Going through this course, I’ve learned more details about major fires in American history and it’s been really eye-opening for me. Initially, I hadn’t really thought about how much a single disaster or fire could shape the laws that are passed, the way the buildings are made, or even the way people think about safety. Throughout every fire we’ve covered so far within the course, there has always been overarching problems. The Hartford Circus fire and the Cocoanut Groove nightclub fires for example weren’t triggered randomly, there were blatant issues that could have been resolved. These problems included overcrowding, lack of emergency planning, and how the greed for profit caused many to lose their lives due to carelessness for their safety.
History really does repeat itself. Time and time again, there are always disasters that simulate others that came before it. Many newer events take different forms of those that have already happened and it just goes to show we haven’t really learned from the past. Some buildings ignore safety protocols which is already something extremely concerning. Not only that, but some don’t even have clearly marked exits. You would think these are the things that would be at the forefront of building design but realistically they’re sometimes set aside. Another factor that we all succumb to is panic. It’s a given since that’s just human nature but at times we’re our own worst enemy. Panicking too much almost always caused you to do something that’s out of character. With all of these in mind, it’s no surprise disasters still happen. Knowing this, it made wonder whether we actually learn from the past and try to build onto it, or if we just set it aside and just wait for another big tragedy to happen and repeat the cycle.
All the while I’ve noticed that tragedy brings out some of the best parts in humanity. There are several cases of people risking their lives to save others, and communities come together to help victims, and new safety laws are created so the same things don’t happen again. Reviewing and analyzing these fires has made me realize that history isn’t just about something that happened, it’s about how we respond when everything goes wrong.