Rhythm nightclub fire
The Rhythm nightclub fire occurred on April 23, 1940, in Natchez, Mississippi, during an event attended by approximately 750 African Americans. The fire broke out around 11:30 p.m., ignited by a discarded match or cigarette near a hamburger stand, which then spread through the club's wooden structure. The club had only one exit, which was obstructed by decorative Spanish moss and opened inward, complicating evacuation efforts. Tragically, the fire claimed the lives of 209 individuals and injured another 200, with most of the orchestra members among the deceased.
This devastating incident had a profound impact on the local African American community, with nearly every family in Natchez affected by the loss. It highlighted significant shortcomings in fire safety regulations, as existing codes were not enforced in African American neighborhoods. The tragedy led to increased advocacy for better fire safety measures across the United States. The fire has been remembered in cultural works, including musical tributes and literature, reflecting its lasting significance in American history.
Rhythm nightclub fire
The Event Fire that killed more than two hundred African Americans
Date April 23, 1940
Place Natchez, Mississippi
Although this fire became the second deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history—after Boston’s Cocoanut Grove fire in December, 1942—and the deadliest up to its own time, the Rhythm Club fire drew little national attention.
The first of several major multiple-fatality fires in the United States during the 1940’s took place at the Rhythm Club in Natchez, Mississippi, on April 23, 1940. About 750 African Americans gathered for an evening of dancing to the music of Chicagoan Walter Barnes and his orchestra. The nightclub had only one exit, which had been decorated with Spanish moss. About 11:30 p.m., a discarded match or cigarette, or flames from the hamburger stand near the front door, ignited the moss, which set fire to the structure’s wooden floors and wainscoting. Flaming decorations subsequently fell onto the audience. The windows had been boarded up to prevent entry without payment; the doors opened inward, against the direction of exit travel. The fire resulted in the deaths of 209 people, and another 200 were injured.
All but three of the orchestra members perished in the fire, which was later commemorated in several musical tributes, including Gene Gilmore’s “The Natchez Fire” (1940). The Washington Post reported on April 26 that nearly every African American family in Natchez was affected by the tragedy. There is a fictional account of this event in Leedell W. Neyland’s 1994 novel Unquenchable Black Fires.
Impact
Although Natchez had a fire code in 1940, it was not enforced in the African American section of town. The Rhythm Club fire prompted calls from the press and from fire safety organizations for enforcement of life safety codes in all areas of American communities.
Bibliography
National Fire Protection Association. NFPA Fire Investigation Report: Dance Hall Fire (Rhythm Club), Natchez, Mi, April 23, 1940. Quincy, Mass.: Author, 1976.
Neyland, Leedell W. Unquenchable Black Fires. Tallahassee, Fla.: Leney Educational and Publishing, 1994.