"The fire service received three separate reports of a fire, and immediately dismissed it as a prank." They were clearly heroic, saved many lives and got the fire under control within an hour but that part still raised an eyebrow.
They still responded right away, they just thought they would be going to another false alarm. And yes, getting that under control within an hour is an incredible result.
@@marvindebot3264 Ah OK I thought the bit about "they thought it was a prank until they saw the glow on the skyline" meant they didn't immediately respond!
There's two things I don't understand about this. 1. "We're a fire department, and we've just received three separate calls of a large fire in a hotel. Lmao, that's the funniest prank this month! They almost had us there..." 2. "Oh no! A massive fire just killed several dozen people! Quick; find the nearest black kid and blame him for it!"
They made him agree to a "no contest" plea so he couldn't sue them for wrongful imprisonment. He was literally held hostage by the State to prevent him from trying to mitigate the loss of 40+ years of his life.
It almost seems like they conveniently found a brown man to blame so that they could all feel better about what happened. Makes me indescribably angry.
So true. Those who are wrongfully imprisoned never receive just compensation and worst of all is that those who caused it to happen are allowed to continue in their jobs making the same mistakes again.
I’m the one who suggested this topic to the creator of FH. While there was reason for doubt, there was also evidence against him that wasn’t mentioned by FH. For example, when police apprehended him he had a ridiculous amount of matches in his pockets. He also was spotted near the origins. It’s not definitive either way, but he got released because the science behind the investigations was weak in 1970
You beat me to it. What a mess. He might be a live but he will never get those decades back. And the deal he made so the city could save face still accuses him of the crime! No justice at all!!!
Yeah, in defense of the White Star Line they actually never claimed, that the Titanic was "unsinkable", that was the sensation press, who invented that. But several ships after the Titanic HAVE been called unsinkable by their owners - and have gone on to sink. Coz apparently they thought, they knew better. Same with "fire proof" and all the other claims of absolute immunity from, well, anything. Nothing is ever 100%. But unfortunately ppl still buy such claims, so its a good PR line 😒
It’s so frustrating how someone so flimsily convicted of starting the fire could receive a life sentence for every life lost, but those who are solidly responsible for similar tragedies caused by cutting corners and being cheap receive a slap on the wrist or no punishment at all for the lives lost.
@@jcreazy that's just a given obvious fact because it just is and shouldn't even be challenged or questioned, he's a different race so racism. -He was arrested for arson before, had five boxes of matches on him when arrested and set fires whilst in prison. Now he's back in prison- muh racism
When people talk about systemic racism, stuff like this is why. Cops very often just pin it on the black guy, because they know juries tend to eat it right up.
I’m a New Zealander/Kiwi and the Tangiwai rail disaster was taught in primary schools, growing up. So, not unknown here in NZ. However the vast majority of what this channel presents is certainly unknown to me. Great coverage!
I feel bad for Taylor to be honest. If you start a fire in two locations, you don't then put your life at risk trying to put it out. It's not impossible for him to have started the fire, and then panicked at its severity but logically, in conjunction with everything else mentioned in the video, it doesn't really seem likely he was responsible. Or, at the very least, the evidence for a definitive conviction would have been questionable at best.
@@russellwebb4805 Even If he did do it, and I highly doubt it, there was not enough evidence to get a conviction anyway; meaning he should have been found not guilty. Not to mention, with such cases they try to start fires in smaller places like homes do that it is easier to “save” the people in the fire and be a “hero”
@Håkan Bergvall This is an example of circumstantial evidence. You can not blame 28 deaths on a person without visual evidence. Criminal/Murder trials must be proven Beyond a Reasonable Doubt as ordered by the 5th and 14th amendments to the Constitution. The evidence to convict NEVER added up. This IS an example of a government being arrogant and covering its butt to continue the deception it is fulfilling its oath to the Constitution. The government of Tuscon Coerced a man to plead no contest in order to obtain his freedom.
@@Robocopnik Anyone with two brain-cells knows that we only know what we hear in short videos like this - which is no enough to come to any justified conclusion. If any of the court decisions was wrong, let's hope it was the first one.
What happened to Taylor is absolutely deplorable. It's sad how quickly people will look for a scapegoat following a tragedy and in the process commit a great injustice.
And he to plea “no contest” just to get out which means he likely got no monetary compensation for having his life stolen by the state. Disgusting. Sounds like AZ tho.
This has probably been mentioned before, but, on behalf of the deaf and hard of hearing viewers, thank you so much for the excellent subtitles. They are the best I've ever seen :D
You’re absolutely correct on both points. 👏💯 One- those who are deaf or have a family member who is, knows just how important those cc can be. Two- Yes it has been mentioned beforehand. But I like that it happens so often. Maybe if the other content creators see how much noise we make in the comments section they’ll catch on too. 🤞
I was completely unaware, & immediately upon reading your comment, I tapped the ( CC) icon. I will agree, his subtitles are topnotch. No misses, or verbal substitutions, & I don't know that I have ever seen a more appropriate speed. In a word, perfect! ... unfortunately yes, hearing impairment is a rather harsh reality for me, 100% loss in right ear, &, ( or, I could say " but only") 15- 20% in left. Haven't seen the doc in regards, since I finally got a neat, near invisible hearing aid, thought..."huh, I forgot how much noise is just always present. My ol' lady talked to me about visiting her sister, garage sales, stuff, more stuff, I couldn't just turn my head, so suddenly realized it was the only time I could mow. Somehow I guess I lost that little miracle, in the 2.5 acres that was my lawn. Figured I may have accidentally ran it over with the mower. Just haven't had the heart to face the doc, that was 3 years ago.
I'm hard of hearing too, but able to clearly hear these videos due to9 the 4excellent audio quality and volume. I have to strain to hear most of what's on YT and it's refreshing when I don't.
People become too cocky when they hear these words and don’t take the necessary precautions to prevent these disasters! If a building is “fireproof” then they don’t install sprinkler systems, fire alarms, or adequate fire escapes, and fill the building with flammable materials. If a ship is “unsinkable” they don’t bother training their officers with lifeboat drills, and will head full-throttle through a known ice field in pitch darkness. They become accidents waiting to happen because of the human ego.
In America, the Triangle Shirtwaist corset factory was in a building that was "fireproof"- brick and metal construction, rather like the "fireproof" textile mills in the north of England. Sadly the contents weren't, so although the building remained intact, there was massive loss of life.
Working in the fire alarm industry, I'm so happy we've come so far since 1970. It baffled me when I heard there weren't any signs saying which floor you're on in the stairwell.
@@TenchiFox You wouldn't believe the crap we go through with architects and where we have to place fire alarm devises. We say "Do you want to open your building, or play this game?"
@@TheStBlaine I can see why, but what Architects and designers need to realize is what all artists need to: they'll be the only ones to notice such trivialities. Fire safety devices are just background noise to us normal people, lol. Rarely detracts from the beauty of the building.
Sad about Taylor. Wrongful convictions break my heart. I can't imagine going to prison for something I didn't do. Thank you once again for a fascinating, yet horrific, story.
@@TheDogGoesWoof69 And how was he supposed to repay the company when he’s been in prison since 1970? With what money? Not a lot of money to be made when you’re wrongfully behind bars.
He wasn't railroaded... This video didn't do it justice for everything they had against him and touted it as a "flaky evidence". He was seen by multiple people at the site of origin for both fires. He was caught shortly after with handfuls of matches in his pockets. Oh and he's also back in prison for life after only 4 years out because of armed robbery charges and other charges... So yea... let your heart bleed for this worthless fuck, he got what he deserved the first time around.. He killed all those people by setting that fire.
Much too little much to late for Taylor. They robbed him of over 40 years of his life and then added insult to injury by having him to agree to a "No Contest" agreement. Disgusting.
Gotta love all the people immediately jumping to him being innocent with even less evidence than the police had to convict him... There's a lot that this video didn't point out. (Like he was seen near the points of origins, and that he was caught with tons of matches in his pockets.) But hey for all of you that are still convinced they got the wrong guy.. He's back in prison for armed robbery. So yea.. Innocent... sure... He got what he deserved the first time around..
@@Cramblit So - firstly subtract these 40 years from his current sentence. Yes - now you are personally responsible for this. And restore his life and health to the point just before the original conviction. Then - and only then - you can put him in prison for current crime.
I'm sitting next to a relative of Louis Taylor, while we watched the video he gave me some insight as to how he's doing now. Well it's not quite the outcome we would hope for for him. But at least he's not in prison anymore for something he didn't do. Tucson has been my hometown for many years and I never knew the details of this until today. Thanks for the AWESOME video!
I could never imagine having to make the choice between jumping to my death or being burned alive. What I've learned from all of these fire related videos, is that if the owners of these building's would have the proper fire prevention tools installed, sprinklers, fire alarms, smoke detectors, etc. Then the fire could of been either prevented or at least tamed enough that people from the higher floors could have a chance to escape. This is why cutting corners when it comes to safety features is a big old No, No!!
@@RICDirector you say that like that was prehistoric. First sprinkler invention: 1812 Fire alarm: 1852 Electrical fire alarm: 1890 Heat based smoke detector: 1902 Ionization smoke detector available:1951 First modern style smoke detector:1965 First battery operated modern detector: 1970 So yeah they had *all* these to chose from and they chose to do nothing
They didn’t cut any corners. This was the most advanced fire safety system available when the building was built. Fire retardant wood and carpet didn’t exist in 1929.
This stirred heartbreaking memories of 9/11 and the indelible images of the towers’ desperate “jumpers” seared on our collective American minds. RIP those lost.
42 years for the crime of being Black/Mexican near a major disaster. Not-so-fun fact: The civil statute of limitation for wrongful imprisonment in Arizona is only 1 year, but whoever negotiated Taylor's release included a "no contest" condition as part of his plea bargain just to make sure that he could not sue the state for damages even if he wanted to. Even after forty-two years, the great State of Arizona was not done screwing with this guy. Poor bloke. And may the victims rest in peace.
That's what happened to the West Memphis 3. Absolutely no evidence against them. They were straight railroaded. They were released after agreeing to an Alford Plea.
@@cjclark2002 do you mean that Taylor was guilty? If so, then that's baffling because his only other choice would have been to remain in prison despite finally given a chance to leave after 40 years.
This is always the case they can only fight a fire to about eight stories everybody above that is trapped. I just seen a story about a hotel fire in South Korea in 1971. Killed about 170 people. Most of them trapped on unaccessible floors.
If you're going to be in any tall building you'd better know how high the rescue equipment can reach, then stay within it's capabilities. Almost everywhere in the US fire departments can reach the 4th floor so when I stay at a high-rise hotel I ask for a room between the 2nd and forth floors- I've never been asked why and only once was I not accommodated due to occupancy, but they had one on the 5th and I knew the Atlanta GA fire department could reach that so I took it.
@@P_RO_ If you are working on the 20th floor of an office building you don't really have the option to pick a lower floor. But high rises tend to be pretty safe - the fire marshals are usually pretty serious about inspections on tall buildings like that. A highrise building I worked at once had a mail chute that they ordered removed because of the hazard of it spreading a fire to higher floors, even though it had already been there 30+ years without incident.
Sorry to say I haven't heard of this tragedy despite being a longtime Arizona resident. What a perfect storm that contributed to it and an unsavory yet changing aftermath. Still, if something is claimed to be disaster proof you'd better turn around and run.
As a child in Tucson, I remember that we frequently drove past the building, looming over the entrance to downtown. "The old Pioneer Hotel" was a landmark for decades. I haven't thought of that old place in ages, since the whole area has now been gentrified.
I'm currently bed ridden for months (medical issues) & i dunno why but i like to watch yours & other morbid videos to pass the time. Thanks for keeping me semi sane. Have a good day.
When my depression is bad, you'll find me here! I also watch "Air Crash Investigations," "I Shouldn't Be Alive," and a bunch of climbing disaster documentaries. "Fascinating Horror" is an OUTSTANDING review of various disasters that, for the most part, I'd never heard or read about. He does excellent work, doesn't he?
I remember the Pioneer Hotel fire very well. I lived in Phoenix almost my whole life (1955-2003) and had just started dated a guy who live in Tucson (we were in college - ASU - at the time). The accountability for the fire was totally mishandled in so many ways.
From watching this channel it's scary how often things don't change until a major disaster happens. It makes you wonder how well our modern buildings are equipped to handle a disaster.
Hi Rise buildings have often been death traps. I live in London and I could see Grenfell tower going up. I know it was not a hotel but a lot of people died due to poor fire escapes and no sprinkler systems.
Far too many have been built too quickly with Construction Managers and Boards being too greedy to muster the processes and protocols around health and safety! My brother was living in a high-rise apartment in Melbourne and after a lot of issues with mold and his ceiling collapsing in on him they found out the upper levels had failed to utilize a waterproof membrane on their balcony and the rest of the apartment so any rain would just come straight through the ceiling Great fun I thought was a bit weird when a few years back Australian National Mainstream TV news coverage announced that in the future the high-rise buildings of our cities will all turn into high rise slums ... (that is if they don't burn down or collapse etc)
Sprinklers don't do shit when the fire spreads up the highly flammable siding on the building for cosmetic purposes and then burns it's way into the building
@@hosedragger-204 yes, grenfell was pretty safe as designed, with full compartmentalisation including heavy fire doors that it turned out had been removed in a previous refit and replaced with plastic ones. Gas lines had been run across ceilings and down the stairwell, and of course there's the cladding that allowed the building to burn from the outside in. If they'd left it alone rather than trying to gentrify it for the benefit of the wealthy neighbours who didn't like oaving to look at a brutalist style tower full of low-income residents, the fire would have remained confined to the initial apartment and the 'stay put' protocol would have been effective. Neither residents nor the LFB realised that it had been wrapped in a highly flammable material, that produced arsenic when burned (five years on, many survivors are still sick from breathing that in on the night.)
@@rich_edwards79 My first thoughts about Grenfell was that if the money existed for what was mostly a cosmetic upgrade, then why was there a claim of a lack of money to upgrade building safety?
@@P_RO_ Oh, I know this one! It's greed and vanity. After all, why put your money into expensive but largely invisible safety upgrades (boring!), when you could up your building's prestige by making it look fancier, which you can point to as a sign of what a good job you're doing running things? Keeping the upgrade costs down is a sign of good management, too, so you definitely ought to do it as cheaply as possible; no need to hire safety experts or commission any reports on whether the upgrades are safe or not, it'll _definitely_ be _fine_
Gotta love all the people immediately jumping to him being innocent with even less evidence than the police had to convict him... There's a lot that this video didn't point out. (Like he was seen near the points of origins, and that he was caught with tons of matches in his pockets.) But hey for all of you that are still convinced they got the wrong guy.. He's back in prison for armed robbery. So yea.. Innocent... sure... He got what he deserved the first time around..
@@Cramblit oh hun who hurt you? You should probably watch the video again. As for armed robbery after release, that doesn't make him bad necessarily it makes him desperate. If you don't think spending half your life in prison for something you didn't do wouldn't screw you up or thst life after that long in prison leaves you much chance of making a legitimate living in America then you're kidding yourself.
The Winecoff Hotel fire of December 7, 1946, was the deadliest hotel fire in United States history, (and still is) killing 119 hotel occupants, including the hotel's original owners. This is a much more interesting fire as it was the start of ALL fire safety regulations across the United States. Which btw makes THIS fire so much more like intentional homicide! So much was learned in 1946 that declaring any building “absolutely fireproof” was a callous, intentional disregard for all human life! This would be a great disaster to cover. This happened in Atlanta , GA
@@Hannah_Em the 1946 fire predates this one, and a lot of the lessons from that fire were disregarded. similar to how the grenfell tower fire was a disaster because of how the building was renovated with improperly installed and inappropriate materials. if you build something unsafe and misrepresent it as the safest ever and then people are harmed, liability is a thing. if you intentionally created a blatantly unsafe situation for profit, and a death resulted, you could argue that the premeditated crime with knowingly fatal consequences would amount to murder. it'd be a tough case to prosecute, and the responsible parties were dead, so it's a little moot.
The start of all fire safety regulations? Not the Cocoanut Grove fire of 1942, the Hartford, Connecticut/Barnum and Bailey Circus fire of 1944, or the Iroquois Theater fire of 1903?
I didn't know this was a contest. Hopefully the victims of any catastrophic fire are treated with respect irregardless of their differing locations/circumstances.
Amazing you could proclaim something "fireproof" despite having very little safety precautions and being constructed of 98% flammable materials and people would just BELIEVE it! That's why I am thankful for the Fire, health and OSHA inspectors although most people regard it as a hassle.
I used to be a laborer and I can tell you that even the lowest level grunts thought OSHA was just there to make their lives harder. "No, they exist to make sure you leave this place with all your fingers", I told more than a few.
See April 15, 1912 for another example. Flawed steel plate with impurities, wrought iron rivets, and bulkheads that didn't make a full seal......yet she was "unsinkable".
And nobody from the fire department was held accountable for dismissing three calls of the fire as a prank. Maybe if they had responded in the manner of a proper fire department they wouldn't have had to act so heroically, and more lives would have been saved.
Are you an actual firefighter? I get you indignation, but be logical: how much difference would that have made? How much time was actually wasted checking if it was a prank? 5 minutes? The layout, finishing, height, and ventilation of the building caused the fire to spread so quickly, not the response time of the responders. Even if they went into action immediately after the first call, the blaze still would've been out of control. If it was a modern building, then yes I agree every second counts, but with this chimney of a structure they were dealing with, once the fire started, there wasn't much they could do for the victims on the top 3 floors. With that, I instead focus on the frankly heroic work the department did with what little resources they had.
@@Unownshipper And what's your point? MY point is that after getting three calls about the fire whomever was in charge decided they were all prank calls and did nothing until the glow of the fire was visible in the sky. Defend them all you want, that is still unacceptable decision-making and there should have been an investigation as to why he made that decision. As to the rest of your response, that's merely conjecture about what may have happened based upon reasoning you figure acceptable to support your argument. Oh, and yes, I did receive training as a firefighter, though I pursued a career in the army instead.
@@rogerhinman5427 Ok, whatever you say. Since the Arizona Historical Society, Tucson Fire Foundation and Pima County records all fail to mention firefighters not responding because they thought it was a prank, I'll bow down to your infinite wisdom that they did.
I usually take such claims to mean, that they have been very unimaginative about, how such a disaster could occur, and that hence it is LESS safe, coz they just declared it whatever-proof rather than going all in on security.
At the time the hotel was built, “fireproof” was an insurance term meaning that the building would survive the fire and could be put back in use after cleanup etc.
@@Rayman1971 the Titanic WAS unsinkable by any reasonable standard. The manner of its destruction was so freakish that it had never occurred before and has never been repeated since, in 530 years of intercontinental ship traffic. Titanic was built to higher standards of indestructibility than contemporary war craft. It should’ve been literally impossible to cause enough damage to sink it. In fact, it is a known certainty that if the Titanic had hit the iceberg head-on, or even at virtually any other angle, the damage sustained would’ve been survived, with fewer compartments flooded than necessary to bring it down.
It wasn't a wrongful conviction.... This video didn't do it justice for everything they had against him and touted it as a "flaky evidence". He was seen by multiple people at the site of origin for both fires. He was caught shortly after with handfuls of matches in his pockets. He was known as an arson from previous little things he had done, or tried to set fire too, and was known as a thief. Oh and he's also back in prison for life after only 4 years out because of armed robbery charges and other charges... So yea... let your heart bleed for this worthless fuck, he got what he deserved the first time around.. He killed all those people by setting that fire.
I met Louis Taylor a few years ago while out in the world in Tucson. It was kind of surreal to me, I work in the fire service and know some of the TFD people on scene when the hotel burned. Wish nothing but peace and closure to all of those lost, and the families affected.
One of the things I like the most about these videos is the lessons that people learn in the wake of tragedies like this. Sometimes all it takes is someone to stand up and say, "We can't let something like this happen again!" Lesson learned. Another thing I like are the improvements and/or preventative measures taken afterward so that such tragedies don't happen again. Another excellent video! 😎👍
Tucson is my hometown and where I currently live! I work only a few blocks from the pioneer building. It's rumored to be so haunted it's hard to keep tenants on some floors. Thanks for posting!
Have you considered covering the 1946 Winecroff Hotel fire in Atlanta, Georgia, USA? It's a good fit with your channel and I don't recall seeing it here. I am, as always, fascinated by the horrifying content you provide. Great lessons in every video, all respectfully done. Thanks!
One of the annoying things about this case is that the investigating police officer was massively racist and focused on the one black youth seen at the scene and decided that it must have been him that started the fire. There’s a clip of the cop saying that he knows it was Louis Taylor as “[mild racist slur] have a history of setting small fires or setting of the fire alarm so they can rob the rooms”. This over looks the fact that the original fire investigation said that there was two fires that started at the same time, that Louis Taylor was seen running from door to door banging on them to inform people about the fire but at no point did he go into any of the rooms as was rushing off to the next one as soon as it was clear the guest was coming or the room was empty and it ignores the fact that it would be incredibly daft and risky to start a fire and then stay in the building to rob it.
Mr horror, i just want to say thank you for not injecting your own person into these videos like the absolute majority of people tend to do. You stay respectful and don't insert some personal agenda or any other thing common with youtubers. You really are special, keep upgrading my anxiety
not only is each tragedy completely engrossing, excellently researched and delivered in compassionate and sympathetic manner, but i also find i'm broadening my vocabulary and being introduced to new words with each new episode. This channel is simply excellent. Not too far now until the fully deserved 1M subscribers
Hey congrats! I'm wondering how we might be able to streamline the process? _enters field of rhetorics_ Step 1 - Write a notepad document up for yourself and have it open and on standby for when your favourite 'Tubers upload. Step 2 - Write something long that will stump other initiates to the freshly uploaded video of squee as to how you managed to type it up so quickly (but don't forget to include the catchphrase 'First' or 'Last time I was this early..." or something similar to make sure you always remain the person that liked everything before it was cool. Step 3 - Practice using a stop watch to analyze how quickly those copy-paste skills are . Do dexterity exercises as well as reflex exercises to cut down your reaction time in the moment of thrill and elation when your fave 'Tuber does upload. Battle with your friends. Turn it into a competition. Get in touch with the creator themselves so you know exactly when they're about to upload and people will start to believe that you're psychic. (caveat! no hate implied whatsoever - this is a whimsical contribution to what could be the literally the next form of Olympics_
@@christopherhall8920 Thank you and also Lmao!!!!!!!! Comedy genius! *joy emoji* It's really nice to have a lil lighter-heartedness in the comment section of such tragic but also at the same time incredible video content! Mega love prosperity and blessings to you and your missus! *\Troy McClure voice* Practice makes perfect or something something I'm not a relationship counselor but I may or may not have allegedly played one on television Sounds like you've got a good lady for that to be the case! I'm sure you'll both make super mega happy times together for a long long time to come and whether it be this year or next year or the year after that or the year after that or six months after that or the Summer or Spring or the decade after that one day yes indeed one day my new internet kindred friend one day I guarantee your beau will either come to accept and love and cherish and truly embrace your quickness and go-gettem'ness because its part of who you are in the core of your being in your DNA and spirit and bone marrow ! Quick witted and quick in other ways not disclosed or approved for declassification beyond the realms of adult imagination and quite certainly not for the faint of heart or the dull minded to attempt to comprehend or B) you'll both meet in the middle like running on a beach with your shoes off feet in the sand waves pounding the ocean clothes flapping in the wind hair if you have it flapping in the wind arms outstretched the skin of which also may be flapping in the wind ( I dunno I dunno how old you are at this point I'm yet to contact the creator and convince people I'm psychic) ... and suddenly one of you exclaims loudly enough so that the other can hear it how long you've been running for and then you finally bridge the gap of distance between you running on the sand I mean it took a long long time and you were both super puffed out from yelling and running and flapping and then finally you both congratulate each other on making it to Olympic marathon championship status and you'll probably win something like the lottery or a puppy or a ticket to meet a guy who owns a stork that brings a bundle of nappies and joy and legacy and responsibility and the future of the planet and human kind itself! Either way it sounds like a great ride! Enjoy ay! _beams oodles and cabooses of hearts and happy through the internet_
I love your delivery and reporting. A suggestion, The June 24, 1973 arson fire of the Up Stairs Lounge. 32 people perished. There is one haunting photo of a victim trying to escape.
I randomly met Louie Taylor at work today. He identified himself as the person who was wrongly-accused of the Pioneer Hotel fire in 1970. I can't imagine what he's been through in the decades that he was in prison and it was a bit odd that he was so quick to tell me about his past. I love your channel and content.
Your presentation of this case was exceptional! Oddly, I find I don't comment, or commend that often; but, I feel I should as Fascinating Horror has never uploaded anything that wasn't astonishing, interesting, well researched, & delivered in a professional manner. So, I guess saying thanks for sharing your work efforts would be more befitting.
I'm a 63 year old Tucson native with vivid memories of the aftermath of that fire. Tucson was in the middle of transforming from a small city to a big city, and as lessons learned are sometimes painful, so it was that night.
It really upsets me that Taylor was convicted. In other tragedies you covered people who were explicitly at fault walked away without a conviction and yet this man not only gets convicted, but spends several decades in jail before he is released.
Gotta love all the people immediately jumping to him being innocent with even less evidence than the police had to convict him... There's a lot that this video didn't point out. (Like he was seen near the points of origins, and that he was caught with tons of matches in his pockets.) But hey for all of you that are still convinced they got the wrong guy.. He's back in prison for armed robbery. So yea.. Innocent... sure... He got what he deserved the first time around..
Your channel always amazes me! Not only do you cover some amazing stories but your presentation is incredible. It's a nice balance between sounding very foreboding but doing so without being sensational and being respectful and informative of the tragedy itself. Always a favorite watch every Tuesday!
I absolutely love your videos. The research that goes into them, the way you tell the stories, and the information you include are brilliant. I look forward to each and every one. Thank you!
I've lived in Tucson for more than a decade now and I wasn't aware of this tragedy! The bones of the building are still there, now an office building with some commerce spaces on the ground floor. I've had tea there! So bizarre. You'd think there'd at least be a plaque somewhere on the building. Also, I like the way you pronounce "Tucson" like "Garçon."
Ike's or Bombole for tea? I'd imagine the current management of Pioneer want to distance themselves from the fire so as to not possibly scare off potential occupants. Which is silly, but there you go.
This channel really does take the time to give quality details about these places and their history. It doesn’t sound like someone is just reading word for word from an online article. Fantastic job on these videos. Thank you.
Always something different, usually something I haven't heard of, I love it, this is the first upload since I subbed that I haven't been here for when it dropped. Great stuff, please keep it up
“Hello, this is the fire department how can I help you?” “HELP!!! There’s a huge fire at the Pioneer hotel!! Billowing smoke, we can’t breathe!!” *long pause* “Ooooooooh that’s a good prank! Alright have a nice evening!”
It’s crazy that I have lived in Arizona my entire life and haven’t heard about this case. That’s what I love about this channel, you always cover unique cases that aren’t very well known. Thank you for all your consistent hard work!
OMG I literally live less than a mile from the Pioneer and had never heard of this or the terrible ordeal Louis Taylor went through. I can attest to our stellar fire department(and not so stellar police😒) Amazing video as always. You've definitely motivated me into going for a walk to check it out later today!
it’s genuinely painful to me that taylor spent *so much of his life* in prison. he should have been graduating, going to college, finding a career path he wanted, moving out and getting his own place for the first time. he had so much valuable time robbed from him.
Maybe a bit macabre but I like how these videos come out on Tuesdays - now I can call it Tragedy Tuesday and be guaranteed some somber stories by good ol' FH
Huh. As a Tucson resident, I was randomly hit with a desire to learn more about the Pioneer. Imagine my surprise to see one of my favorite history channels uploaded a video yesterday! Thank you! Informative and excellent as ever. For the record, the Pioneer is a lovely building still, and maintains the original facade on the first floor as you can see in the end of the video. I would recommend trying the Chicken Tikka Masala from the mexican-indian fusion restaurant occupying the first floor there, Bombole. Five stars!
My mother lives in Tucson and I've been visiting for decades. Never had heard of this one. Poor Louie Taylor, I could not imagine being wrongfully convicted for 29 deaths.
I really hope Taylor is having a great life after having been wrongfully convicted, too many of cases like these happen im glad he was pardoned albeit it took many decades. May good things come to him.
I dislike being the one to break it to you but he wasn’t pardoned and his life didn’t go too well after his plea deal. One of the reasons they offered Louis Taylor an Alford deal is that it makes it impossible for him to sue anyone for his wrongful conviction. Arizona doesn’t pay compensation for wrongful convictions, which means that in order for Louis Taylor to get paid anything for his life being ruined he first has to get his conviction overturned, in other words get a court to say he was innocent, and then he can sue for being wrongfully convicted and being falsely imprisoned. However an Alford plea is basically guilty plea where the person isn’t saying that they did the crime but rather that the case is strong enough for both sides that neither party wish to risk a trial. Louis took a plea deal that gave him his freedom but at the same time stole his ability to get compensation for his stolen liberty. What makes the case even worse is that because he was sentenced to time served he wasn’t paroled or put in to a transitioning program. Normally when someone has served a long sentence, especially if it from a young age, they’re slowly downgraded to lower security prisons and they’re put into a transitioning program which aims to teach them life skills that they’ll need once that get out. Louis Taylor didn’t get any of that, one day he was in a maximum security prison looking at dying in a prison hospital and the next day he’s given some clothes and told “you’re free to go, now fuck off and be someone else’s problem”. eu.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2019/03/25/plea-deals-people-who-claim-wrongful-conviction-tucson-louis-taylor-pioneer-hotel-fire-alford-plea/3167744002/
I hope he is living his best life now to but he was robbed of the best time period of his life. He was 16 when he went to prison, then held hostage there for 43 years. I don't care if he signed a no contest plea he should be given millions if dollars for his wrongful imprisonment.
Hey I've been watching your videos for some time now. Congratulations on your subscriber count! You completely deserve it! You show us stuff we've never heard about. Thank you for your hard work
Tucson resident here. This is an excellent piece on a little bit of our local history. This event is still remembered by us long time residents. Seeing you handle this respectfully, and with well researched information, just reinforces my trust in your other videos.
I know it is a questionable desire, but I do hope history has enough disasters left in store to feed this extraordinary channel for as long as I live. Its fact-oriented, respectful and humane approach is an oasis in the barren social media landscape.
There's surely hundreds, if not thousands, of untold disaster stories that most of us have never heard of. You'd run out of the highly publicized and globally remembered ones pretty quickly, but look a little deeper and you'll find lifetimes' worth.
Wrongly excused people usually get some sort of payout when released. But because he took the no contest plea to get out he gets nothing? I don’t have a lot of knowledge in this area but it really looks like he got screwed. No other way around it.
I've lived in Tucson for half my life, but I've never heard about this, this is fascinating! Always grateful for the knowledge and awareness you bring to me
"The fire service received three separate reports of a fire, and immediately dismissed it as a prank." They were clearly heroic, saved many lives and got the fire under control within an hour but that part still raised an eyebrow.
Reminds me of Chief Wiggum from the Simpsons answering 911 calls.
Hype is a terrible thing.
"Sure the fire-proof building is on fire..." /s
They still responded right away, they just thought they would be going to another false alarm. And yes, getting that under control within an hour is an incredible result.
@@marvindebot3264 Ah OK I thought the bit about "they thought it was a prank until they saw the glow on the skyline" meant they didn't immediately respond!
There's two things I don't understand about this.
1. "We're a fire department, and we've just received three separate calls of a large fire in a hotel. Lmao, that's the funniest prank this month! They almost had us there..."
2. "Oh no! A massive fire just killed several dozen people! Quick; find the nearest black kid and blame him for it!"
They made him agree to a "no contest" plea so he couldn't sue them for wrongful imprisonment. He was literally held hostage by the State to prevent him from trying to mitigate the loss of 40+ years of his life.
It almost seems like they conveniently found a brown man to blame so that they could all feel better about what happened.
Makes me indescribably angry.
Gotta love the government, right?
Gotta love law enforcement. I can't think of another profession where you can fuck up so egregiously again and again and never face any consequences.
So true. Those who are wrongfully imprisoned never receive just compensation and worst of all is that those who caused it to happen are allowed to continue in their jobs making the same mistakes again.
@@Rickety3263 what
Absolutely disgusting what they did to Taylor, that's victim number 30 of this incident.
Agreed, these are 2 tragedies in one episode.
Totally agree.
@@pieterdebie4162 Not only did an innocent man get out in prison, but if it really was arson, then the real criminal got away with mass murder.
I’m the one who suggested this topic to the creator of FH. While there was reason for doubt, there was also evidence against him that wasn’t mentioned by FH.
For example, when police apprehended him he had a ridiculous amount of matches in his pockets.
He also was spotted near the origins.
It’s not definitive either way, but he got released because the science behind the investigations was weak in 1970
You beat me to it. What a mess. He might be a live but he will never get those decades back. And the deal he made so the city could save face still accuses him of the crime! No justice at all!!!
If anyone claims a structure is "[insert disaster here] proof", you know its definitely gonna experience that specific disaster
Yeah, in defense of the White Star Line they actually never claimed, that the Titanic was "unsinkable", that was the sensation press, who invented that. But several ships after the Titanic HAVE been called unsinkable by their owners - and have gone on to sink. Coz apparently they thought, they knew better.
Same with "fire proof" and all the other claims of absolute immunity from, well, anything. Nothing is ever 100%. But unfortunately ppl still buy such claims, so its a good PR line 😒
ESPECIALLY fire.
From now on I'm going to call myself "girlfriend and happy life proof", here's hoping you're right.
The Titanic was unsinkable too.
@@FloridaCatholicGuy Yes it was! Oh hang on, I've seen this film....
It’s so frustrating how someone so flimsily convicted of starting the fire could receive a life sentence for every life lost, but those who are solidly responsible for similar tragedies caused by cutting corners and being cheap receive a slap on the wrist or no punishment at all for the lives lost.
Yeah, unfortunately his race had a lot to do with it
Yep, only crime is this world is being too poor to afford freedom.
@@jcreazy that's just a given obvious fact because it just is and shouldn't even be challenged or questioned, he's a different race so racism.
-He was arrested for arson before, had five boxes of matches on him when arrested and set fires whilst in prison. Now he's back in prison-
muh racism
When people talk about systemic racism, stuff like this is why. Cops very often just pin it on the black guy, because they know juries tend to eat it right up.
@@Lessinath
I like how this channel consistently covers tragedies I've never heard of and you don't see covered elsewhere.
I was just going to say that, but you beat me to it. I consider myself a history nerd, and this channel consistently surprises me.
Keep it going, use " consistently " in every subsequent comment in this thread 💫
Hoping to continuously continue on with the continues…
That's my favorite part too
I’m a New Zealander/Kiwi and the Tangiwai rail disaster was taught in primary schools, growing up. So, not unknown here in NZ. However the vast majority of what this channel presents is certainly unknown to me. Great coverage!
I feel bad for Taylor to be honest. If you start a fire in two locations, you don't then put your life at risk trying to put it out. It's not impossible for him to have started the fire, and then panicked at its severity but logically, in conjunction with everything else mentioned in the video, it doesn't really seem likely he was responsible. Or, at the very least, the evidence for a definitive conviction would have been questionable at best.
The fact that he didn't do it is blindingly obvious to anyone who's got two brain cells to rub together.
@Håkan Bergvall although reasonably rare, it is definitely not unknown for fire-fighters to commit arson, then turn up to put them out.
@@russellwebb4805 Even If he did do it, and I highly doubt it, there was not enough evidence to get a conviction anyway; meaning he should have been found not guilty. Not to mention, with such cases they try to start fires in smaller places like homes do that it is easier to “save” the people in the fire and be a “hero”
@Håkan Bergvall This is an example of circumstantial evidence. You can not blame 28 deaths on a person without visual evidence. Criminal/Murder trials must be proven Beyond a Reasonable Doubt as ordered by the 5th and 14th amendments to the Constitution. The evidence to convict NEVER added up.
This IS an example of a government being arrogant and covering its butt to continue the deception it is fulfilling its oath to the Constitution. The government of Tuscon Coerced a man to plead no contest in order to obtain his freedom.
@@Robocopnik
Anyone with two brain-cells knows that we only know what we hear in short videos like this - which is no enough to come to any justified conclusion.
If any of the court decisions was wrong, let's hope it was the first one.
What happened to Taylor is absolutely deplorable. It's sad how quickly people will look for a scapegoat following a tragedy and in the process commit a great injustice.
People on Fox News already blaming video games for the Buffalo Shooting. SMS.
They took the best years of his life away
And he to plea “no contest” just to get out which means he likely got no monetary compensation for having his life stolen by the state. Disgusting. Sounds like AZ tho.
LAZY PIGS. THATS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN PIGS ARE TOO PREOCCUPIED WITH DONUTS.
@Pᴀᴡɴ S𝜏ᴀʀ𝕤 ✯🇫ᴀɴ whytes?
"... absolutely fireproof."
Aw shit. Here we go again.
Yes, it's a dead giveaway, isn't it?
lol was just about to make pretty much this exact comment
Looks like they didn't learn a thing after what happened to Titanic!
The best part is all those things listed don't make it fire PROOF, it just makes it well equipped in the event of a fire
"Unsinkable"
Until they start building ships the size of the entire ocean. Any ship made by man is sinkable
This has probably been mentioned before, but, on behalf of the deaf and hard of hearing viewers, thank you so much for the excellent subtitles. They are the best I've ever seen :D
Ditto. I appreciate the perfect subtitles as well. and I have mentioned before. Thats why I only have a few subscriptions on UA-cam.
You’re absolutely correct on both points. 👏💯
One- those who are deaf or have a family member who is, knows just how important those cc can be.
Two- Yes it has been mentioned beforehand. But I like that it happens so often.
Maybe if the other content creators see how much noise we make in the comments section they’ll catch on too. 🤞
I was completely unaware, & immediately upon reading your comment, I tapped the ( CC) icon. I will agree, his subtitles are topnotch. No misses, or verbal substitutions, & I don't know that I have ever seen a more appropriate speed. In a word, perfect! ... unfortunately yes, hearing impairment is a rather harsh reality for me, 100% loss in right ear, &, ( or, I could say " but only") 15- 20% in left. Haven't seen the doc in regards, since I finally got a neat, near invisible hearing aid, thought..."huh, I forgot how much noise is just always present. My ol' lady talked to me about visiting her sister, garage sales, stuff, more stuff, I couldn't just turn my head, so suddenly realized it was the only time I could mow. Somehow I guess I lost that little miracle, in the 2.5 acres that was my lawn. Figured I may have accidentally ran it over with the mower. Just haven't had the heart to face the doc, that was 3 years ago.
I'm hard of hearing too, but able to clearly hear these videos due to9 the 4excellent audio quality and volume. I have to strain to hear most of what's on YT and it's refreshing when I don't.
Love this channel!!
“Fireproof”, “unsinkable”, words like these just seem to tempt fate.
Thank you!
People become too cocky when they hear these words and don’t take the necessary precautions to prevent these disasters! If a building is “fireproof” then they don’t install sprinkler systems, fire alarms, or adequate fire escapes, and fill the building with flammable materials. If a ship is “unsinkable” they don’t bother training their officers with lifeboat drills, and will head full-throttle through a known ice field in pitch darkness. They become accidents waiting to happen because of the human ego.
Yea I totally agree with you!!
In America, the Triangle Shirtwaist corset factory was in a building that was "fireproof"- brick and metal construction, rather like the "fireproof" textile mills in the north of England. Sadly the contents weren't, so although the building remained intact, there was massive loss of life.
Nature should never be played with
Working in the fire alarm industry, I'm so happy we've come so far since 1970.
It baffled me when I heard there weren't any signs saying which floor you're on in the stairwell.
Would have ruined the aesthetic, obviously. That's the important bit. Lifeboats? It's unsinkable! They'll just clutter the decks!
@@TenchiFox You wouldn't believe the crap we go through with architects and where we have to place fire alarm devises. We say "Do you want to open your building, or play this game?"
@@TheStBlaine I can see why, but what Architects and designers need to realize is what all artists need to: they'll be the only ones to notice such trivialities. Fire safety devices are just background noise to us normal people, lol. Rarely detracts from the beauty of the building.
Now everything is labeled and people still cant find shit lol.
I'm always amazed how us older people even survived the 70s.
Very many did not…
we weren't old then.
PTSD man.
Let's just say high problem-solving and learning capacity wasn't the only thing you had going for you and leave it at that.
Some of us, barely...
Sad about Taylor. Wrongful convictions break my heart. I can't imagine going to prison for something I didn't do. Thank you once again for a fascinating, yet horrific, story.
@@TheDogGoesWoof69 That doesn't mean he was an arsonist!! 🤦♀
@@TheDogGoesWoof69 that's not worth 28 life sentences
@@TheDogGoesWoof69 So not repaying the company for a few dollars of drinks is worth 28 life sentences in prison?!
@@TheDogGoesWoof69 And how was he supposed to repay the company when he’s been in prison since 1970? With what money?
Not a lot of money to be made when you’re wrongfully behind bars.
They found the brown guy so case closed. Don't hate me hate whoever thought that in the first place.
Wow, Taylor getting railroaded for arson and locked up for life is a bonus horror story.
He wasn't railroaded... This video didn't do it justice for everything they had against him and touted it as a "flaky evidence".
He was seen by multiple people at the site of origin for both fires. He was caught shortly after with handfuls of matches in his pockets.
Oh and he's also back in prison for life after only 4 years out because of armed robbery charges and other charges... So yea... let your heart bleed for this worthless fuck, he got what he deserved the first time around.. He killed all those people by setting that fire.
Much too little much to late for Taylor. They robbed him of over 40 years of his life and then added insult to injury by having him to agree to a "No Contest" agreement. Disgusting.
Because he was guilty. He’s back in prison for armed robbery 😂
Gotta love all the people immediately jumping to him being innocent with even less evidence than the police had to convict him...
There's a lot that this video didn't point out. (Like he was seen near the points of origins, and that he was caught with tons of matches in his pockets.)
But hey for all of you that are still convinced they got the wrong guy.. He's back in prison for armed robbery. So yea.. Innocent... sure... He got what he deserved the first time around..
@@Cramblit So - firstly subtract these 40 years from his current sentence. Yes - now you are personally responsible for this. And restore his life and health to the point just before the original conviction. Then - and only then - you can put him in prison for current crime.
@@FloridaCatholicGuy Prove that he was originally guilty.
@@Artoooooor apparently, they proved he was guilty to a jury. He was convicted.
I'm sitting next to a relative of Louis Taylor, while we watched the video he gave me some insight as to how he's doing now. Well it's not quite the outcome we would hope for for him. But at least he's not in prison anymore for something he didn't do. Tucson has been my hometown for many years and I never knew the details of this until today. Thanks for the AWESOME video!
How is he doing? Poor gentleman.
I could never imagine having to make the choice between jumping to my death or being burned alive. What I've learned from all of these fire related videos, is that if the owners of these building's would have the proper fire prevention tools installed, sprinklers, fire alarms, smoke detectors, etc. Then the fire could of been either prevented or at least tamed enough that people from the higher floors could have a chance to escape. This is why cutting corners when it comes to safety features is a big old No, No!!
They needed some updates that's (for fire) for sure .
It was the SEVENTIES, people. Much of what is standard now didnt exist then.
@@RICDirector you say that like that was prehistoric.
First sprinkler invention: 1812
Fire alarm: 1852
Electrical fire alarm: 1890
Heat based smoke detector: 1902
Ionization smoke detector available:1951
First modern style smoke detector:1965
First battery operated modern detector: 1970
So yeah they had *all* these to chose from and they chose to do nothing
They didn’t cut any corners. This was the most advanced fire safety system available when the building was built. Fire retardant wood and carpet didn’t exist in 1929.
This stirred heartbreaking memories of 9/11 and the indelible images of the towers’ desperate “jumpers” seared on our collective American minds. RIP those lost.
42 years for the crime of being Black/Mexican near a major disaster.
Not-so-fun fact: The civil statute of limitation for wrongful imprisonment in Arizona is only 1 year, but whoever negotiated Taylor's release included a "no contest" condition as part of his plea bargain just to make sure that he could not sue the state for damages even if he wanted to. Even after forty-two years, the great State of Arizona was not done screwing with this guy.
Poor bloke. And may the victims rest in peace.
That's what happened to the West Memphis 3. Absolutely no evidence against them. They were straight railroaded. They were released after agreeing to an Alford Plea.
If he wanted, he could get that agreement overruled in a higher court. Without too much problem.
Admission of guilt if you ask me, disgusting.
@@cjclark2002 do you mean that Taylor was guilty? If so, then that's baffling because his only other choice would have been to remain in prison despite finally given a chance to leave after 40 years.
@@piragintheevercorpulent1526 no, the states terms to release him is practically as admission of responsibility and guilt.
This is always the case they can only fight a fire to about eight stories everybody above that is trapped. I just seen a story about a hotel fire in South Korea in 1971. Killed about 170 people. Most of them trapped on unaccessible floors.
If you're going to be in any tall building you'd better know how high the rescue equipment can reach, then stay within it's capabilities. Almost everywhere in the US fire departments can reach the 4th floor so when I stay at a high-rise hotel I ask for a room between the 2nd and forth floors- I've never been asked why and only once was I not accommodated due to occupancy, but they had one on the 5th and I knew the Atlanta GA fire department could reach that so I took it.
@@P_RO_ If you are working on the 20th floor of an office building you don't really have the option to pick a lower floor. But high rises tend to be pretty safe - the fire marshals are usually pretty serious about inspections on tall buildings like that. A highrise building I worked at once had a mail chute that they ordered removed because of the hazard of it spreading a fire to higher floors, even though it had already been there 30+ years without incident.
@@P_RO_ really?
Sorry to say I haven't heard of this tragedy despite being a longtime Arizona resident. What a perfect storm that contributed to it and an unsavory yet changing aftermath. Still, if something is claimed to be disaster proof you'd better turn around and run.
Same here.
Hope he covers the Hotel San Carlos sometime.
Or the downtown Phoenix helicopter collison and crash from a while back.
As a child in Tucson, I remember that we frequently drove past the building, looming over the entrance to downtown. "The old Pioneer Hotel" was a landmark for decades.
I haven't thought of that old place in ages, since the whole area has now been gentrified.
@@deletdis6173 I remember that. :(
I lived in AZ, and my daughter lived in Tucson. Neither of us heard of this fire.
I work in fire/police dispatch and am always fascinated by how earlier disasters change and effect how we do things now.
I'm currently bed ridden for months (medical issues) & i dunno why but i like to watch yours & other morbid videos to pass the time. Thanks for keeping me semi sane. Have a good day.
I personally admire how he just tells it like it is (or was) I adore his steady style. I Need it. I'm handicapped a bit myself. I do love this guy🤗
@@Nobody85746 Jehowa Witnesses are manipulative, bloodsucking demons. Taking advantage of people in a dark spot of life. Disgusting.
Hugs to you, friend. I know how hard that can be on your mental health. I’m glad you have entertainment available.
Interest and concern for how disasters and the like happen, is not morbid, it saves lives.
When my depression is bad, you'll find me here! I also watch "Air Crash Investigations," "I Shouldn't Be Alive," and a bunch of climbing disaster documentaries. "Fascinating Horror" is an OUTSTANDING review of various disasters that, for the most part, I'd never heard or read about. He does excellent work, doesn't he?
I remember the Pioneer Hotel fire very well. I lived in Phoenix almost my whole life (1955-2003) and had just started dated a guy who live in Tucson (we were in college - ASU - at the time). The accountability for the fire was totally mishandled in so many ways.
From watching this channel it's scary how often things don't change until a major disaster happens. It makes you wonder how well our modern buildings are equipped to handle a disaster.
They've had plenty of experience to draw from. Prior to 2001, buildings weren't built to survive being hit by jumbo jets, but they sure are now.
We're rapidly going back to open floor plans, so I'd say we're actually regressing
And even scarier how often they don't change even after a major disaster happens.
Hi Rise buildings have often been death traps. I live in London and I could see Grenfell tower going up.
I know it was not a hotel but a lot of people died due to poor fire escapes and no sprinkler systems.
Far too many have been built too quickly with Construction Managers and Boards being too greedy to muster the processes and protocols around health and safety! My brother was living in a high-rise apartment in Melbourne and after a lot of issues with mold and his ceiling collapsing in on him they found out the upper levels had failed to utilize a waterproof membrane on their balcony and the rest of the apartment so any rain would just come straight through the ceiling
Great fun
I thought was a bit weird when a few years back Australian National Mainstream TV news coverage announced that in the future the high-rise buildings of our cities will all turn into high rise slums ... (that is if they don't burn down or collapse etc)
Sprinklers don't do shit when the fire spreads up the highly flammable siding on the building for cosmetic purposes and then burns it's way into the building
@@hosedragger-204 yes, grenfell was pretty safe as designed, with full compartmentalisation including heavy fire doors that it turned out had been removed in a previous refit and replaced with plastic ones. Gas lines had been run across ceilings and down the stairwell, and of course there's the cladding that allowed the building to burn from the outside in. If they'd left it alone rather than trying to gentrify it for the benefit of the wealthy neighbours who didn't like oaving to look at a brutalist style tower full of low-income residents, the fire would have remained confined to the initial apartment and the 'stay put' protocol would have been effective. Neither residents nor the LFB realised that it had been wrapped in a highly flammable material, that produced arsenic when burned (five years on, many survivors are still sick from breathing that in on the night.)
@@rich_edwards79 My first thoughts about Grenfell was that if the money existed for what was mostly a cosmetic upgrade, then why was there a claim of a lack of money to upgrade building safety?
@@P_RO_ Oh, I know this one! It's greed and vanity. After all, why put your money into expensive but largely invisible safety upgrades (boring!), when you could up your building's prestige by making it look fancier, which you can point to as a sign of what a good job you're doing running things? Keeping the upgrade costs down is a sign of good management, too, so you definitely ought to do it as cheaply as possible; no need to hire safety experts or commission any reports on whether the upgrades are safe or not, it'll _definitely_ be _fine_
There are so many stories like Taylors in the American justice system, its sick.
too many.
truly sickening
Gotta love all the people immediately jumping to him being innocent with even less evidence than the police had to convict him...
There's a lot that this video didn't point out. (Like he was seen near the points of origins, and that he was caught with tons of matches in his pockets.)
But hey for all of you that are still convinced they got the wrong guy.. He's back in prison for armed robbery. So yea.. Innocent... sure... He got what he deserved the first time around..
@@Cramblit oh hun who hurt you? You should probably watch the video again. As for armed robbery after release, that doesn't make him bad necessarily it makes him desperate. If you don't think spending half your life in prison for something you didn't do wouldn't screw you up or thst life after that long in prison leaves you much chance of making a legitimate living in America then you're kidding yourself.
@@Cramblit you sound ignorant af...
I hadn't realised how depressing Tuesdays were until your excellent uploads highlighted them, best wishes 🙏
I know I'm so happy at.✌️
I forgot today was Tuesday until I saw this lol
The Winecoff Hotel fire of December 7, 1946, was the deadliest hotel fire in United States history, (and still is) killing 119 hotel occupants, including the hotel's original owners. This is a much more interesting fire as it was the start of ALL fire safety regulations across the United States. Which btw makes THIS fire so much more like intentional homicide! So much was learned in 1946 that declaring any building “absolutely fireproof” was a callous, intentional disregard for all human life! This would be a great disaster to cover. This happened in Atlanta , GA
What do you mean about this fire being more like intentional homicide? I'm not sure I follow the logic
@@Hannah_Em the 1946 fire predates this one, and a lot of the lessons from that fire were disregarded. similar to how the grenfell tower fire was a disaster because of how the building was renovated with improperly installed and inappropriate materials. if you build something unsafe and misrepresent it as the safest ever and then people are harmed, liability is a thing. if you intentionally created a blatantly unsafe situation for profit, and a death resulted, you could argue that the premeditated crime with knowingly fatal consequences would amount to murder. it'd be a tough case to prosecute, and the responsible parties were dead, so it's a little moot.
The start of all fire safety regulations? Not the Cocoanut Grove fire of 1942, the Hartford, Connecticut/Barnum and Bailey Circus fire of 1944, or the Iroquois Theater fire of 1903?
I didn't know this was a contest. Hopefully the victims of any catastrophic fire are treated with respect irregardless of their differing locations/circumstances.
I’m surprised you’ve never done an episode on the Winecoff Fire, the deadliest hotel fire in the US.
Fascinating Horror and “fireproof” structures catching fire. Name a more iconic duo 🔥🔥
Amazing you could proclaim something "fireproof" despite having very little safety precautions and being constructed of 98% flammable materials and people would just BELIEVE it! That's why I am thankful for the Fire, health and OSHA inspectors although most people regard it as a hassle.
You should see what they said about the Titanic 😣
I used to be a laborer and I can tell you that even the lowest level grunts thought OSHA was just there to make their lives harder. "No, they exist to make sure you leave this place with all your fingers", I told more than a few.
It's like calling a ship unsinkable.
Spoken like someone who’s never pulled a permit in their life
See April 15, 1912 for another example. Flawed steel plate with impurities, wrought iron rivets, and bulkheads that didn't make a full seal......yet she was "unsinkable".
And nobody from the fire department was held accountable for dismissing three calls of the fire as a prank. Maybe if they had responded in the manner of a proper fire department they wouldn't have had to act so heroically, and more lives would have been saved.
Because its hearsay and the evidence doesn't support it. If they hadn't responded immediately, they wouldn't have arrived "within minutes."
Are you an actual firefighter? I get you indignation, but be logical: how much difference would that have made? How much time was actually wasted checking if it was a prank? 5 minutes? The layout, finishing, height, and ventilation of the building caused the fire to spread so quickly, not the response time of the responders. Even if they went into action immediately after the first call, the blaze still would've been out of control. If it was a modern building, then yes I agree every second counts, but with this chimney of a structure they were dealing with, once the fire started, there wasn't much they could do for the victims on the top 3 floors.
With that, I instead focus on the frankly heroic work the department did with what little resources they had.
@@nobodyspecial4702 They arrived within minutes of seeing the glow of the fire on the horizon, not within minutes of receiving the calls.
@@Unownshipper And what's your point? MY point is that after getting three calls about the fire whomever was in charge decided they were all prank calls and did nothing until the glow of the fire was visible in the sky. Defend them all you want, that is still unacceptable decision-making and there should have been an investigation as to why he made that decision. As to the rest of your response, that's merely conjecture about what may have happened based upon reasoning you figure acceptable to support your argument. Oh, and yes, I did receive training as a firefighter, though I pursued a career in the army instead.
@@rogerhinman5427 Ok, whatever you say. Since the Arizona Historical Society, Tucson Fire Foundation and Pima County records all fail to mention firefighters not responding because they thought it was a prank, I'll bow down to your infinite wisdom that they did.
Whenever anything is praised as being "completely ______-proof", I always get a "lady doth protest too much, methinks" vibe.
Exactly!! "Is this ship unsinkable?" "No sir, it is. This baby will sink like a stone if you give it half a chance!!!"
I usually take such claims to mean, that they have been very unimaginative about, how such a disaster could occur, and that hence it is LESS safe, coz they just declared it whatever-proof rather than going all in on security.
At the time the hotel was built, “fireproof” was an insurance term meaning that the building would survive the fire and could be put back in use after cleanup etc.
@@Rayman1971 the Titanic WAS unsinkable by any reasonable standard. The manner of its destruction was so freakish that it had never occurred before and has never been repeated since, in 530 years of intercontinental ship traffic. Titanic was built to higher standards of indestructibility than contemporary war craft. It should’ve been literally impossible to cause enough damage to sink it. In fact, it is a known certainty that if the Titanic had hit the iceberg head-on, or even at virtually any other angle, the damage sustained would’ve been survived, with fewer compartments flooded than necessary to bring it down.
Thank you for including the wrongful conviction in this video.
It wasn't a wrongful conviction....
This video didn't do it justice for everything they had against him and touted it as a "flaky evidence".
He was seen by multiple people at the site of origin for both fires. He was caught shortly after with handfuls of matches in his pockets. He was known as an arson from previous little things he had done, or tried to set fire too, and was known as a thief.
Oh and he's also back in prison for life after only 4 years out because of armed robbery charges and other charges... So yea... let your heart bleed for this worthless fuck, he got what he deserved the first time around.. He killed all those people by setting that fire.
2:14am here in Washington State US.
Sending love to whoever reads this. ❤️
Hello from Wisconsin originally from Chi, Sup? 🙂✌️
Sydney, Australia at 7.28pm
18:40 Korean time 🌅
Make this a great one (morning, day or night)!
I met Louis Taylor a few years ago while out in the world in Tucson. It was kind of surreal to me, I work in the fire service and know some of the TFD people on scene when the hotel burned. Wish nothing but peace and closure to all of those lost, and the families affected.
Funny how fireproof and unsinkable keep popping up in these videos. Great video as always.
i love staying up late nights for your 10am your time uploads :))
I see a common issue. An unsinkable ship…… a fireproof hotel…..
The sky falling...
A chocolate teapot
One of the things I like the most about these videos is the lessons that people learn in the wake of tragedies like this. Sometimes all it takes is someone to stand up and say, "We can't let something like this happen again!" Lesson learned. Another thing I like are the improvements and/or preventative measures taken afterward so that such tragedies don't happen again. Another excellent video! 😎👍
Tucson is my hometown and where I currently live! I work only a few blocks from the pioneer building. It's rumored to be so haunted it's hard to keep tenants on some floors. Thanks for posting!
Have you considered covering the 1946 Winecroff Hotel fire in Atlanta, Georgia, USA? It's a good fit with your channel and I don't recall seeing it here. I am, as always, fascinated by the horrifying content you provide. Great lessons in every video, all respectfully done. Thanks!
One of the annoying things about this case is that the investigating police officer was massively racist and focused on the one black youth seen at the scene and decided that it must have been him that started the fire. There’s a clip of the cop saying that he knows it was Louis Taylor as “[mild racist slur] have a history of setting small fires or setting of the fire alarm so they can rob the rooms”. This over looks the fact that the original fire investigation said that there was two fires that started at the same time, that Louis Taylor was seen running from door to door banging on them to inform people about the fire but at no point did he go into any of the rooms as was rushing off to the next one as soon as it was clear the guest was coming or the room was empty and it ignores the fact that it would be incredibly daft and risky to start a fire and then stay in the building to rob it.
Hopefully the bastard burns in hell for his racist actions that ruined a man's life
Always the scapegoat...a crime that always goes unpunished.
no racist slurs are mild.
So many imitators of your style popping up nowadays - you're still the best
As an AZ native I have never heard of this and appreciate the history!
great school system you have not teaching local history
Me too & I'm old enough. How things were so hidden from US State to US State, except by word of mouth!!!
@@mrhead6856 yep they're more worried about teaching us about the same old same old
Mr horror, i just want to say thank you for not injecting your own person into these videos like the absolute majority of people tend to do. You stay respectful and don't insert some personal agenda or any other thing common with youtubers. You really are special, keep upgrading my anxiety
What happened to Loius Taylor was unforgivable. AZ owes him so, so much.
This channel is so interesting. Thanks for the great content!
not only is each tragedy completely engrossing, excellently researched and delivered in compassionate and sympathetic manner, but i also find i'm broadening my vocabulary and being introduced to new words with each new episode. This channel is simply excellent. Not too far now until the fully deserved 1M subscribers
Facts. Nothing but appreciation and love for this channel.
"They claimed it was absolutely fire proof" - said every burnt down hotel/theatre ever.
It's like saying "They lit up a room" about a beloved murder victim 😭
I can’t stress enough how much I LOVE this channel.
Ooooh another one I’ve never heard of!!
Another top shelf production of a horrendous event, thank you Fascinating Horror!!!🙏😢
24 Seconds after upload. A new record for me!
Hey congrats!
I'm wondering how we might be able to streamline the process? _enters field of rhetorics_
Step 1 - Write a notepad document up for yourself and have it open and on standby for when your favourite 'Tubers upload.
Step 2 - Write something long that will stump other initiates to the freshly uploaded video of squee as to how you managed to type it up so quickly (but don't forget to include the catchphrase 'First' or 'Last time I was this early..." or something similar to make sure you always remain the person that liked everything before it was cool.
Step 3 - Practice using a stop watch to analyze how quickly those copy-paste skills are . Do dexterity exercises as well as reflex exercises to cut down your reaction time in the moment of thrill and elation when your fave 'Tuber does upload. Battle with your friends. Turn it into a competition. Get in touch with the creator themselves so you know exactly when they're about to upload and people will start to believe that you're psychic.
(caveat! no hate implied whatsoever - this is a whimsical contribution to what could be the literally the next form of Olympics_
@@igitha..._ 😂😂😂
We should almost certainly be friends! 😎👍🇦🇺🍻
@@Aaron_Hanson I reckon!!
Straya!!! Melbs!!
*Slaps the air enthusiastically in high five style!*
@@igitha..._ Love your reply!
On a side note, my significant other isn't a fan of my quickness.
@@christopherhall8920 Thank you and also Lmao!!!!!!!! Comedy genius! *joy emoji*
It's really nice to have a lil lighter-heartedness in the comment section of such tragic but also at the same time incredible video content!
Mega love prosperity and blessings to you and your missus!
*\Troy McClure voice* Practice makes perfect or something something I'm not a relationship counselor but I may or may not have allegedly played one on television
Sounds like you've got a good lady for that to be the case! I'm sure you'll both make super mega happy times together for a long long time to come and whether it be this year or next year or the year after that or the year after that or six months after that or the Summer or Spring or the decade after that one day yes indeed one day my new internet kindred friend one day I guarantee your beau will either come to accept and love and cherish and truly embrace your quickness and go-gettem'ness because its part of who you are in the core of your being in your DNA and spirit and bone marrow ! Quick witted and quick in other ways not disclosed or approved for declassification beyond the realms of adult imagination and quite certainly not for the faint of heart or the dull minded to attempt to comprehend or B) you'll both meet in the middle like running on a beach with your shoes off feet in the sand waves pounding the ocean clothes flapping in the wind hair if you have it flapping in the wind arms outstretched the skin of which also may be flapping in the wind ( I dunno I dunno how old you are at this point I'm yet to contact the creator and convince people I'm psychic) ... and suddenly one of you exclaims loudly enough so that the other can hear it how long you've been running for and then you finally bridge the gap of distance between you running on the sand I mean it took a long long time and you were both super puffed out from yelling and running and flapping and then finally you both congratulate each other on making it to Olympic marathon championship status and you'll probably win something like the lottery or a puppy or a ticket to meet a guy who owns a stork that brings a bundle of nappies and joy and legacy and responsibility and the future of the planet and human kind itself! Either way it sounds like a great ride!
Enjoy ay!
_beams oodles and cabooses of hearts and happy through the internet_
I love your delivery and reporting. A suggestion, The June 24, 1973 arson fire of the Up Stairs Lounge. 32 people perished. There is one haunting photo of a victim trying to escape.
Woke up with a headache, so glad I saw you post, great work as always!
That's always the worst, hope you feel better.
@@KristenDETW Thank you!! (◍•ᴗ•◍)❤
I feel your pain. I have daily headaches (migraines). Hope you are feeling better.
@@misslesslie2235 thank you so much! You guys really made my morning. I appreciate you.
I take to heart what you show here , both for the tragedy and the triumph , you never know when it might happen to you
I randomly met Louie Taylor at work today. He identified himself as the person who was wrongly-accused of the Pioneer Hotel fire in 1970. I can't imagine what he's been through in the decades that he was in prison and it was a bit odd that he was so quick to tell me about his past. I love your channel and content.
Dude you always treat these with such respect, and research them so well. Thank you so much for making these!
Your presentation of this case was exceptional! Oddly, I find I don't comment, or commend that often; but, I feel I should as Fascinating Horror has never uploaded anything that wasn't astonishing, interesting, well researched, & delivered in a professional manner. So, I guess saying thanks for sharing your work efforts would be more befitting.
I've never heard of a fire department assuming a call was fake. I thought they had to go to a call regardless.
Maybe this is why that rule was implemented.
They generally do. But sometimes, things happen poorly. ;(
This is one of my favorite channels and i love that you are so well spoken🙏🏻
I'm a 63 year old Tucson native with vivid memories of the aftermath of that fire. Tucson was in the middle of transforming from a small city to a big city, and as lessons learned are sometimes painful, so it was that night.
Yay! This was my topic suggestion made a few months ago!!
Great job FH!!!
It really upsets me that Taylor was convicted. In other tragedies you covered people who were explicitly at fault walked away without a conviction and yet this man not only gets convicted, but spends several decades in jail before he is released.
Gotta love all the people immediately jumping to him being innocent with even less evidence than the police had to convict him...
There's a lot that this video didn't point out. (Like he was seen near the points of origins, and that he was caught with tons of matches in his pockets.)
But hey for all of you that are still convinced they got the wrong guy.. He's back in prison for armed robbery. So yea.. Innocent... sure... He got what he deserved the first time around..
That's racial profiling for you
Your channel always amazes me! Not only do you cover some amazing stories but your presentation is incredible. It's a nice balance between sounding very foreboding but doing so without being sensational and being respectful and informative of the tragedy itself. Always a favorite watch every Tuesday!
I absolutely love your videos. The research that goes into them, the way you tell the stories, and the information you include are brilliant. I look forward to each and every one. Thank you!
I love this channel it's so interesting!
I've lived in Tucson for more than a decade now and I wasn't aware of this tragedy! The bones of the building are still there, now an office building with some commerce spaces on the ground floor. I've had tea there! So bizarre. You'd think there'd at least be a plaque somewhere on the building.
Also, I like the way you pronounce "Tucson" like "Garçon."
Ike's or Bombole for tea? I'd imagine the current management of Pioneer want to distance themselves from the fire so as to not possibly scare off potential occupants. Which is silly, but there you go.
This channel really does take the time to give quality details about these places and their history. It doesn’t sound like someone is just reading word for word from an online article. Fantastic job on these videos. Thank you.
Always something different, usually something I haven't heard of, I love it, this is the first upload since I subbed that I haven't been here for when it dropped. Great stuff, please keep it up
Great content as always
“Hello, this is the fire department how can I help you?”
“HELP!!! There’s a huge fire at the Pioneer hotel!! Billowing smoke, we can’t breathe!!”
*long pause*
“Ooooooooh that’s a good prank! Alright have a nice evening!”
You have more inspiration for the channel in the news today. Keep up the great work. This is history.
It’s crazy that I have lived in Arizona my entire life and haven’t heard about this case. That’s what I love about this channel, you always cover unique cases that aren’t very well known. Thank you for all your consistent hard work!
OMG I literally live less than a mile from the Pioneer and had never heard of this or the terrible ordeal Louis Taylor went through. I can attest to our stellar fire department(and not so stellar police😒)
Amazing video as always. You've definitely motivated me into going for a walk to check it out later today!
Taylor pled 'no contest'...
@@bill_the_butcherAnother insensitive soul,Eh Bill?????
@@NannupTiger some 30 years later in order to get released, yes he did.
@@NannupTiger your evidence is compelling lmao
@@jemmabean what "evidence"? It was said in the episode...
it’s genuinely painful to me that taylor spent *so much of his life* in prison. he should have been graduating, going to college, finding a career path he wanted, moving out and getting his own place for the first time. he had so much valuable time robbed from him.
The absolute best narration is always found here. I love this channel and I like this video. Always do 🙂Thank you
I admire the way you always point out any thing positive that resulted. Thank you for reminding us to look for the silver lining
Maybe a bit macabre but I like how these videos come out on Tuesdays - now I can call it Tragedy Tuesday and be guaranteed some somber stories by good ol' FH
0:43 - Well then it's a good thing they didn't declare it unsinkable.
As soon as I here the music and the calm delivery, I am already fascinated! I agree: I haven’t heard many of these tragedies.
Huh. As a Tucson resident, I was randomly hit with a desire to learn more about the Pioneer. Imagine my surprise to see one of my favorite history channels uploaded a video yesterday! Thank you! Informative and excellent as ever. For the record, the Pioneer is a lovely building still, and maintains the original facade on the first floor as you can see in the end of the video. I would recommend trying the Chicken Tikka Masala from the mexican-indian fusion restaurant occupying the first floor there, Bombole. Five stars!
My mother lives in Tucson and I've been visiting for decades. Never had heard of this one. Poor Louie Taylor, I could not imagine being wrongfully convicted for 29 deaths.
I really hope Taylor is having a great life after having been wrongfully convicted, too many of cases like these happen im glad he was pardoned albeit it took many decades. May good things come to him.
They offered him freedom for 'no contest.'
4 years after his release he committed an armed robbery. Criminals never change.
According to Wikipedia he was arrested for armed robbery just 4 years after being released.
I dislike being the one to break it to you but he wasn’t pardoned and his life didn’t go too well after his plea deal.
One of the reasons they offered Louis Taylor an Alford deal is that it makes it impossible for him to sue anyone for his wrongful conviction. Arizona doesn’t pay compensation for wrongful convictions, which means that in order for Louis Taylor to get paid anything for his life being ruined he first has to get his conviction overturned, in other words get a court to say he was innocent, and then he can sue for being wrongfully convicted and being falsely imprisoned. However an Alford plea is basically guilty plea where the person isn’t saying that they did the crime but rather that the case is strong enough for both sides that neither party wish to risk a trial. Louis took a plea deal that gave him his freedom but at the same time stole his ability to get compensation for his stolen liberty.
What makes the case even worse is that because he was sentenced to time served he wasn’t paroled or put in to a transitioning program. Normally when someone has served a long sentence, especially if it from a young age, they’re slowly downgraded to lower security prisons and they’re put into a transitioning program which aims to teach them life skills that they’ll need once that get out. Louis Taylor didn’t get any of that, one day he was in a maximum security prison looking at dying in a prison hospital and the next day he’s given some clothes and told “you’re free to go, now fuck off and be someone else’s problem”.
eu.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2019/03/25/plea-deals-people-who-claim-wrongful-conviction-tucson-louis-taylor-pioneer-hotel-fire-alford-plea/3167744002/
I hope he is living his best life now to but he was robbed of the best time period of his life. He was 16 when he went to prison, then held hostage there for 43 years. I don't care if he signed a no contest plea he should be given millions if dollars for his wrongful imprisonment.
Hey I've been watching your videos for some time now. Congratulations on your subscriber count! You completely deserve it! You show us stuff we've never heard about. Thank you for your hard work
Tucson resident here. This is an excellent piece on a little bit of our local history. This event is still remembered by us long time residents. Seeing you handle this respectfully, and with well researched information, just reinforces my trust in your other videos.
I know it is a questionable desire, but I do hope history has enough disasters left in store to feed this extraordinary channel for as long as I live. Its fact-oriented, respectful and humane approach is an oasis in the barren social media landscape.
Oh, I am sure the presenter has a bookshelf full of to-be-done stories. A questionable desire, for sure, but one I definitely share.
There's surely hundreds, if not thousands, of untold disaster stories that most of us have never heard of. You'd run out of the highly publicized and globally remembered ones pretty quickly, but look a little deeper and you'll find lifetimes' worth.
Notification gang hell yea never miss an upload
Your uploads are one of the highlights of my week. I love this channel
Favorite UA-cam channel, thank you for the uploads
Wrongly excused people usually get some sort of payout when released. But because he took the no contest plea to get out he gets nothing? I don’t have a lot of knowledge in this area but it really looks like he got screwed. No other way around it.
Clearly it’s still racial sadly
i love the frenchification of your pronunciation of Tucson lol
I've lived in Tucson for half my life, but I've never heard about this, this is fascinating! Always grateful for the knowledge and awareness you bring to me
Thank you so much for sharing with us history that has been mostly forgotten, You Are Amazing.
Damn, they railroaded that poor kid and then when they did release him made sure he couldn't sue, what asshats.
I remember seeing a “60 Minutes” story on Taylor and the questions around his conviction. I’m glad you made space in your video for him.
I love your voice and UK accent, you're soothing to listen to after a hectic days work. And your stories are very entertaining and enlightening.
I've driven past this location many times and did not know the whole story. We are very proud of TFD.