Today in fire history: suspected arson kills twelve in a hotel fire

Twelve hotel guests died November 5, 1978, when a fire attributed to arson raced through the 120-year-old Allen Motor Inn in which a large-loss-of-life fire could have been predicted. The three-story hotel, labeled a "fire trap" by a county official, had open wooden stairs, no fire protection features except for portable fire extinguishers, and no fire alarm system. Despite recent attempts by officials to enforce safety codes, the hotel owner had been granted three separate time extensions to make repairs, and the hotel had continued in use with major fire safety violations until the November 5 fire took the lives...