Beverly Hills Supper Club fire

The Beverly Hills Supper Club fire in Southgate, Kentucky, is the seventh deadliest nightclub fire in history. It occurred on the night of May 28, 1977, during the Memorial Day holiday weekend. A total of 165 people died and more than 200 were injured as a result of the blaze. The club booked its entertainers from Las Vegas, Nashville, Hollywood, New York, and other show-business hubs. The site had been a popular nightspot and illegal gambling house as early as 1926. The building did not have a fire-suppression sprinkler system installed. It was decorated throughout with highly flammable carpeting and wood wall paneling; event rooms also used wooden tables and supports, as well as tablecloths, curtains, and a variety of other small combustible materials. In 1971, the club had reopened under the then-current owners and management and was considered an elegant venue that attracted top-notch talent and affluent clientele. On that night, it exceeded its capacity with people seated on ramps and in a Cabaret Room that could safely accommodate about 600 people, according to the Fire Marshal.