Odyssey LoungeFire Incident
A source-led report on the 1981 Odyssey Lounge fire in south Louisiana, including casualty figures, disputed dates, injury-count uncertainty, and unresolved arson-related details.
Incident Overview
What happened
A fast-moving fire broke out at or near the back door of the windowless Odyssey Lounge. About 200 patrons panicked and crowded toward the only other exit. Five people died; arson was suspected, and a five-gallon gas can was reported behind the building. (The Washington Post)
Location: Odyssey Lounge, a windowless discotheque / disco and pool hall in south Louisiana. Washington Post dateline is Houma, Louisiana and describes the venue as about 45 miles southwest of New Orleans; UPI and later summaries connect the incident with Bayou Blue and Bayou Blue Fire Chief Eugene Cadiere. (The Washington Post)
Incident name: Louisiana, Odyssey Lounge fire.
Casualty Reporting
What is verified
Date: User-provided date is 18 June 1981, but the clearest contemporary sources found report the fire on 28 June 1981, with the Washington Post article saying the fire occurred “yesterday” and UPI reporting on 28 June 1981. This date conflict is listed below. (The Washington Post)
Fatalities: Five fatalities. Washington Post reports three women and two men died. (The Washington Post)
Injuries: At least one person suffered critical burns and smoke inhalation, according to Washington Post. Newspapers.com’s indexed article title reports “injures six,” and a UPI follow-up says two people remained in Terrebonne General Hospital, one in serious condition. (The Washington Post)
Check disputed details →Key Figures
Reported Data Points
Chronology
Incident Sequence
Operational Details
Main Risk Factors
Disputed Details
Conflicting Information
The available sources agree on five fatalities, but differ on date wording, injury count, and exact location description.
Working With Crowds lists the incident as 18/06/1981.
Washington Post and UPI sources report the fire in connection with 28 June 1981; UPI’s first report is dated 28 June 1981, and the Washington Post article page displays 28 June 1981 while its URL path indicates 29 June 1981.
The user-provided date of 18 June 1981 matches Working With Crowds, but the contemporary news-source trail points to 28 June 1981. The 18 June date is therefore not verified as the incident date. (The Washington Post)
Washington Post reports a sixth person suffered critical burns and smoke inhalation.
Newspapers.com indexed title reports “injures six.”
UPI follow-up says two people remained at Terrebonne General Hospital, one in serious condition.
The final total number of injured is not fully verified from accessible full-text sources. (The Washington Post)
Washington Post dateline is Houma, Louisiana and describes the club as about 45 miles southwest of New Orleans.
UPI and secondary listings associate the response and incident with Bayou Blue.
The source-supported location is Odyssey Lounge in south Louisiana, in the Houma / Bayou Blue area. Exact street address was not verified. (The Washington Post)
Not Verified
Details Still Unresolved
These points were not confirmed from accessible full-text sources.
Source Material
References
Published sources and indexes used in the uploaded incident research note.
All Document URLs
Source Links
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