Texas Fire World
May-June, 2005
By Donna Berny

After opening and closing several times in its history, the Beverly Hills Supper Club in Southgate, KY opened once again in 1971 under new ownership. Construction on several new rooms was completed and a state-ordered fire inspection approved emergency exits six years later. On May 28, 1977, the club was packed with people attending various parties. A few of the guests complained that the temperature was too warm and employees responded by adjusting the air conditioning. Shortly afterward, a fire broke out and spread throughout the club. As they rushed to the exits, guests began to panic because of their inability to escape. There were not enough fire exits in the multi-storied structure to accommodate the occupancy level which was estimated at about 2,000 people. The nightclub was destroyed and resulted in the death of 165 occupants. It is known as the third deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history. Investigations revealed several causes to the deadly blaze. Contributing factors included faulty wiring, overcrowding, no fire sprinklers, inadequate fire exits, improper building construction, flammable furnishings, and no active alarm system. It is unknown how the club originally passed the fire inspection.