The Cleveland Clinic Fire of 1929The Cleveland Clinic Fire of 1929 was a major structural fire at the Cleveland Clinic Hospital Cleveland on May 15, 1929. The fire was caused by nitrocellulose x-ray film that was too close to an exposed light bulb which ignited the film. This caused two different explosions and also caused toxic gases to spread throughout the area. The fire caused the deaths of 123 people, including one of the founders of the Cleveland Clinic, Dr. John Phillips. Eighty of the victims of the fire were patients or visitors, the others were employees. It was found that the majority of deaths were due to the toxic gas emitted by the film. The Cleveland Clinic fire influenced major changes in local and federal levels of fire protection and hospital safety. The building involved in the fire was one of three buildings involved in the Cleveland Clinic organization. This was the clinic building where all the x-rays were taken and stored. The clinic's two other buildings were the hospital and the laboratory; neither building was involved in the fire. The x-ray building would be of fire-resistant construction. The building had four floors and a basement. The building was constructed of reinforced concrete in the floors and walls; the exterior of the building is brick. Inside the building, the floors were tiled and the ceilings plastered, and in some places there are glass ceilings and skylights. The first floor housed the x-ray rooms and storage rooms for common x-ray films that were not involved in the fire. There was no sprinkler system and the films were stored in filing cabinets without any prevention against toxic gas leaks...... middle of paper ...... Veland Clinic Fire also imposed new restrictions on how hazardous materials must be stored and labeled. Fire insurance companies also reviewed and enforced regulations regarding the storage of hazardous materials in every building in the city. The Cleveland Clinic Fire of 1929 was one of the most devastating fires in the history of Cleveland and also the United States. Many people have lost their lives due to the dangers. materials are not stored safely and properly. The fire forever changed the way we think about fire safety. Firefighters are now required to wear respiratory equipment when responding to every fire. It also changed the requirements for storing hazardous equipment in every building in Cleveland and how insurance companies enforce the new laws. Although many people lost their lives that day, it taught us a lot about fire safety and will hopefully save lives in the future..