Kerns Hotel fire

The Kerns Hotel fire of December 11, 1934, in Lansing, Michigan, United States, killed 34 people, including seven Michigan state legislators, and according to the Lansing Fire Department, was the worst fire disaster in the history of Lansing. The fire occurred around 5:30 am and spread rapidly through the building's wooden interior, trapping many of the hotel's 215 guests in their rooms and forcing them to escape via fire ladders or life nets. In addition to the fatalities, 42 more people, including fourteen firemen, were injured in the fire, which was thought to have been caused by a carelessly discarded cigarette.

Kerns Hotel fire
Kerns Hotel in its early days, shown at left in the background. The three-story Hotel Wentworth shown in the foreground survived the fire.
DateDecember 11, 1934 (1934-12-11)
LocationLansing, Michigan
Coordinates42°44′04″N 84°33′01″W
TypeFire
CauseCarelessly discarded cigarette
Deaths34
Non-fatal injuries
  • 28 civilians
  • 14 firefighters
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