The Circus Fire: Flame Retardant TagsHow a 1944 disaster wrote the safety rules we live by today.

From the show

Rules Written in Blood

This tragedy is the reason every large public tent is now required to be flameproof. On July 6, 1944, a fire engulfed the Ringling Bros. circus tent in Hartford, Connecticut. The tent's waterproofing, a mix of paraffin and gasoline, caused the blaze to spread in minutes. Blocked exits and a lack of on-site firefighting equipment turned a day of fun into a catastrophe, claiming 168 lives. The disaster prompted a nationwide overhaul of public safety codes, establishing the standards for public gatherings we take for granted today.