As factory workers prepared to go home after a long day at the Triangle Waist Company, Eva Harris suddenly cried out “fire!” Smoking flames near a fabric cutting table jumped to overflowing bins of cloth scraps, soon igniting the factory. Trying to escape the flames, many panicked workers jumped to their deaths as firefighters raced to the scene. In The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, kids will read about one of the worst factory fires in U.S. history through the narratives of those who experienced the March 1911 tragedy. Readers will discover what caused the fire, and learn how new safety regulations and procedures help prevent such deadly tragedies today. A series of primary-source quotes from witnesses reveal the human drama, while a “Profiles” section lists people related to the fire.
