Events such as the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire in 1977 instill fear in firefighters everywhere. In that Kentucky blaze, 165 people died in an overcrowded nightclub on Memorial Day weekend.
Several factors contributed to the tragedy at the popular nightclub, where as many as 3,000 patrons and 182 employees were on the premises. Insufficient fire exits, lack of sprinklers and an automatic sounding alarm, hazardous electrical wiring and lack of oversight and enforcement by authorities all played a role.