Babbs Switch School Memorial
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Babbs Switch School Memorial

Babbs, Kiowa County, Oklahoma, USA

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  • Get directions Babbs, Oklahoma, USA
    Coordinates: 34.95795, -99.06042
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Babbs was the scene of the nationally known Babbs Switch Fire on December 24, 1924, in which 36 people died in a school fire while attending a Christmas Eve party in a one room frame school house. Many of the dead were children, and several families were completely wiped out. According to the National Fire Protection Association, it is the sixth-deadliest school fire on record in the United States.

The fire was started by a candle on a Christmas tree. The party was attended by over 200 people. The Christmas tree decorated with lighted candles stood at the front of the room, and presents were placed on the tree to be distributed to the children in attendance at the end of the program. The fire began when a teenage student dressed as Santa Claus was removing presents from the tree to give to the children. The flames ignited paper decorations, tinsel, and dry needles and spread quickly to the tree, stage, and the greater structure of the building. People rushed to the building's single door, which opened inward and was soon jammed with people. Escape through the windows was blocked because they were covered with secure metal screens to prevent vandals from breaking into the school.
Babbs was the scene of the nationally known Babbs Switch Fire on December 24, 1924, in which 36 people died in a school fire while attending a Christmas Eve party in a one room frame school house. Many of the dead were children, and several families were completely wiped out. According to the National Fire Protection Association, it is the sixth-deadliest school fire on record in the United States.

The fire was started by a candle on a Christmas tree. The party was attended by over 200 people. The Christmas tree decorated with lighted candles stood at the front of the room, and presents were placed on the tree to be distributed to the children in attendance at the end of the program. The fire began when a teenage student dressed as Santa Claus was removing presents from the tree to give to the children. The flames ignited paper decorations, tinsel, and dry needles and spread quickly to the tree, stage, and the greater structure of the building. People rushed to the building's single door, which opened inward and was soon jammed with people. Escape through the windows was blocked because they were covered with secure metal screens to prevent vandals from breaking into the school.

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  • Added: 24 Dec 2024
  • Find a Grave Cemetery ID: 2817898