Summerland fire disaster, Isle of Man 02.08.1973
Summerland fire disaster, Isle of Man | 2nd August 1973
Opened with much fanfare a little more than two years earlier on 25 May 1971, the Å2m climate-controlled building boasted restaurants and bars, an indoor heated swimming pool, saunas, a children’s theatre and an underground disco. It was billed as the most innovative indoor entertainment centre in the world and could house up to 10,000 tourists. However, the building’s exterior and interior were designed by different architects, resulting in significant fire risks that went unnoticed.
Isle of Man's forgotten holiday horror
In 1973, 51 people died when fire engulfed a leisure complex lined with flammable material. No charges were ever brought
‘The inferno was racing towards me’: survivors of the Summerland fire on the day their holiday paradise burned down
Heather Lea wasn’t there when it happened; she was 19 and newly married. But her sister June was only 13 and had been looking forward to the family’s annual fortnight on the Isle of Man. Reg, Heather’s husband, drove June and her parents to the ferry terminal in his car. Heather remembers her mother turning to wave goodbye.
The Isle of Man marks 50 years since the Summerland disaster
Hundreds of people have attended memorials across the Isle of Man commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Summerland tragedy.
A total of 50 people died and another 80 were seriously injured after a fire tore through what was supposed to be ‘the jewel of seaside resorts’ on 2 August 1973.
National Service of Remembrance for Summerland
A National Service of Remembrance was held to mark the 50th anniversary of the Summerland disaster, and presented the opportunity to pay tribute to those who died, survived or responded to the fire.
Chief Minister apologises for the pain and suffering caused by Summerland fire
Chief Minister Alfred Cannan MHK today apologised on behalf of the Isle of Man Government for ‘the pain and suffering felt by everyone affected’ by the Summerland fire ahead of the 50th anniversary of the disaster on Wednesday 2 August.
Summerland Fire: 50th Anniversary
It is our duty in Parliament not to hide from the past but to learn from it. The Summerland fire has never before been the subject of a debate in this House and, as we approach the 50th anniversary of the fire, it is time that changed.
Summerland: deadly lessons lost
More than 40 years before Grenfell, fatal fire lessons went unheeded
Summerland fire – why weren’t lessons learnt for the UK?
Ahead of the 50th anniversary of Isle of Man’s Summerland fire, a welcome Manx Government apology is given, but questions remain about a further Inquiry and the inquest verdict of ‘death by misadventure’, as highlighted in a recent UK parliamentary debate, says Richard Jones CFIOSH.
Summerland Remembered
A collection of first-hand accounts of the Summerland Fire in 1973.
This oral history project marks the 50th anniversary of the tragedy that took place in Douglas on 2 August 1973 and which continues to cast its dark shadow over so many individuals and communities.
THERE ARE TO BE NO VILLAINS, JUST HUMAN ERROR
An analysis of the aftermath of the Summerland fire in August 1973
(chapter 5) revealed several faults in the building’s design and management
that were responsible for the high number of deaths. At this stage, it may
appear that the ‘facts’ of the disaster have already been established and there
is little more to add. However, it would be wrong to draw this conclusion
because the complete picture of what happened at Summerland only
emerged at the public inquiry. This chapter will present in a non-technical
manner the main findings of that inquiry, and its implications for the design
and management of public buildings. In doing so, attention will be drawn to
differences between the Press coverage and what was emphasised in the
immediate aftermath of the fire and the findings of the public inquiry. In
particular, this chapter will bring to the reader’s attention several other faults
in Summerland’s design and management that only became apparent during
the public inquiry.
The 1973 Summerland disaster — lessons to the building industry from the process industry
On the 14 June 2017 in West London, a devastating fire
broke out in Grenfell Tower. The fire spread over 20 floors
via the building façade and killed 72 people, making it
the deadliest structural fire in the UK since Piper Alpha
in 1988. However, this was not the first incident where a
fire spread externally over the façade; the Summerland
fire on the Isle of Man on the 2 August 1973 shares many
similarities to the Grenfell fire.
Oroglas facade
This paper intends to provide an account of the
Summerland fire, drawing parallels between some of
the key issues underpinning the systematic failure in
the construction industry, before reviewing how the
construction industry could learn from the process
industry on improving safety management and
procedures.
