Atlanta History Center

Winecoff Hotel Fire

On December 7, 1946, Atlanta’s Winecoff Hotel (know today as the Ellis Hotel) was the scene of the deadliest hotel fire in U.S. history. Of the 280 guests staying in the hotel, 119 perished.

The fire, believed to have started on the third floor, began sometime around 3:00 AM. Due to poor design, the flames easily spread from floor to floor. The hotel lacked fire escapes, fire doors, and fire sprinklers, and had a large central-spiral staircase and elevator shaft that drew the fire up through the interior of the structure like a massive chimney.

While many perished in the fire, many more died after leaping out windows to escape the flames. Some guests, however, were able to crawl across boards suspended between nearby buildings.

After the devastating fire, fire codes were revised and improved across the country.

In 2006, a $23 million renovation was started to bring the vacant building back to life. It reopened as the Ellis Hotel on October 1, 2007 and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 31, 2009.