Government or official record
The Cocoanut Grove Revisited
U.S. National Archives
Where this source supports the record
Each entry separates the article’s editorial relevance note from its exact, section-level claims. A bibliography link without a direct claim is labeled plainly.
-
Fires · 28 November 1942Open article references →
The Cocoanut Grove Fire
Former Cocoanut Grove nightclub site in Bay Village · United States
Why editors use it hereFederal archival account of the building, rapid spread, military victims, egress failures, and inquiry.
-
Quick read
On 28 November 1942, fire spread through the overcrowded Cocoanut Grove nightclub in Boston.
Reviewed 26 July 2026 -
Trigger and conditions
A small flame began near artificial foliage in the Melody Lounge after a young employee tried to replace a light bulb.
Reviewed 26 July 2026 -
Uncertainty
The ignition sequence is based on witness testimony; the employee's match may have started the fire but was not the underlying cause of mass casualties.
Reviewed 26 July 2026 -
Why it matters
Cocoanut Grove was lethal because many safeguards failed together: material choice, layout, crowding, door hardware, exit visibility, enforcement, and owner behavior.
Reviewed 26 July 2026
-
Quick read