While many New Yorkers are familiar with the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Fire of 1911, the Ward’s Island Fire of 1923 was also a significant factor in shaping public opinion regarding fire safety in the New York Metropolitan area. On February 18, 1923, a fire at the Ward’s Island Hospital for the Mentally Ill broke out and claimed the lives of 24 patients and three employees. The City’s administration faced almost immediate scrutiny about not only the overcrowding conditions present in the hospital, but also the City’s slow-moving process in modernizing hospitals to the new fire resistance standards required as a result of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. Negative public opinion fueled mounting pressure for New York politicians, who up until this point, had taken little action to remedy the situation.

In response to this tragedy, the Governor swiftly responded, ordering the modernization of existing mental health facilities in the Greater New York area, as well as the construction of new facilities with emergency funding. Eventually, sprinklers would be required to be installed in these facilities to further protect their occupants.
Today, all new hospitals are required to have automatic fire sprinklers installed – Unfortunately, the Ward’s Island Fire of 1923 helped make that goal a reality.

Don’t Gamble with Fire!