department….
“At the time of the fire and at the time the Holiday Inn was built, the city of Cambridge did not have a state-accredited building department. As a result, the State Building Code was enforced by the Ohio Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Factory and Building Inspection. The Ohio State Building Code in effect at the time of construction was unique to Ohio and was not based on a model building code…. [p. 53.]
“Fire growth and development was rapid. The fire apparently started in the corridor on the first floor. The shag carpeting and combustible wall covering ignited and spread the fire, and produced heavy smoke. The fire and products of combustion traveled horizon tally down the corridor and then into the open stairway at the north end of the north guest-room wing. Fire caused the plate-glass exterior windows of the stairway to break out, providing a fresh supply of oxygen to the fire. The fire quickly spread up the combustible wall covering of the stairway and down the second-floor corridor of the north wing.
“Initial efforts of people on the scene before fire apparatus arrived consisted of banging on windows on the outside of the building or breaking them with various implements, including iron bars and golf clubs. Apparently hotel room occupants became trapped in their rooms fairly early in the fire, and thus they tried to escape through the heavy plate-glass exterior windows. These windows were extremely difficult to break, and in some cases occupants made several attempts to break them out with furniture. The NFPA study at this time has been unable to locate any survivors who actually used the corridors for evacuation. So far as is known, all survivors escaped only after exterior windows were broken by occupants, other civilians on the fireground, police, and fire fighters…. [p. 54.]
“Cause of death of all 10 fatalities was listed by the county coroner as smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning. Two of the fatalities were found in guest rooms with the doors open, five were found in the second-floor corridor in positions that indicate they were heading toward the north stairway, two victims were found on the first floor of the north stairway, and one victim died in a hospital four days after the fire…All of the fatalities were occupants of guest rooms on the second floor in the north-wing corridor…. [p. 55.]
“The initial fire development created untenable conditions in the corridors before the manual alarm system was activated. Even when the manual alarm system was sounded, it was apparently ineffective because it was not loud enough to be heard in guest rooms. Reportedly, many guests thought an alarm clock was going off or a telephone was ringing; they did not recognize the fire alarm signal.
“The lack of early warning detection resulted in the fire spreading undetected for some time. A contributing factor to the early development of untenable conditions in the exit access corridors was the lack of any type of “smokestop barriers” (not necessarily “horizontal exits”). Products of combustion traveled without restriction, creating untenable conditions at the extreme southern end of the south guest-room wing. This was nearly 400 feet from the northeast end of the north wing where the fatalities were concentrated….” [p. 56. (Demers. “Familiar Problems Cause 10 Deaths in Hotel Fire.” NFPA Fire Journal, Jan 1980, pp. 52-56.)
Demers/NBS/USFA: “On Tuesday, July 31, 1979, at 3:26 a.m., a fire was reported at the Holiday Inn, Southgate Parkway, Cambridge, Ohio. Cambridge is located approximately 75 miles east of Columbus on Interstate Route #70, at the intersection of Interstate Route 77….
“The primary factors that led to the casualties in this incident were the high smoke production of the combustible interior finish, the unprotected vertical openings at the stairways, the lack of early warning detection and the inadequate alerting of occupants of the fire. Many guests were seriously injured while escaping through non-operable plate glass windows. Solid doors on guest rooms provided compartmentation and helped to limit the number of casualties.” [Abstract] (Demers, David P. Investigation Report, Hotel Fire, Cambridge, Ohio, Ten Fatalities, July 31, 1979. National Fire Protection Association, circa 1979, 24 pages.)
Greenpeace: “Ten people died and another 82 were injured in a fire at a Holiday Inn….the primary factors that led to deaths were combustible interior finish, unprotected vertical openings, and inadequate notification of the occupants.
“The interior wall covering of the guest room wings included two types of combustible vinyl. A plain vinyl was used on most the corridor walls. Around guestroom doors, a striped vinyl material was utilized. Under these solid vinyl wall-coverings were several thicknesses of material, which included vinyl, fabric and paper. The surface vinyl materials behaved quite differently during the fire incident. The striped vinyl melted, dripped, and burned, while the plain vinyl burned in place. The nylon shag carpeting also contributed to the fire.
“At the time of the fire there were approximately 200 registered guests in the 107 rooms of the hotel. Only four of the guest rooms were unoccupied.
“The fire was discovered at 3:25 am by two people playing a pinball machine in the passageway that connected the guest-room wings and the lobby-restaurant area. They smelled smoke and saw it traveling at ceiling level in the guest-room corridor, which was visible from the passageway.
“Fire growth and development was rapid. The fire apparently started in the corridor on the first floor. The shag carpeting and combustible wall-covering ignited and spread the fire, producing heavy smoke. The fire and products of combustion traveled horizontally down the corridor and then into the open stairway. The fire quickly spread up the wall-covering of the stairway and down the second floor corridor of the north wing.
“Apparently hotel room occupants became trapped in their rooms fairly early in the fire, and thus attempted to escape through heavy plate glass (difficult to break) exterior windows. There were no survivors who used the corridors for evacuation. There was not a great deal of flame in the building, but there was a moderate amount of heat. Besides injuries related to escape methods, survivors had smoke inhalation injuries. The county coroner listed cause of death for all ten fatalities to be smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning. One of the victims died in a hospital four days after the fire. All of the fatalities were on the second floor in the north wing corridor….The initial fire development created untenable conditions in the corridors before the manual alarm system was activated.” (Greenpeace. PVC Fires List. Cambridge OH.” June 1994.)
Leagle: “On July 31, 1979, the Holiday Inn at Cambridge, Ohio sustained a fire and ten persons perished as a result of smoke inhalation. Defendant-appellant, Gerald G. Willey, who was indicted for one count of aggravated arson and ten counts of aggravated murder, appeals his convictions and sentence following a trial to a jury which found him guilty of one count of aggravated arson and ten counts of involuntary manslaughter.
“The evidence indicated that defendant was a guest at the motel along with other members of a road painting crew. Defendant was involved in an argument in the lounge of the motel and in the parking lot. He had been drinking and was enraged at the motel.
“Evidence produced indicated he told his roommate he was going to “burn the place down.” He did have gasoline available in a tank on the truck in the lot and returned to the motel with a five-gallon gasoline can. His roommate heard the sound of liquid being poured and defendant later woke him and told him, “The place is on fire.”
“Expert testimony identified the gasoline as the accelerant used in the fire.
“Defendant was not arrested immediately following the fire, but was arrested March 9, 1980, following an extended investigation. The original arrest was on one count of arson, and he posted bail and was released on March 17, 1980.
“On April 9, 1980, defendant was indicted on the charge first described and taken back into custody for arraignment April 11. He remained in custody thereafter….
“Trial itself commenced July 18 and was completed on the morning of July 23 when the jury retired to deliberate. The jury was sequestered during such deliberations and returned with the verdict on the evening of July 25….” (Leagle, Inc. “State v. Willey.”)
McKay: “…an arsonist set a fire in a Holiday Inn in Cambridge, Ohio, spreading gasoline on a first-floor carpet and igniting it with a match. It was a typical two-story roadside motel. Ten people died, twenty were injured. [Lawyer] Stan Chesley skirted the seemingly immediate and sole cause, the arsonist, and pointed for the motel. He argued that the victims on the second floor did not die of fire, they died of smoke and the inhalation of toxic fumes, and they died because they could not get out of their rooms. Structurally, the building was a firetrap and it was also a deathtrap because the ceiling-to-floor windows in the rear of each room could not be opened, or broken. The case was settled out of court for $6 million.” (McKay, Robert. “Stan Chesley The Master of Disaster.” Cincinnati Magazine, Mar 1985, pp. 78-85.)
Newspapers
July 31: “Cambridge (UPI) — Nine people were killed early today and about 60 others were injured, some of whom smashed windows and jumped from the second floor, when fire broke out in the northeast wind of a two-story Holiday Inn Motel. Thick, toxic black smoke, caused by burning vinyl wall covering, raced through the motel, packed with summer vacation travelers….
“The state Fire Marshal’s office said the motel did not have a sprinkler system….Frank Jewell, chief of the state fire marshal’s office in nearby St. Clairsville, said the fire, which broke out about 3:30 a.m., started in a first floor hallway but the cause was undetermined…” (United Press International. “Cambridge fire kills nine.” Crescent-News, Defiance, OH, 7-31-1979, p. 1.)
Aug 1: “Cambridge, Ohio (AP) — State fire officials are trying to determine the cause of a killer fire early Tuesday that claimed the lives of nine persons, four of them children…Investigators, who pinpointed a spot along a wall in the northeast section of the first floor where the blaze began, are not ruling out arson….
“‘It was like a coal mine fire,’ assistant fire marshal Frank Jewell said. ‘It roared down the (first floor) corridor’ and then back again, ‘and like a natural chimney it went right up the stairs.’….” (Associated Press. “Cause of inn fire still not known.” The Times Reporter, Dover-New Philadelphia, OH, 8-1-1979, p. 1.)
Aug 1: “Among the nine persons who died in the Tuesday morning fire in…Cambridge were four members of a Parkersburg, W. Va., family. They were identified as Esther Albright, 66; her grand-daughter, Sharon Albright, 12; her grandson, Matthew Rotunda, 3; and Matthew’s mother, Mary Rotunda, 25. Other victims were Pamuela Ricketts, 23 of Westerville; Samuel Saloum, 62, of Ford City, Pa.; Lt. Col. Robert R. Summers, 42, stationed at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Fairborn, O.’ Summers’ wife, Diane, 39, and Summers’ son, Scott R., 14….” (Times Reporter, Dover-New Philadelphia, OH. “Fire dead include 4 in family.” 8-1-1979, p. 3.)
Aug 2: “Fleeing their hotel rooms probably led to the deaths of nine persons in the Cambridge Holiday Inn, fire officials said today. Eight of the victims were found in hallways and the other in a room with the door open. Fire officials from Cambridge believe if the victims had stayed in their rooms with the doors shut, they could have survived the fire, which was brought under control in about 15 minutes. The heavy oak doors on the rooms would have kept the smoke level in the rooms below the danger point, officials said. All of the victims died of smoke inhalation, Ohio Fire Marshal William B. Sanders said today.
“Sanders’ investigating team has not ruled out arson amid reports two persons reported smelling gasoline during the fire….
“The fire may prompt legislation that would require sprinkler systems to be installed in motels and hotels in Ohio. Rep. Thomas W. Johnson, R-Cambridge, said he would ask the state fire marshal’s office to make a complete report on the fire and give suggestions for preventing future ones. Currently, sprinklers are not required for hotels and motels under state law. Some municipalities, however — including Elyria — do have requirements for a sprinkler system in tall public-use buildings. Cambridge has a regulation requiring smoke detectors, but the motel was constructed prior to the passage of that ordinance.” (Chronicle-Telegram, Elyria, OH. “Remaining in rooms would have cut motel death total.” 8-2-1979, p. E1.)
Aug 4: “Cambridge, Ohio (UPI) — The toll from the Holiday Inn motel fire last Tuesday rose to 10 Friday [Aug 3] with the death of Jacqueline Harbegger, 51, of Brownsburg, Ind. Officials at Guernsey County Memorial Hospital said Mrs. Harbegger, whose husband Elmer is a doctor in Brownsburg, died from heart and lung complications suffered during the fire….Mrs. Harbegger…suffered severe smoke inhalation….” (UPI. “10th victim of Cambridge fire is dead.” Sandusky Register, OH. 8-4-1979, p. A8.)
Aug 9, NYT: “Cambridge, Ohio, Aug. 9 (UPI) — An arsonist set the July 31 fire in the Cambridge Holiday Inn that killed 10 persons and injured 78 others, the state Fire Marshal’s Office said today. ‘The arson bureau investigators have concluded that a fire of incendiary origin was set within the first floor hallway of the motel,’ said Harry McLaughlin, in nearby St. Clairsville. Mr. McLaughlin, who appeared at news conference with the Police Chief, Charles Morehead, said that an “accelerant” was used to fuel the blaze, but he would not say what type of chemical or agent may have been used….” (New York Times. “Arson is Blamed for Motel Blaze in Ohio Killing 10 and Injuring 78.” 8-10-1979.)
Aug 28: “Columbus (UPI) — Legislation requiring automatic fire extinguishing or detection devices in places of public assembly has received a rough reception from the Ohio House Ways and Means Committee….The fire safety bill, a milder version of one killed in subcommittee in 1977, has been revived by a Cambridge motel fire which left 10 people dead and 77 injured, was peppered with criticism during initial testimony Monday. State Rep. William H. Hinig, D-New Philadelphia, committee chairman, indicated a number of problems remain to be worked out, and that no special haste will be made….
“State Rep. Paul R. Leonard, D-Dayton, said his fire safety bill offers a tax break of up to one-third the cost of installation of sprinkler systems or smoke detectors, with the state Board of Building Standards making regulations on which is required. Sprinkler systems would be required in buildings designed after June 30, 1981, and in existing buildings, unless exempted by the Board of Building Standards, by June 30, 1986. ‘My basic intent is to get at places which attract crowds on a regular basis,’ said Leonard, noting that the requirement would apply to any establishment with a gathering place used by 50 or more people for amusement or entertainment.
“Strong opposition has come from the Ohio State Restaurant Association and the Ohio Hotel and Motel Association, which contend the installation of sprinkler systems would be too costly. State Rep. Robert L. Corbin, R-Dayton, a restaurant owner, offered objections along those lines Tuesday. ‘I think we need to consider smoke detectors from the financial standpoint,’ said Corbin. ‘They do as much good as sprinklers do as far as saving lives.’ Corbin said it would cost his restaurant $50,000 to $90,000 to install a sprinkler system, and only $1,500 to $2,000 to install smoke detectors. ‘What price do you put on a human life?’ argued Leonard. ‘When an establishment spends $75,000 to remodel, it should be willing to make fire safety a part of that project. ‘I don’t think people mind paying an extra 10 cents on their steak or five cents on their drink if they know when they go in that they’re going to come out alive.’
“Other objections raised to the bill included:
Tax exemptions would add to the financial burden of the state.
There are limitations to public water supplies serving the sprinkler systems.
The Board of Building Standards is steeped in bureaucracy.
Public school children would not be protected by the bill, since it applies only to the private sector.” (UPI. “Fire safety proposal gets rough reception.” Sandusky Register, OH, 8-28-1979, p. A16.)
July 26, 1980: “Cambridge (AP) — Gerald Willey’s attorney says he plans to appeal a jury’s finding that his client was not guilty of setting last year’s Cambridge Holiday Inn fire. A jury ended more than 27 hours of deliberation Friday [July 25] by finding Willey, 21, of Randolph guilty of one count of aggravated arson and 10 counts of involuntary manslaughter. The latter charges were reduced by the six-man, six-woman jury from the original aggravated murder charge…..
“Throughout the trial, prosecutors had maintained that Willey set the fire after arguing with the motel management over a fight in its bar….” (AP. “Willey convicted in Holiday Inn Fire.” Times-Reporter, Dover, OH, 7-26-1980, p. 1.)
Aug 2, 1980: “Cambridge (AP) — Gerald Willey, convicted of setting the Cambridge Holiday Inn on fire a year ago, was sentenced to 14 to 50 years in prison….” (AP. “Willey gets 14 to 50 years in Holiday Inn arson case.” Times-Reporter, Dover, OH, 8-2-1979, p. 1.)
Sources
Associated Press (Michael Hoffman). “Cause of inn fire still not known.” The Times Reporter, Dover-New Philadelphia, OH, 8-1-1979, p. 1. Accessed 7-20-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/dover-times-reporter-aug-01-1979/
Associated Press. “Willey convicted in Holiday Inn Fire.” Times-Reporter, Dover-New Philadelphia, OH, 7-26-1980, p. 1. Accessed 7-20-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/dover-times-reporter-jul-26-1980-p-1/?tag
Associated Press. “Willey gets 14 to 50 years in Holiday Inn arson case.” Times-Reporter, Dover, OH, 8-2-1979, p. 1. Accessed 7-20-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/dover-times-reporter-aug-02-1980-p-1/?tag
Chronicle-Telegram (Don Norris), Elyria, OH. “Remaining in rooms would have cut motel death total.” 8-2-1979, p. E1. Accessed 7-20-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/elyria-chronicle-telegram-aug-02-1979-p-37/?tag
Demers, David P. (NFPA Fire Analysis Specialist). “Familiar Problems Cause 10 Deaths in Hotel Fire.” Boston, MA: National Fire Protection Association, Fire Journal (bimonthly), Jan 1980, pp. 52-56.
Demers, David P. (in cooperation with the National Bureau of Standards and the United States Fire Administration). Investigation Report, Hotel Fire, Cambridge, Ohio, Ten Fatalities, July 31, 1979. Boston, MA: National Fire Protection Association, 24 pages.
Greenpeace. PVC Fires List. June 1994. Accessed 7-20-2017 at: http://pvcinformation.org/assets/pdf/PVC_FiresList.pdf
Leagle, Inc. “State v. Willey.” 5 Ohio App. 3d 86 (1981). Accessed 7-20-2017 at: http://www.leagle.com/decision/1981915OhioApp3d86_171/STATE%20v.%20WILLEY
McKay, Robert. “Stan Chesley The Master of Disaster.” Cincinnati Magazine, Mar 1985, pp. 78-85. http://books.google.co.in/books?id=ax8DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA80#v=onepage&q&f=false
National Fire Protection Association. “Recent Multi-Fatality Fires.” In: U.S. Congress, House. Boarding Home Fires: New Jersey (Hearing, March 9, 1981), pp. 71-73.
New York Times. “Arson is Blamed for Motel Blaze in Ohio Killing 10 and Injuring 78.” 8-10-1979. Accessed 7-20-2017 at: http://www.nytimes.com/1979/08/10/archives/arson-is-blamed-for-motel-blaze-in-ohio-killing-10-and-injuring-78.html
Times Reporter, Dover-New Philadelphia, OH. “Fire dead include 4 in family.” 8-1-1979, p. 3. Accessed 7-20-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/dover-times-reporter-aug-01-1979-p-3/
United Press International. “10th victim of Cambridge fire is dead.” Sandusky Register, OH. 8-4-1979, p. A8. Accessed 7-20-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/sandusky-register-aug-04-1979-p-8/?tag
United Press International. “Cambridge fire kills nine.” Crescent-News, Defiance, OH, 7-31-1979, p. 1. Accessed 7-20-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/defiance-crescent-news-jul-31-1979-p-13/?tag
United Press International (Lee Leonard). “Fire safety proposal gets rough reception.” Sandusky Register, OH, 8-28-1979, p. A16. Accessed 7-20-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/sandusky-register-aug-28-1979-p-16/?tag