The Bradford Fire

Dub13

Remembering the people who died 26 years ago today rest in peace

Melion

Sad that this has been up for nearly 2 hours and not 1 reply.

RIP

Fr Tod Umptious

I remember it very well, God rest the poor people who could not get out.

Here is a shocking video of the whole thing, starting a few minutes before it started.

Most of the people and the commentator do not realise the extend of the disaster until very late

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11UP99uHMuI&feature=related

DrumSteve

RIP to those who lost their lives.

I only read about this recently and it was a bonafide tradegy.

More reading here (this is a bit disturbing, or at least I found it so. Also it's nicked from Wikipedia).

After 40 minutes of the first half, the score remained 0–0,[13] in what was described as a drab affair with neither team threatening to score.[14] At 3:40 pm, five minutes before half-time, the first sign of a fire—a glowing light[10]—was noticed three rows from the back of block G.[15] It is believed the fire started when a spectator dropped a match, lit cigarette or tobacco, which fell through holes in the stand to rubbish which had accumulated below. One witness saw paper or debris on fire, about nine inches below the floor boards.[10] The stand seats did not have risers; this down the years had allowed a huge accumulation of rubbish and paper under the stand, which had been lost or disposed of by dropping it back between the seats.[citation needed]

Spectators initially felt their feet becoming warmer; one of them ran to the back of the stand for a fire extinguisher but found none. A police officer shouted to a colleague for an extinguisher. However, his call was misheard and instead the fire brigade were radioed.[10] The call was timed at 3:43 pm.[11] However, the fire escalated and flames became visible, and so police started to evacuate the stand. The blaze began to spread; the roof and wooden stands were on fire. One eyewitness, Geoffrey Mitchell, told the BBC: "It spread like a flash. I've never seen anything like it. The smoke was choking. You could hardly breathe."[15] One of the linesmen informed match referee Don Shaw, who stopped the game with three minutes remaining before half-time.[13]

The wooden roof, which was covered with tarpaulin and sealed with asphalt and bitumen, caught fire.[10] The material combined with a strong wind to spread the fire along the stand creating the impression of a fireball, setting fire to the entire stand.[10][16] Burning timbers and molten materials fell from the roof onto the crowd and seating below, and black smoke enveloped a passageway behind the stand, where many spectators were trying to escape.[10] It took less than four minutes for the entire stand to be engulfed in flames.[11]

There were no extinguishers in the stand's passageway for fear of vandalism, and one spectator ran to the clubhouse to find one, but was overcome by smoke and others trying to escape. Supporters either ran upwards to the back of the stand or downwards to the pitch to escape. Most of the exits at the back were either locked or shut, and there were no stewards present to open them, but seven were either forced or found open.[8][10] Three men smashed down one door and at least one exit was opened by people outside.[10][15] Geoffrey Mitchell said: "There was panic as fans stampeded to an exit which was padlocked. Two or three burly men put their weight against it and smashed the gate open. Otherwise I would not have been able to get out."[15] At the front of the stand, men threw children over the wall to help them escape. Most of those who escaped onto the pitch were saved.[10]

People who had escaped the fire instead tried to assist their fellow supporters. Police officers also assisted in the rescue attempts. One man clambered over burning seats to help a fan,[17] as did player John Hawley,[14] and one officer led fans to an exit only to find it shut and had to turn around.[10] Bradford City's coach Terry Yorath, whose family was in the stand,[18] ran on to the pitch to help evacuate people. Another player went into the office space to ensure there was nobody there.[18] One fan put his jumper over a fellow supporter's head to extinguish flames.[11] Those who escaped were taken out of the ground and to neighbouring homes and a pub, where a television screened Grandstand, which had live pictures from the ground.[17][18] Those who escaped queued for a telephone to ring their families.[16]

A total of 56 people died in the fire.[2] Of those, 54 were Bradford supporters and two from Lincoln.[14] They included three who tried to escape through the toilets, 27 who were found by exit K and turnstiles six to nine at the rear centre of the stand and two elderly people who died in their seats. Some had been crushed as they tried to crawl under turnstiles to escape. One retired mill worker made his way to the pitch, but was walking about on fire from head to foot. People smothered him to extinguish the flames, but he later died in hospital.[10] Half of those who died were either aged under 20 or over 70,[10][19] the eldest of which was the club's oldest supporter, former chairman, Sam Firth, aged 86.[10][15] More than 265 supporters were injured; the fire was described as the worst fire disaster in the history of British football, and the worst disaster since 66 spectators died at the Ibrox disaster, Glasgow in 1971.[13] One policeman said: "It must have been survival of the fittest—men first."[10]

The fire brigade arrived at the ground four minutes after they were called. However, the fire had consumed the stand by that point and they were faced by huge flames and dense smoke. Neither were they able to start fighting the fire immediately so that supporters could be first rescued from the ground.[11] The fire destroyed the main stand and left only burned seats, lamps and fences. Some of those who died were still sitting upright in their seats covered by tarpaulin. Police worked until 4 am the following morning, under lighting, to remove all the bodies.[11]

The match was being recorded by Yorkshire Television for transmission on their Sunday afternoon regional football show The Big Match. Coverage of the fire was transmitted minutes after the event on the live ITV Saturday afternoon sports programme World of Sport.
[edit] Reaction

Paul Tergat

Horrible day. Been speaking to a few people from home about it.

RIP

Sappy404

DrumSteve wrote: »

RIP to those who lost their lives.

I only read about this recently and it was a bonafide tradegy.

More reading here (this is a bit disturbing, or at least I found it so. Also it's nicked from Wikipedia).

Likewise. I only learned of it last year.

A shocking tragedy.

amacachi

If anyone who hasn't seen it is considering watching the video I would advise against it, I found it overpowering and the end grim, especially knowing what happened to some of the people on the pitch.


RIP.

RGDATA!

remember watching this unfold live on BBC grandstand. horrific.

K-9

Remember seeing this on Grandstand as well, poor, poor people.

RIP

thebullkf

Remember it well

R.I.P.

ciaran76

Remember the tv being turned off and not allowed to watch it.
Didn't realise it at the time but I think my Dad knew what was unfolding and didnt want us watching it.

Sad day indeed. RIP

stovelid

Melion wrote: »

Sad that this has been up for nearly 2 hours and not 1 reply.

It's not a competition.

Also remember watching it on TV. What a horrible couple of years (85-89) for European football.

RIP.

Broxi_Bear_Eire

R.I.P

My thoughts are with the families who lost loved ones

flahavaj

RIP. Appalling disatser that, like so many others at the time was easily avoidable.

murpho999

RIP.

I remember that disaster well, and that video brought it all back.

Have to worry for intelligence of a lot of people though as people were cheering and dancing whilst fire raged.

What a terrible period for football the 80's was.

Bradford, Heysel & Hillsborough.

Hope we never see those days again.

Benimar

RIP.

I remember the day well. I was at Liverpool V Aston Villa and, pre mobile phone/internet days, we had to rely on the radio for updates. The only thing we heard was that there had been a 'small' fire.

It was only on the boat home, watching MOTD, that we saw the full horror. I remember it as being probably the quietest trip home ever, people were so shocked.

Terrible tragedy.

Lawrence1895

I saw it on the main evening news in Germany at that time, it was just horrible.

My thoughts are with all who lost their lives and with their families and friends.

R.I.P.

mikeym

The video gets shown on fire prevention courses which shows how quick the fire spread.

There was a lot of people upset when it was posted on youtube, imo people should be allowed see the video in full as a reminder on the dangers of fire.

Paully D

Certainly puts into perspective any silly problems I've been complaining about today.

RIP.

The_Kew_Tour

Any tragic event like this is sad.

RIP to everyone who lost their lives

mike65

A testament to sloppy standards and maladministration that ran rampant throughout public life - the Kings Cross fire being another example.

Watched that vid a while back and the speed that it takes hold once its gets going is truely frightening.

Paul Tergat

Another year gone and the memory of those who died lives on.

RIP to the 56 who died that horrible day

Kess73

RIP

Mr.Crinklewood

RIP.

A2LUE42

RIP. I remember watching that unfold. It was one of the catalysts for all the improvements and safety measures that we now take for granted in modern grounds.

Benimar

RIP.

I was in Anfield that day and remember hearing the game had been abandoned due to a fire. None of us understood the seriousness at the time.

It was only on the boat home when MOTD came on that we realised what happened.

Shocking stuff.

Orando Broom

murpho999 wrote: »

RIP.

I remember that disaster well, and that video brought it all back.

Have to worry for intelligence of a lot of people though as people were cheering and dancing whilst fire raged.

What a terrible period for football the 80's was.

Bradford, Heysel & Hillsborough.

Hope we never see those days again.

Agreed but in their defence they probably thought little of it, the pitch was full and the natural assumption could be made that the entire stand's population made it to safety and they were all now part of a quite novel spectacle. You have to remember this was two minutes in, even only after quite a few minutes did the commentator who had a clear view begin to realize that this was a disaster unfolding with actual lives in peril. I'd give the benefit of the doubt, they were first out on the pitch on the very far end from the fire and unaware of what was actually transpiring.

Jelle1880

Agreed, I always felt disgust at those cheering and dancing around, but I don't think they knew there were people dying.

You can also see the atmosphere change when it becomes evident what's happening.

dfx-

This fire and the King's Cross fire in 1987 are still extremely shocking both at the prevalence of old wooden structures with a high density of people and a fire that appeared to be small in one corner before accelerating and turning into a furnace having established itself underneath the stand/escalator.

Very much a scenario of take a left turn onto the pitch, you're safe...take a right turn under the stand to the turnstiles and you didn't make it.

Paparazzo

I never saw the footage before, I had to keep checking the time at the bottom to see if bits were edited out just because the fire moved so fast. Its like the stadium was build of firelighters! Some shocking scenes of people walking out on fire. The heat was obviously intense on the pitch, the grass near the stand is burned and people have to shield their faces with their jackets when they're close to the stand.
Definitely the dancing and cheering stopped when people realised what was happening and burn victims made their way through the crowd.

Lawrence1895

R.I.P. to all the victims of that horrible tragedy