Ep. 36: The Roof, The Roof, The Roof is On Fire

About this episode

This episode discusses the Cleveland Clinic fire of 1929, its causes, and its impact on hospital safety.

The Clinic That Burned: The Cleveland Clinic Fire of 1929 One hundred and twenty-three people went to the doctor. They didn't come home. On May 15, 1929, a fire broke out in the basement of the Cleveland Clinic, one of the most respected medical facilities in the country. But it wasn't the flames that killed most of the victims. It was the gas, a toxic cloud released when nitrocellulose X-ray film ignited, that moved through the building faster than anyone could run. In minutes, a place built to heal people became one of the deadliest disasters in American medical history. In this episode, Andrea walks Crystal through the fire that shocked a nation, the science behind why it was so lethal, and the lasting changes it forced on hospital safety, film manufacturing, and how we think about the hidden dangers inside the buildings we trust most.

People in this episode

Host: Andrea

Guest: Crystal

Topics covered

• Cleveland Clinic Fire
• hospital safety
• toxic gas
• medical history
• disasters

Keywords

• Cleveland Clinic
• fire
• toxic gas
• medical disaster
• hospital safety
• nitrocellulose
• X-ray film

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Cleveland Clinic

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