Many of the most mortal construction fires in history have been in nightclubs. Here’s why they are so dangerous

A fire crossed an overpopulated nightclub full of young people mostly in Macedonia del Norte, killing 59 people.
Photo: AFP / Robert Atanasovski

Analysis – A fire in a nightclub in northern Macedonia has killed at least 59 people and wounded more than 150. The fire exploded in the nightclub click on Kočani, where around 500 people attended a concert.

Witnesses reported that the pyrotechnics used during performance lit the roof, which caused the flames to spread rapidly.

The authorities have arrested 20 people so far, including the club manager. The investigations continue. The Northern Macedonia government has declared a seven -day mourning period.

While construction fires are not limited to nightclubs, many of the most devastating construction fires in history have happened in nightclubs around the world. So why are nightclubs such a risky place for mortal fires?

A long history of nightclub fires

A look at the pastures of the nightclub club shows how common and mortal have been in the last 100 years. We identify at least 24 nightclub fires where ten or more people died since 1940.

Collectively, these 24 incidents represent at least 2800 deaths, with almost 1300 only in the 21st century.

Cocoanut Grove Fire (Boston, 1942) is still the deadliest in the registry, killing 492 people. The flammable decorations and closed exits of the club turned what should have been an ordinary night into one of the worst fire disasters in history.

In Argentina, the Chromañón Republic fire killed 194 people in 2004, caused by pyrotechnics that light flammable materials within the club.

The Kiss nightclub fire in Brazil in 2013 was even more mortal, claiming 242 lives.

More recently, the Fire of the B mountain nightclub in Thailand killed 23 people in 2022.

And in 2023, 13 people died in a fire in the Fonda Milagros nightclub in Spain.

Now, the Northern Macedonian click on Macedonia joins this long list.

Why are nightclubs so risky for fires?

A review of the past fire club fires that we have collected in our database reveals common patterns. Two key factors have contributed to the frequency and severity of these fire disasters.

1. Pyrotechnics, fireworks and flammable materials

One of the most common causes of the night club fires has been the use of pyrotechnics in closed spaces. Pyrotechnics are controlled chemical reactions designed to produce flames, smoke or light effects.

They have been involved in at least six of the most mortal nightclub fires, including the recent fire club fire clicks in Macedonia del Norte, as well as at the station (United States, 2003), Kiss (Brazil, 2013), Collectiv (Romania, 2015), Lame Horse (Russia, 2009) and Republic Cromañón (Argentina, 2004).

When used indoors, pyrotechnics can easily turn on flammable roof materials, acoustic foam or decorations.

A fire crossed a nightclub in northern Macedonia killing 59 people.
Photo: AFP

In some cases, fireworks, which are different from scenic pyrotechnics and, sometimes, illegally used indoors, have played a role. The nightfire of Horse Horse, which killed 156 people in Russia in 2009, was caused by a fireworks spark that lit a roof low covered with flammable plastic decorations.

Even when the fires do not begin with pyrotechnics or fireworks, the materials used in the interiors of the nightclub can quickly turn a small fire into an important disaster.

Foam insulation, wood panels, plastic decorations and carpeted walls have been key factors in the past fire club fires. In Cocoanut Grove (Boston, 1942), artificial palm trees and other flammable decorations accelerated the fire.

2. Openial and blocked or insufficient outputs

Evacuation failures have been a factor in almost all the main fires of the nightclub.

In some cases, crowds may not immediately recognize the severity of the situation, especially if they confuse alarms with false alarms or special effects (for example, smoke machines, music at full volume).

In addition, customers could be poisoned due to alcohol or other drugs. Combined poisoning with potential disorientation due to dim lighting can further reduce trial during an evacuation.

A fire crossed a nightclub in northern Macedonia killing 59 people.
Photo: AFP

Clearly, the best way to protect customers is to prevent a fire from breaking first. But in environments where fire risks are inherently high, the ability to evacuate people is quickly crucial.

The nightclubs, however, have a poor history when it comes to evacuation security measures.

The nightclubs are among the most busy interior spaces. Although the density of crowds is part of the design and atmosphere of a nightclub, overcrowding beyond legal capacity is common.

A crowd that has gathered gradually for several hours must be suddenly evacuated in seconds or minutes to survive a fire. This becomes more difficult due to narrow halls and limited exits, which quickly become bottlenecks when hundreds of people try to escape immediately.

In addition, not all exits are always accessible during a fire. In several past nightclub disasters, closed or obstructed emergency exits have significantly worsened the death toll.

Minimize risks

Night clubs are exclusively vulnerable to fires due to a combination of structural risks, insecure materials, overcrowding and regulatory failures.

While human behavior plays a role in how fires develop in confined spaces such as nightclubs, people should be able to go one night and wait for home safely.

Regulatory supervision must guarantee strict compliance with fire codes. The places must have fire extinction systems (such as sprinklers, extinguishers and smoke detectors) to control or contain fire before they spread, and adequate outputs.

Night clubs must prohibit inner pyrotechnics and fireworks, since history has repeatedly shown its mortal consequences.

Capacity limits must be applied, and emergency exits should always be accessible.

Australia has strict fire safety regulations for nightclubs, with the necessary places to have fire extinguishing systems, emergency exits and trained personnel to manage fire risks.

Public awareness is also key. Customers must understand the real risk of fire in nightclubs, and be prepared to evacuate quickly but calmly if the danger arises.