A fire breaks out at the Gulf Hotel in Houston, killing 55 people.
The Gulf Hotel fire claimed 55 lives on September 7, 1943 in Houston, Texas. This fire remains the cause of the worst loss of life in a fire in the city’s history.The hotel was located on the northwest corner of Louisiana and Preston Streets and occupied the upper two floors of a three-story brick building, with a variety of businesses occupying the first floor.
Firefighters recovered 38 bodies from the burned out building. In all, 55 people died in the fire and more than 30 were injured. A mass funeral was held for 23 victims of the fire who were never identified and they were buried at the South Park Cemetery in Houston.