The "Towering Inferno" at 50: Art, Policy, and Legacy

The 1974 film "The Towering Inferno", a blockbuster action film released to acclaim for its special effects and action sequences. The film, based on two novels, echoed two significant high-rise fires in newly-completed buildings and stimulated public attention to the problems of fires in newly-constructed and unsprinklered buildings.

A featured presenter is Nat Segaloff, film histirian and author of the 2023 book "More Fire: The Building of The Towering Inferno: A 50th Anniversary Explosion." Segaloff worked on the film's special publicity unit and will offer personal reflections.

This event also assembles experts in media studies and film, fire protection engineering, evacuation, policy, journalism, and firefighting. The experts will assess the film through each of these lenses, and reflect on the real-life efforts to improve high-rise fire safety that were mirrored, caricatured, and vindicated by the film.

The event will also review current challenges in high-rise fire safety and the enduring conflicts between the real estate industry and fire safety advocates in New York CIty. An emphasis will include the NYC City Council's reluctance to embrace additional fire safety requirements in the wake of deadly fires in existing buildings without modern safety features.

Additional program details will be added.

The organizers suggest screening the film before the event, but critical cues from the film will be referenced in the event.

This will be a hybrid event, with some speakers appearing remotely.

Host or Publisher Christian Regenhard Center for Emergency Response Studies (RaCERS)