This is the site of the worst hotel fire in U.S. history. In the
predawn hours of December 7, 1946, the Winecoff Hotel fire killed
119 people. The 15-story building still stands adjacent to this marker.
At the time, this building had neither fire escapes, fire doors, nor
sprinklers. For two and a half hours, Atlanta fire fighters and others
from nearby towns battled valiantly in the cold to save the majority
of the 280 guests. But their ladders reached only to the eighth floor,
and their nets were not strong enough to withstand jumps of more
than 70 feet. Therefore, numerous guests died on the sidewalks and
in the alley behind the building. Thirty of the 119 victims were among
Georgia's most promising high school students, who had come to Atlanta
to attend the YMCA's Youth Assembly at the Capitol. The Winecoff
fire became the watershed event in fire safety. Within days, cities
across America began enacting more stringent safety ordinances. The
fact that the Winecoff fire remains the worst hotel fire in U.S. history
is testimony to its impact on modern fire safety codes.

This marker is dedicated to the victims, the
survivors and the firemen who fought the
Winecoff fire.