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This week in history: Six died in the Rault Center fire [1]

['Shannon Stecker', 'More Shannon Stecker', 'Verite News']

Date: 2023-11-29

On Nov. 29, 1972, a fire engulfed the top floors of the Rault Center, a 17-story high-rise office and apartment building in New Orleans, claiming the lives of six people.

According to a Times-Picayune article published the following day, a fire was reported at 7:30 a.m. in a dressing room on the 16th floor but was quickly extinguished. Hours later, another fire was reported on the 15th floor. The fire quickly consumed the 15th and 16th floors and the penthouse.

Eyewitnesses and news reporters watched in horror as five women – a salon owner, an employee, and three customers — screamed for help from the 15th-floor window of the Lamplighter Beauty Salon.

Firefighters were on the scene but were unable to help. Their ladders were too short and water was unable to shoot that high. The women, desperate for escape, jumped eight stories to the roof of a neighboring building, which housed the Travelers Insurance Companies.

Three of the women — Jacquelyn Ann McConnell Maillho, Norris Farley, and Janice McBeth — died instantly. A fourth woman, Wilma Williams, died later in the hospital.

The fifth woman, Natalie Vrbaskovich Smith, survived but suffered multiple injuries and spent months in the hospital in a coma. In a 2012 interview with Fox 8 marking the 40th anniversary of the Rault Center fire, Smith remembered the physical impact of the tragedy. Her pelvis “was broken in three spots. I broke my back, ribs, collarbone and my teeth had been capped.”

Another victim, Charles J. Michel, was found dead on the 14th floor. It was assumed he had died from smoke inhalation. The sixth victim, Lloyd Caldwell died weeks after the fire from extensive burns.

Eight men who were at the Lamplighter Club on the building’s 16th floor were rescued by helicopters from the rooftop shortly before it collapsed from the fire.

Investigators believe the fire could have resulted from arson, although the actual cause remains unknown.

As a result of the Rault Center fire and other high-rise fires around the country, laws were passed requiring existing and new high-rise buildings to have automatic sprinkler systems installed. The Rault Center building sat vacant for decades. In 2017, the renovated building opened as the Troubadour Hotel.

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This week in history: Six died in the Rault Center fire <h1>This week in history: Six died in the Rault Center fire</h1> by Shannon Stecker, Verite News November 29, 2023 On<a href="https://www.fox8live.com/story/19968775/40-years-later-sole-survivor-of-rault-center-fire-speaks-exclusively-to-fox-8/"> Nov. 29, 1972</a>, a fire engulfed the top floors of the Rault Center, a<a href="https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AMNEWS&t=pubname%3A138F0D9908AC8D5F%7CLSAB%7C138FFECC909AB153%7C138FFE8785E79426%7C1223BCE5B718A166%7CTPIC%7C138FFFA98DD25010%21Multiple%2BPublications&sort=YMD_date%3AD&page=4&maxresults=20&f=advanced&b=pubname&val-base-0=rAULT%20cENTER%20fIRE%20&fld-base-0=alltext&bln-base-1=and&val-base-1=1972&fld-base-1=YMD_date&docref=image/v2%3A1223BCE5B718A166%40EANX-12FC67BEE25A7C3C%402441652-12FB5BB3E96A42A4%400-12FB5BB3E96A42A4%40"> </a><a href="https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/movies_tv/deadly-rault-center-fires-50th-anniversary-is-a-documentary/article_9930bb0c-69ca-11ed-9ae2-f347dad9de87.html">17-story high-rise</a> office and apartment building in New Orleans, claiming the lives of<a href="https://www.wdsu.com/article/new-orleans-rault-center-fire-50-years/42095734"> six</a> people. According to a Times-Picayune article published the following day, a fire was reported at 7:30 a.m. in a dressing room on the 16th floor but was quickly extinguished. Hours later, another fire was reported on the 15th floor. The fire quickly consumed the 15th and 16th floors and the penthouse. <a href="https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/movies_tv/deadly-rault-center-fires-50th-anniversary-is-a-documentary/article_9930bb0c-69ca-11ed-9ae2-f347dad9de87.html">Eyewitnesses and news reporters</a> watched in horror as five women – a salon owner, an employee, and three customers — screamed for help from the 15th-floor window of<a href="https://www.nola.com/archive/before-the-troubadour-remembering-the-rault-center-fire-of-1972/article_2f0be855-37a5-5b94-a7de-ad94baef5882.html"> the Lamplighter Beauty Salon</a>. Firefighters were on the scene but<a href="https://www.nola.com/archive/before-the-troubadour-remembering-the-rault-center-fire-of-1972/article_2f0be855-37a5-5b94-a7de-ad94baef5882.html"> were unable to help</a>. Their ladders were too short and water was unable to shoot that high. The women, desperate for escape, <a href="https://www.fox8live.com/story/19968775/40-years-later-sole-survivor-of-rault-center-fire-speaks-exclusively-to-fox-8/">jumped eight stories</a> to the roof of a neighboring building, which housed the Travelers Insurance Companies. Three of the women — Jacquelyn Ann McConnell Maillho, Norris Farley, and Janice McBeth — died instantly. A fourth woman, Wilma Williams, <a href="https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/movies_tv/deadly-rault-center-fires-50th-anniversary-is-a-documentary/article_9930bb0c-69ca-11ed-9ae2-f347dad9de87.html">died later</a> in the hospital.<a href="https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/movies_tv/deadly-rault-center-fires-50th-anniversary-is-a-documentary/article_9930bb0c-69ca-11ed-9ae2-f347dad9de87.html"> </a> The fifth woman, Natalie Vrbaskovich Smith, survived but suffered multiple injuries and spent months in the hospital in a coma. In a <a href="https://www.fox8live.com/story/19968775/40-years-later-sole-survivor-of-rault-center-fire-speaks-exclusively-to-fox-8/">2012 interview </a>with Fox 8 marking the 40th anniversary of the Rault Center fire, Smith remembered the physical impact of the tragedy. Her pelvis “was broken in three spots. I broke my back, ribs, collarbone and my teeth had been capped.” Another victim, Charles J. Michel, was found dead on the 14th floor. It was assumed he had died from smoke inhalation. The sixth victim,<a href="https://www.nola.com/archive/before-the-troubadour-remembering-the-rault-center-fire-of-1972/article_2f0be855-37a5-5b94-a7de-ad94baef5882.html"> Lloyd Caldwell</a> died weeks after the fire from<a href="https://www.nola.com/archive/before-the-troubadour-remembering-the-rault-center-fire-of-1972/article_2f0be855-37a5-5b94-a7de-ad94baef5882.html"> extensive burns.</a> <a href="https://www.nola.com/archive/before-the-troubadour-remembering-the-rault-center-fire-of-1972/article_2f0be855-37a5-5b94-a7de-ad94baef5882.html">Eight men</a> who were at the Lamplighter Club on the building's 16th floor were rescued by helicopters from the rooftop shortly before it collapsed from the fire. Investigators believe the fire could have resulted from<a href="https://www.nola.com/archive/before-the-troubadour-remembering-the-rault-center-fire-of-1972/article_2f0be855-37a5-5b94-a7de-ad94baef5882.html"> arson,</a> although the actual cause<a href="https://www.fox8live.com/story/19968775/40-years-later-sole-survivor-of-rault-center-fire-speaks-exclusively-to-fox-8/"> remains unknown</a>. As a result of the Rault Center fire and other high-rise fires around the country<a href="https://www.fox8live.com/story/19968775/40-years-later-sole-survivor-of-rault-center-fire-speaks-exclusively-to-fox-8/">, laws were passed</a> requiring existing and new high-rise buildings to have automatic sprinkler systems installed. The Rault Center building sat vacant for decades. In 2017, the renovated <a href="https://www.nola.com/archive/before-the-troubadour-remembering-the-rault-center-fire-of-1972/article_2f0be855-37a5-5b94-a7de-ad94baef5882.html">building opened</a> as the Troubadour Hotel. This <a target="_blank" href="https://veritenews.org/2023/11/29/this-week-in-history-six-people-died-in-the-rault-center-fire/">article</a> first appeared on <a target="_blank" href="https://veritenews.org">Verite News</a> and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.<img src="https://i0.wp.com/veritenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/cropped-Verite-icon.png?fit=150%2C150&ssl=1" style="width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;"><img id="republication-tracker-tool-source" src="https://veritenews.org/?republication-pixel=true&post=10928" style="width:1px;height:1px;"> Copy to Clipboard

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