The Cleveland School Fire occurred in May 1923 near Camden, South Carolina. It is one of the deadliest school fires in American history, killing 77 people during a school play. The incident should have never happened, as the school was set to close permanently after the 1923 school year.
The two-story school, which employed only three teachers, served students at all grade levels. It had two classrooms on the first floor, while the auditorium was located on the second floor, accessible via a single wooden stairway.
Around 300 people were attending a play in the auditorium after the graduation ceremony, watching a short comedy called Topsy Turvy.
During the play’s last act, around 9:00 P.M., an oil lamp fell from the wall, causing it to spill flammable contents on stage. Electricity had not yet reached the rural areas of South Carolina, so lighting was provided by oil lamps, which hung on nails near the stage area. A group of men attempted to smother the flames with coats, but the fire spread rapidly. Unfortunately, many were trampled to death at the stairway because the door was so narrow, while others died of smoke inhalation. The weight of the crowd caused the stairway to collapse.
Many survivors jumped 15 or 20 feet from the school’s windows. Word spread quickly through the community of the fire. The Camden Fire Department sounded the alarm and promptly deployed its 1920 model Seagrave, which had only 300 gallons of water on board. It was slow, as the engine had to travel approximately six miles. When the fire department arrived, little could be done to help those trapped, as the school was constructed out of wood and was destroyed within an hour.
Sadly, 67 unidentified bodies remained. It was determined that since they died together, they would be buried together. They are laid to rest a mile away from the Cleveland School at the Beulah Methodist Church.
Written By: John G. Clark Jr.
Image: SC Firefighters Org