<P> On December 1 , 1958 , a fire broke out at Our Lady of the Angels School in Chicago , Illinois , shortly before classes were to be dismissed for the day . The fire originated in the basement of the school near the foot of a stairway . The elementary school was operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago and had an enrollment of approximately 1600 students . A total of 92 pupils and 3 nuns ultimately died when smoke , heat , fire , and toxic gasses cut off their normal means of escape through corridors and stairways . Many more were injured when they jumped from second - floor windows which , because the building had a raised basement , were nearly as high as a third floor would be on level ground ( c. 25 ft . ) . </P>
<P> On December 1 , 1958 , a fire broke out at Our Lady of the Angels School in Chicago , Illinois , shortly before classes were to be dismissed for the day . The fire originated in the basement of the school near the foot of a stairway . The elementary school was operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago and had an enrollment of approximately 1600 students . A total of 92 pupils and 3 nuns ultimately died when smoke , heat , fire , and toxic gasses cut off their normal means of escape through corridors and stairways . Many more were injured when they jumped from second - floor windows which , because the building had a raised basement , were nearly as high as a third floor would be on level ground ( c. 25 ft . ) . </P>
when was the last time someone died in a school fire
when was the last time someone died in a school fire
December 1 , 1958
December 1 , 1958