Difference between revisions of "Maury County Jail Fire of 1977"

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The building then used as the Maury County Jail was constructed in 1963 and opened in 1964.<ref>[https://www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/News-and-Research/Resources/Fire-Investigations/maury-county-jail.ashx "42 Die in Maury County, Tennessee, Jail Fire." ''NFPA Fire Journal.'' March 1978. pp. 30-31, 37. Web (nfpa.org). 10 Feb. 2021.]</ref><ref>[https://info.nicic.gov/nicrp/system/files/023494.pdf Schwartz, Jeffrey A., and Barry, Cynthia. ''A Guide to Preparing for and Responding to Jail Emergencies.'' Washington, United States Department of Justice-National Institute of Corrections, 2009, p. 155. Web (nicic.gov). 10 Feb. 2021.]</ref> It replaced the previous jail that was constructed in 1884 that stood on the same site.<ref>McClure, Sue. "Cell doors sprung for new duty." ''The Tennessean.'' 8 April 1999. p. 1B. Web (newspapers.com). 10 Feb. 2021.</ref> The building was constructed (more or less) in the shape of a cross, with four wings. The north wing (furthest from East 6th Street) was called the "workhouse" and had ten cells (five on either side) that housed four prisoners each. The west wing contained storage areas, the kitchen, laundry, and two maximum-security, two-person cells. The east wing contained two "drunk tanks", a padded cell for disruptive prisoners, and two eight-person cells (one of which was used for female prisoners). The south wing (nearest East 6th Street) contained the sheriff's office and other administrative and operational rooms. At the center of the jail was the dispatch room.<ref>''NFPA Fire Journal'' at pp. 30-31.</ref><ref>Schwartz and Barry at pp. 155-156.</ref>
 
The building then used as the Maury County Jail was constructed in 1963 and opened in 1964.<ref>[https://www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/News-and-Research/Resources/Fire-Investigations/maury-county-jail.ashx "42 Die in Maury County, Tennessee, Jail Fire." ''NFPA Fire Journal.'' March 1978. pp. 30-31, 37. Web (nfpa.org). 10 Feb. 2021.]</ref><ref>[https://info.nicic.gov/nicrp/system/files/023494.pdf Schwartz, Jeffrey A., and Barry, Cynthia. ''A Guide to Preparing for and Responding to Jail Emergencies.'' Washington, United States Department of Justice-National Institute of Corrections, 2009, p. 155. Web (nicic.gov). 10 Feb. 2021.]</ref> It replaced the previous jail that was constructed in 1884 that stood on the same site.<ref>McClure, Sue. "Cell doors sprung for new duty." ''The Tennessean.'' 8 April 1999. p. 1B. Web (newspapers.com). 10 Feb. 2021.</ref> The building was constructed (more or less) in the shape of a cross, with four wings. The north wing (furthest from East 6th Street) was called the "workhouse" and had ten cells (five on either side) that housed four prisoners each. The west wing contained storage areas, the kitchen, laundry, and two maximum-security, two-person cells. The east wing contained two "drunk tanks", a padded cell for disruptive prisoners, and two eight-person cells (one of which was used for female prisoners). The south wing (nearest East 6th Street) contained the sheriff's office and other administrative and operational rooms. At the center of the jail was the dispatch room.<ref>''NFPA Fire Journal'' at pp. 30-31.</ref><ref>Schwartz and Barry at pp. 155-156.</ref>
  
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The cell doors of the jail could be operated manually or remotely, but each door required a separate key, and there was only one set of keys accessible to the Sheriff's Department staff that day.<ref>Schwartz and Barry at p. 156. While there are some apparent discrepancies in Schwartz and Barry's recounting of the events, the fact that other sources (e.g. ''NFPA Fire Journal'' at p. 32) attest to a desperate effort by deputies and firefighters to find the keys strongly indicates that there was no backup set readily available. Schwartz and Barry claim that there was another set but that it was on the person of the sheriff (i.e, Bill Voss), who was not present at the jail that day. Tinsley (at p.22) states that the keys were likely locked in Sheriff Voss's office in the south wing of the jail. In a press conference after the fire, Sheriff Voss stated that there were two sets of keys but did not clarify where the second set had been. See "42 Die in Jail Fire" cited above, at p. 15.</ref> The jail had portable dry-chemical fire extinguishers, but it had no manual fire alarm or smoke detectors, nor did it have a fire-suppression system (e.g. sprinklers) or emergency lighting. Due to a lack of a secure refuge area, the only practical response to a fire would be for all of the building's occupants to exit the building.<ref>''NFPA Fire Journal'' at pp. 30-31, 37.</ref><ref>Schwartz and Barry at pp. 155-156.</ref><ref>Tinsley at pp. 17, 20.</ref> Despite the need for such an evacuation, Sheriff Bill Voss had not conducted any fire drills or developed evacuation plans for the building.<ref>Hunt, Keel and Alexander, Pat. "Lockup System Possibly Hurt Rescue Effort." ''The Tennessean.'' 27 June 1977. p. 1. Web (newspapers.com). 10 Feb. 2021.</ref> The jail was built from fire-resistant materials, but the padding in the padded room was combustible.<ref>''NFPA Fire Journal'' at pp. 30-31.</ref> Despite these flaws, the Maury County Jail had been giving a passing grade - indeed, the head of the inspection department later praised it as "one of the better jails in the state" -- during a routine state inspection only two days before the fire (Friday, June 24).<ref>Associated Press. "No Fire Codes Violated in Jail." ''The (Clarksville, Tenn.) Leaf-Chronicle.'' 28 June 1977. p. 2. Web (newspapers.com). 10 Feb. 2021.</ref>  
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The cell doors of the jail could be operated manually or remotely, but each door required a separate key, and there was only one set of keys accessible to the Sheriff's Department staff that day.<ref>Schwartz and Barry at p. 156. While there are some apparent discrepancies in Schwartz and Barry's recounting of the events, the fact that other sources (e.g. ''NFPA Fire Journal'' at p. 32) attest to a desperate effort by deputies and firefighters to find the keys strongly indicates that there was no backup set readily available. Schwartz and Barry claim that there was another set but that it was on the person of the sheriff (i.e, Bill Voss), who was not present at the jail that day. Tinsley (at p.22) states that the keys were likely locked in Sheriff Voss's office in the south wing of the jail. In a press conference after the fire, Sheriff Voss stated that there were two sets of keys but did not clarify where the second set had been. See "42 Die in Jail Fire" cited above, at p. 15.</ref> The jail had portable dry-chemical fire extinguishers, but it had no manual fire alarm or smoke detectors, nor did it have a fire-suppression system (e.g. sprinklers) or emergency lighting. Due to a lack of a secure refuge area, the only practical response to a fire would be for all of the building's occupants to exit the building.<ref>''NFPA Fire Journal'' at pp. 30-31, 37.</ref><ref>Schwartz and Barry at pp. 155-156.</ref><ref>Tinsley at pp. 17, 20.</ref> Despite the need for such an evacuation, Sheriff Bill Voss had not conducted any fire drills or developed evacuation plans for the building.<ref>Hunt, Keel and Alexander, Pat. "Lockup System Possibly Hurt Rescue Effort." ''The Tennessean.'' 27 June 1977. p. 1. Web (newspapers.com). 10 Feb. 2021.</ref> The jail was built from fire-resistant materials, but the foam rubber materials used to pad the padded room was combustible.<ref>''NFPA Fire Journal'' at pp. 30-31.</ref><ref>The synthetic materials used in the padded cell - particularly styrene-butadiene (SBR) and polyurethane - have been noted as a particularly significant contributor to this tragedy and others. An eerily-similar jail fire occurred five days earlier (June 21, 1977) in St. John, New Brunswick, Canada. That fire, like the one at the Maury County Jail, started when a disturbed prisoner in a padded cell started a fire that rapidly burned through the padding material, generating toxic smoke. The St. John fire killed 21 inmates. [[https://www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/News-and-Research/Resources/Fire-Investigations/maury-county-jail.ashx "21 Die in Saint John, New Brunswick, Jail Fire." ''NFPA Fire Journal.'' March 1978. pp. 34-37. Web (nfpa.org. 13 Feb. 2021.] See also [https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/Digitization/102418NCJRS.pdf ''Fire Safety in Correctional Facilities.'' United States Department of Justice - National Institute for Corrections. 1981. Web (ojp.gov). 13 Feb. 2021.]</ref> The design of the air conditioning system in the jail may also have made it prone to spread smoke rapidly throughout the building.<ref>Coggins at 114.</ref><ref>Schwartz and Barry at p. 157.</ref> Despite these flaws, the Maury County Jail had been giving a passing grade - indeed, the head of the inspection department later praised it as "one of the better jails in the state" -- during a routine state inspection only two days before the fire (Friday, June 24).<ref>Associated Press. "No Fire Codes Violated in Jail." ''The (Clarksville, Tenn.) Leaf-Chronicle.'' 28 June 1977. p. 2. Web (newspapers.com). 10 Feb. 2021.</ref>  
  
 
June 26 was a Sunday, a visitation day at the county jail. At the time of the fire, dozens of visitors were present.<ref>''NFPA Fire Journal'' at p. 31. The exact number of prisoners and visitors present is unclear; the ''NFPA Fire Journal'' report, which is a summary of the Tennessee State Fire Marshall's investigation, states that there were 63 prisoners in the jail at the time and 20 visitors present. The ''Tennessean'' article printed the day after the fire states 64 prisoners (they also stated 34 prisoners and 8 visitors died, so it is possible that one of the visitors was initially misidentified as being a prisoner). The ''New York Times'' states that there were 64 prisoners and 30 visitors at the jail when the fire started. Schwartz and Barry - who do not cite sources, although presumably had access to official reports -- state at p. 156 that the jail population was only 40 and do not state the number of visitors; their figure seems suspiciously low given 42 deaths and approximately 30 injuries (meaning that there must have been at least 72 people present). Coggins, whose work is based primarily on media reports, states 56 prisoners and 40 visitors. C.R. Tinsley (cited above, at pp.15-16) gives a count of 53 inmates (50 males and 3 females), 39 visitors, 2 deputies (Chief Deputy Bob Farmer and Deputy Wiliiam Earl Duke), 1 criminal investigator (J.W. Dickey), 1 dispatcher (Layne Pullum), and 1 jailer (Willie Cummins). Tinsley further states at p. 17 that all of the inmates, except 2 trusties, were locked in their cells (the trustees, having proven their good behavior, were permitted to mingle with the visitors in the corridor). </ref> Security was tighter than usual that day due to an escape earlier that week.<ref>''New York Times'' at p. 1. stated that the lobby door may have been locked, although Tinsley (at p. 16) states that only visitor was behind a locked door at the time of the fire. Tinsley states on p. 75 that Dickey and Farmer would not have normally been present on a Sunday, but were working because of the earlier breakout (which occurred three days earlier on Thursday, June 23) and rumors of another attempt that might occur that day. See Prosser, Glenn. "2 of 3 Maury Jail Escapees Captured." ''The Tennessean.'' 24 June 1977. p. 1. Web (newspapers.com). 12 Feb. 2021.</ref>
 
June 26 was a Sunday, a visitation day at the county jail. At the time of the fire, dozens of visitors were present.<ref>''NFPA Fire Journal'' at p. 31. The exact number of prisoners and visitors present is unclear; the ''NFPA Fire Journal'' report, which is a summary of the Tennessee State Fire Marshall's investigation, states that there were 63 prisoners in the jail at the time and 20 visitors present. The ''Tennessean'' article printed the day after the fire states 64 prisoners (they also stated 34 prisoners and 8 visitors died, so it is possible that one of the visitors was initially misidentified as being a prisoner). The ''New York Times'' states that there were 64 prisoners and 30 visitors at the jail when the fire started. Schwartz and Barry - who do not cite sources, although presumably had access to official reports -- state at p. 156 that the jail population was only 40 and do not state the number of visitors; their figure seems suspiciously low given 42 deaths and approximately 30 injuries (meaning that there must have been at least 72 people present). Coggins, whose work is based primarily on media reports, states 56 prisoners and 40 visitors. C.R. Tinsley (cited above, at pp.15-16) gives a count of 53 inmates (50 males and 3 females), 39 visitors, 2 deputies (Chief Deputy Bob Farmer and Deputy Wiliiam Earl Duke), 1 criminal investigator (J.W. Dickey), 1 dispatcher (Layne Pullum), and 1 jailer (Willie Cummins). Tinsley further states at p. 17 that all of the inmates, except 2 trusties, were locked in their cells (the trustees, having proven their good behavior, were permitted to mingle with the visitors in the corridor). </ref> Security was tighter than usual that day due to an escape earlier that week.<ref>''New York Times'' at p. 1. stated that the lobby door may have been locked, although Tinsley (at p. 16) states that only visitor was behind a locked door at the time of the fire. Tinsley states on p. 75 that Dickey and Farmer would not have normally been present on a Sunday, but were working because of the earlier breakout (which occurred three days earlier on Thursday, June 23) and rumors of another attempt that might occur that day. See Prosser, Glenn. "2 of 3 Maury Jail Escapees Captured." ''The Tennessean.'' 24 June 1977. p. 1. Web (newspapers.com). 12 Feb. 2021.</ref>
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==Fire and Rescue Efforts==
 
==Fire and Rescue Efforts==
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Sometime after 1:30 p.m., Zinmer asked one of the visitors in the jail for a cigarette.<ref>''NFPA Fire Journal'' at p. 31.</ref> The visitor obliged Zinmer's request and gave him an unlit cigarette and some means of ignition.<ref>The ''NFPA Fire Journal'' at p. 31 states that the visitor gave Zinmer his own, lit cigarette to light his with; Schwartz and Barry at p. 156 state that the visitor gave Zinmer matches; Coggins at p. 113 states a match was given to Zinmer; contemporary reports quote the visitor who allegedly gave Zinmer the cigarette as saying he gave him one unlit and one lit cigarette (same as the ''NFPA Fire Journal'' account). UPI. "Maury Jail Visitor Admits He Passed Cigarettes To Boy Charged In Fire." ''The Kingsport (Tenn.) Times.'' 28 June 1977. p. 1. Web (newspapers.com)> 10 Feb. 2021.</ref> Several minutes later, a fire began in the padded room, and Zinmer began crying for help.<ref>''NFPA Fire Journal'' at p. 31.</ref> Smoke began to fill the hall outside the padded room.
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Sometime after 1:30 p.m., Zinmer asked one of the visitors in the jail for a cigarette.<ref>''NFPA Fire Journal'' at p. 31.</ref> The visitor obliged Zinmer's request and gave him an unlit cigarette and some means of ignition.<ref>The ''NFPA Fire Journal'' at p. 31 states that the visitor gave Zinmer his own, lit cigarette to light his with; Schwartz and Barry at p. 156 state that the visitor gave Zinmer matches; Coggins at p. 113 states a match was given to Zinmer; contemporary reports quote the visitor who allegedly gave Zinmer the cigarette as saying he gave him one unlit and one lit cigarette (same as the ''NFPA Fire Journal'' account). UPI. "Maury Jail Visitor Admits He Passed Cigarettes To Boy Charged In Fire." ''The Kingsport (Tenn.) Times.'' 28 June 1977. p. 1. Web (newspapers.com)> 10 Feb. 2021.</ref> Several minutes later, a fire began in the padded room, and Zinmer began crying for help.<ref>''NFPA Fire Journal'' at p. 31.</ref> Smoke began to fill the hall outside the padded room.<ref></ref>
  
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Two deputies unlocked the door and were hit with a blast of hot, black smoke. One of the deputies reached into the padded room and pulled Zinmer to safety. Zinmer's clothes had been set on fire and he was suffering from burns (he would be the only person to have burn injuries in this fire).
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Jailer Willie Cummins unlocked the door and Chief Deputy Bob Farmer opened it. Once the door was opened, the deputies were hit with a blast of hot, black smoke and flames (likely the result of oxygen rushing into the burning room when the door was opened). Chief Deputy Farmer and another deputy, William Duke, reached into the padded room and pulled Zinmer to safety. Zinmer's clothes had been set on fire and he was suffering from burns (he would be the only person to have burn injuries in this fire).<ref>Tinsley at pp. 18-19.</ref><ref>''NFPA Fire Journal'' at p. 32.</ref>
  
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Visitors began pushing their way to the exits as smoke filled the building, causing Sheriff's Criminal Investigator Jerry Wayne Dickey to be pinned against a wall and to drop the keys needed to unlock the cell doors. In the commotion, the keys were lost in the smoke.<ref>"42 Die in Jail Fire" cited above.</ref> It was only after firefighters arrived with oxygen masks that a search for the keys was able to commence, and by that time nearly 20 minutes had passed since the building had begun to fill with smoke.<ref>''NFPA Fire Journal'' at 32. Note that that the Columbia Fire Department was only about one minute away from the (now former) county jail.</ref>
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Visitors began pushing their way to the exits as smoke filled the building, causing Sheriff's Criminal Investigator Jerry Wayne Dickey to be pinned against a wall and to drop the keys needed to unlock the cell doors. In the commotion, the keys were lost in the smoke.<ref>"42 Die in Jail Fire" cited above.</ref> It was only after firefighters arrived with oxygen masks that a search for the keys was able to commence, and by that time nearly 20 minutes had passed since the building had begun to fill with smoke.<ref>''NFPA Fire Journal'' at 32. Note that that the Columbia Fire Department was only about one minute away from the (now former) county jail.</ref>Even if the keys had not been lost, it would have been very difficult to find the right key on the keyring for each padded cell.<ref>Tinsley at p. 21.</ref>
  
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Trapped prisoners began to panic and pray; some attempted to use wet towels as makeshift masks; while others tried to turn on the showers to suppress the smoke in their cells (which was, ironically, futile, because the jail's water main ran in the ceiling above the padded room and was damaged by the fire).<ref>Thompson, Jerry. "Witnesses Describe Panic, Horror, Death." ''The Tennessean.'' 27 June 1977. p. 1. Web (newspapers.com). 10 Feb 2021.</ref>
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As thick black smoke filled the building, trapped prisoners began to panic and pray; some attempted to use wet towels as makeshift masks; while others tried to turn on the showers to suppress the smoke in their cells (which was, ironically, futile, because the jail's water main ran in the ceiling above the padded room and was damaged by the fire).<ref>Thompson, Jerry. "Witnesses Describe Panic, Horror, Death." ''The Tennessean.'' 27 June 1977. p. 1. Web (newspapers.com). 10 Feb 2021.</ref>
  
 
Out of desperation, sheriff's deputies began knocking holes in the jail's walls with a sledgehammer, cut steel bars with torches and saws, and pulled the bars out with a tow truck. A bulldozer was also commandeered for the purpose of breaching the masonry walls of the jail.<ref>Schwartz and Barry at p. 158 give primary credit to the bulldozer in breaching the walls, stating that "jackhammers" were mostly ineffective; "42 Die in Jail Fire" at p. 15 states that the bulldozer "did not arrive in time" and that significant holes were made using the sledgehammers.</ref> Firefighters broke out glass windows to try to ventilate the smoke-filled jail. All surviving prisoners were pulled through these holes; no prisoners escaped through the front door of the jail.<ref>''NFPA Fire Journal'' at p. 32.</ref>
 
Out of desperation, sheriff's deputies began knocking holes in the jail's walls with a sledgehammer, cut steel bars with torches and saws, and pulled the bars out with a tow truck. A bulldozer was also commandeered for the purpose of breaching the masonry walls of the jail.<ref>Schwartz and Barry at p. 158 give primary credit to the bulldozer in breaching the walls, stating that "jackhammers" were mostly ineffective; "42 Die in Jail Fire" at p. 15 states that the bulldozer "did not arrive in time" and that significant holes were made using the sledgehammers.</ref> Firefighters broke out glass windows to try to ventilate the smoke-filled jail. All surviving prisoners were pulled through these holes; no prisoners escaped through the front door of the jail.<ref>''NFPA Fire Journal'' at p. 32.</ref>

Revision as of 14:50, 13 February 2021

The Maury County Jail Fire of 1977 was a fire that broke out at the (now former) Maury County Jail on June 26, 1977.[1][2] Forty-two people -- 33 prisoners and 9 visitors -- died as the result of this fire, and it has been described as one of the worst tragedies in Tennessee history,[3][4] and the second-worst jail fire in American history.[5]

Background

The building then used as the Maury County Jail was constructed in 1963 and opened in 1964.[6][7] It replaced the previous jail that was constructed in 1884 that stood on the same site.[8] The building was constructed (more or less) in the shape of a cross, with four wings. The north wing (furthest from East 6th Street) was called the "workhouse" and had ten cells (five on either side) that housed four prisoners each. The west wing contained storage areas, the kitchen, laundry, and two maximum-security, two-person cells. The east wing contained two "drunk tanks", a padded cell for disruptive prisoners, and two eight-person cells (one of which was used for female prisoners). The south wing (nearest East 6th Street) contained the sheriff's office and other administrative and operational rooms. At the center of the jail was the dispatch room.[9][10]

The cell doors of the jail could be operated manually or remotely, but each door required a separate key, and there was only one set of keys accessible to the Sheriff's Department staff that day.[11] The jail had portable dry-chemical fire extinguishers, but it had no manual fire alarm or smoke detectors, nor did it have a fire-suppression system (e.g. sprinklers) or emergency lighting. Due to a lack of a secure refuge area, the only practical response to a fire would be for all of the building's occupants to exit the building.[12][13][14] Despite the need for such an evacuation, Sheriff Bill Voss had not conducted any fire drills or developed evacuation plans for the building.[15] The jail was built from fire-resistant materials, but the foam rubber materials used to pad the padded room was combustible.[16][17] The design of the air conditioning system in the jail may also have made it prone to spread smoke rapidly throughout the building.[18][19] Despite these flaws, the Maury County Jail had been giving a passing grade - indeed, the head of the inspection department later praised it as "one of the better jails in the state" -- during a routine state inspection only two days before the fire (Friday, June 24).[20]

June 26 was a Sunday, a visitation day at the county jail. At the time of the fire, dozens of visitors were present.[21] Security was tighter than usual that day due to an escape earlier that week.[22]

Andrew Zinmer, an emotionally-disturbed 16-year old boy, was picked up by local law enforcement for hitch-hiking along Interstate 65 in southern Maury County on the morning of Saturday, June 25. Zinmer, who had run away from a state rehabilitation facility in Wisconsin earlier that week, was placed in his own cell apart from the adult population for his protection.[23][24][25] On Sunday, Zinmer was temporarily placed in the padded cell in the east wing of the jail after the toilet in his cell was plugged (allegedly by Zinmer himself as a prank), causing the cell to be flooded.[26][27]

Fire and Rescue Efforts

Sometime after 1:30 p.m., Zinmer asked one of the visitors in the jail for a cigarette.[28] The visitor obliged Zinmer's request and gave him an unlit cigarette and some means of ignition.[29] Several minutes later, a fire began in the padded room, and Zinmer began crying for help.[30] Smoke began to fill the hall outside the padded room.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content

Jailer Willie Cummins unlocked the door and Chief Deputy Bob Farmer opened it. Once the door was opened, the deputies were hit with a blast of hot, black smoke and flames (likely the result of oxygen rushing into the burning room when the door was opened). Chief Deputy Farmer and another deputy, William Duke, reached into the padded room and pulled Zinmer to safety. Zinmer's clothes had been set on fire and he was suffering from burns (he would be the only person to have burn injuries in this fire).[31][32]

Visitors began pushing their way to the exits as smoke filled the building, causing Sheriff's Criminal Investigator Jerry Wayne Dickey to be pinned against a wall and to drop the keys needed to unlock the cell doors. In the commotion, the keys were lost in the smoke.[33] It was only after firefighters arrived with oxygen masks that a search for the keys was able to commence, and by that time nearly 20 minutes had passed since the building had begun to fill with smoke.[34]Even if the keys had not been lost, it would have been very difficult to find the right key on the keyring for each padded cell.[35]

As thick black smoke filled the building, trapped prisoners began to panic and pray; some attempted to use wet towels as makeshift masks; while others tried to turn on the showers to suppress the smoke in their cells (which was, ironically, futile, because the jail's water main ran in the ceiling above the padded room and was damaged by the fire).[36]

Out of desperation, sheriff's deputies began knocking holes in the jail's walls with a sledgehammer, cut steel bars with torches and saws, and pulled the bars out with a tow truck. A bulldozer was also commandeered for the purpose of breaching the masonry walls of the jail.[37] Firefighters broke out glass windows to try to ventilate the smoke-filled jail. All surviving prisoners were pulled through these holes; no prisoners escaped through the front door of the jail.[38]

Aftermath

References

  1. ↑ New York Times. "Tennessee Jail Fire Kills 42, Including Locked-Up Prisoners", 27 June 1977, p. 1, Web (nytimes.com), 10 Feb. 2021.
  2. ↑ "42 Die in Jail Fire." The Tennessean. 27 June 1977. p. 1. Web (newspapers.com). 10 Feb. 2021.
  3. ↑ Coggins, Allen. Tennessee Tragedies: Natural, Technological, and Social Disasters in the Volunteer State. Knoxville, University of Tennessee Press, 2012, pp. 113-114. Web (proquest.com). 10 Feb. 2021.
  4. ↑ Carmichael, Alan. "Jail Blaze Termed Worst Such Tragedy in History." The Tennessean. 27 June 1977, p. 15. Web (newspapers.com). 10 Feb. 2021. Note that the Tennessean reporter and others have noted that the jail fire was far worse than other notable fires in Maury County history, such as the Bethel House Hotel fire in 1949 or the Columbia Institute fire of 1954.
  5. ↑ Tinsley, C.R. Tragedy in Small Town TN: The Maury County Jail Fire. Published By The Author, Lexington (KY), 2018. Although self-published, C.R. Tinsley (a local author) has done extensive work and is generally regarded as authoritative on this subject.
  6. ↑ "42 Die in Maury County, Tennessee, Jail Fire." NFPA Fire Journal. March 1978. pp. 30-31, 37. Web (nfpa.org). 10 Feb. 2021.
  7. ↑ Schwartz, Jeffrey A., and Barry, Cynthia. A Guide to Preparing for and Responding to Jail Emergencies. Washington, United States Department of Justice-National Institute of Corrections, 2009, p. 155. Web (nicic.gov). 10 Feb. 2021.
  8. ↑ McClure, Sue. "Cell doors sprung for new duty." The Tennessean. 8 April 1999. p. 1B. Web (newspapers.com). 10 Feb. 2021.
  9. ↑ NFPA Fire Journal at pp. 30-31.
  10. ↑ Schwartz and Barry at pp. 155-156.
  11. ↑ Schwartz and Barry at p. 156. While there are some apparent discrepancies in Schwartz and Barry's recounting of the events, the fact that other sources (e.g. NFPA Fire Journal at p. 32) attest to a desperate effort by deputies and firefighters to find the keys strongly indicates that there was no backup set readily available. Schwartz and Barry claim that there was another set but that it was on the person of the sheriff (i.e, Bill Voss), who was not present at the jail that day. Tinsley (at p.22) states that the keys were likely locked in Sheriff Voss's office in the south wing of the jail. In a press conference after the fire, Sheriff Voss stated that there were two sets of keys but did not clarify where the second set had been. See "42 Die in Jail Fire" cited above, at p. 15.
  12. ↑ NFPA Fire Journal at pp. 30-31, 37.
  13. ↑ Schwartz and Barry at pp. 155-156.
  14. ↑ Tinsley at pp. 17, 20.
  15. ↑ Hunt, Keel and Alexander, Pat. "Lockup System Possibly Hurt Rescue Effort." The Tennessean. 27 June 1977. p. 1. Web (newspapers.com). 10 Feb. 2021.
  16. ↑ NFPA Fire Journal at pp. 30-31.
  17. ↑ The synthetic materials used in the padded cell - particularly styrene-butadiene (SBR) and polyurethane - have been noted as a particularly significant contributor to this tragedy and others. An eerily-similar jail fire occurred five days earlier (June 21, 1977) in St. John, New Brunswick, Canada. That fire, like the one at the Maury County Jail, started when a disturbed prisoner in a padded cell started a fire that rapidly burned through the padding material, generating toxic smoke. The St. John fire killed 21 inmates. ["21 Die in Saint John, New Brunswick, Jail Fire." NFPA Fire Journal. March 1978. pp. 34-37. Web (nfpa.org. 13 Feb. 2021. See also Fire Safety in Correctional Facilities. United States Department of Justice - National Institute for Corrections. 1981. Web (ojp.gov). 13 Feb. 2021.
  18. ↑ Coggins at 114.
  19. ↑ Schwartz and Barry at p. 157.
  20. ↑ Associated Press. "No Fire Codes Violated in Jail." The (Clarksville, Tenn.) Leaf-Chronicle. 28 June 1977. p. 2. Web (newspapers.com). 10 Feb. 2021.
  21. ↑ NFPA Fire Journal at p. 31. The exact number of prisoners and visitors present is unclear; the NFPA Fire Journal report, which is a summary of the Tennessee State Fire Marshall's investigation, states that there were 63 prisoners in the jail at the time and 20 visitors present. The Tennessean article printed the day after the fire states 64 prisoners (they also stated 34 prisoners and 8 visitors died, so it is possible that one of the visitors was initially misidentified as being a prisoner). The New York Times states that there were 64 prisoners and 30 visitors at the jail when the fire started. Schwartz and Barry - who do not cite sources, although presumably had access to official reports -- state at p. 156 that the jail population was only 40 and do not state the number of visitors; their figure seems suspiciously low given 42 deaths and approximately 30 injuries (meaning that there must have been at least 72 people present). Coggins, whose work is based primarily on media reports, states 56 prisoners and 40 visitors. C.R. Tinsley (cited above, at pp.15-16) gives a count of 53 inmates (50 males and 3 females), 39 visitors, 2 deputies (Chief Deputy Bob Farmer and Deputy Wiliiam Earl Duke), 1 criminal investigator (J.W. Dickey), 1 dispatcher (Layne Pullum), and 1 jailer (Willie Cummins). Tinsley further states at p. 17 that all of the inmates, except 2 trusties, were locked in their cells (the trustees, having proven their good behavior, were permitted to mingle with the visitors in the corridor).
  22. ↑ New York Times at p. 1. stated that the lobby door may have been locked, although Tinsley (at p. 16) states that only visitor was behind a locked door at the time of the fire. Tinsley states on p. 75 that Dickey and Farmer would not have normally been present on a Sunday, but were working because of the earlier breakout (which occurred three days earlier on Thursday, June 23) and rumors of another attempt that might occur that day. See Prosser, Glenn. "2 of 3 Maury Jail Escapees Captured." The Tennessean. 24 June 1977. p. 1. Web (newspapers.com). 12 Feb. 2021.
  23. ↑ Schwartz and Barry at 156.
  24. ↑ Coggins at 113.
  25. ↑ Deckbar, Margaret. "Jail Fire Cited as Need for Runaway Program." 'The Tennessean. 28 June 1977. p. 22. Web (newspapers.com). 10 Feb. 2021.
  26. ↑ NFPA Fire Program at p. 31
  27. ↑ Coggins at p. 113.
  28. ↑ NFPA Fire Journal at p. 31.
  29. ↑ The NFPA Fire Journal at p. 31 states that the visitor gave Zinmer his own, lit cigarette to light his with; Schwartz and Barry at p. 156 state that the visitor gave Zinmer matches; Coggins at p. 113 states a match was given to Zinmer; contemporary reports quote the visitor who allegedly gave Zinmer the cigarette as saying he gave him one unlit and one lit cigarette (same as the NFPA Fire Journal account). UPI. "Maury Jail Visitor Admits He Passed Cigarettes To Boy Charged In Fire." The Kingsport (Tenn.) Times. 28 June 1977. p. 1. Web (newspapers.com)> 10 Feb. 2021.
  30. ↑ NFPA Fire Journal at p. 31.
  31. ↑ Tinsley at pp. 18-19.
  32. ↑ NFPA Fire Journal at p. 32.
  33. ↑ "42 Die in Jail Fire" cited above.
  34. ↑ NFPA Fire Journal at 32. Note that that the Columbia Fire Department was only about one minute away from the (now former) county jail.
  35. ↑ Tinsley at p. 21.
  36. ↑ Thompson, Jerry. "Witnesses Describe Panic, Horror, Death." The Tennessean. 27 June 1977. p. 1. Web (newspapers.com). 10 Feb 2021.
  37. ↑ Schwartz and Barry at p. 158 give primary credit to the bulldozer in breaching the walls, stating that "jackhammers" were mostly ineffective; "42 Die in Jail Fire" at p. 15 states that the bulldozer "did not arrive in time" and that significant holes were made using the sledgehammers.
  38. ↑ NFPA Fire Journal at p. 32.

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