Sunday Mar 16, 2025

The Deadliest Fire in Iowa History - St. Elizabeth Hospital

Episode 52

Today we are revisiting the deadliest fire in Iowa's history. On January 7, 1950, a fire occurred at a mental health facility called St. Elizabeth Hospital on the Mercy Hospital campus in Davenport, Iowa. When a diagnosed schizophrenic woman, due to be released that day, acted in paranoid desperation, she caused a fire that claimed the lives of 41 people including one staff member. What factors led her to take such drastic measures? More importantly, why was the fire so deadly? We cover entire case including the fire and building code issues that exacerbated the fire and hampered the escape of dozens of patients as we remember the victims of the St. Elizabeth Hospital fire.

This podcast is a true crime podcast about arson and criminal fires. Listener discretion is recommended.

Background music by Not Notoriously Coordinated

Be sure to check out Season 2 of the You Should Be Here Podcast for the limited series, Or No by Fire Eyes Media. This this collaborative podcasters-give-back series is to bring awareness to and stand against domestic violence. All proceeds will go to a charity taking a stand against domestic violence and human trafficking. Your support of this project is so greatly appreciated. You deserve a safe love.

Listen on Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/you-should-be-here/id1779150686

or on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/2VqlmgQxwn55tdY7td9IM9?si=e19fffdc24064f7b&nd=1&dlsi=e6920c0f7e4c4d65

Listen to our episode with our friends over at Sasquatch and Sourdough where we talk more about the fire in Centralia, Pennsylvania that's been burning for over 62 years.

Listen on Youtube:

https://youtu.be/e2rq340s6c8?si=t2-hEsbC-V0DTdhs

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Source List:

Grimes, Bret. The St. Elizabeth Hospital Fire in Iowa. The History Press, 2024 https://a.co/d/aXDBXSU

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insulin_shock_therapy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke_detector#:~:text=The%20first%20automatic%20electric%20fire,a%20sensor%20for%20poison%20gas.

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/9302-ect-electroconvulsive-therapy

https://www.ifsecglobal.com/fire-news/a-history-of-fire-sprinklers/#:~:text=1872%20%E2%80%93%201874:%20From%20Pratt%20to,the%20design%20in%20his%20factory.

https://www.fireranger.com/history-of-the-fire-extinguisher/

https://johnbrassardjr.com/2023/01/21/beyond-recognition-what-started-the-st-elizabeths-fire/

https://blogs.davenportlibrary.com/sc/2015/01/14/the-st-elizabeths-tragedy-part-i-of-ii/

https://blogs.davenportlibrary.com/sc/2015/01/21/the-st-elizabeths-tragedy-part-ii-of-ii/

https://www.wqad.com/article/news/local/st-elizabeth-hospital-fire-davenport-iowa-75-years/526-9b2c51ba-86e9-49ed-b48d-79c00a2271e5

https://www.firehouse.com/operations-training/news/21120288/davenport-ia-firefighter-still-haunted-by-grisly-1950-hospital-blaze