Both fires spread with astonishing speed, thought to have been fueled by highly combustible materials mounted near or onto walls and ceilings. In the case of the Cocoanut Grove fire, there is evidence that some people succumbed to toxins released by the burning materials, and not to the flames or to asphyxiation as the fire burned available oxygen. In the case of The Station nightclub fire, professionals hired by lawyers representing the victims are looking into the possible role of toxins in the death toll.

Patrons in both cases did not immediately realize there was a fire in the building, and, when they did, many attempted to go out the way they had entered, blocking main exits and unknowingly bypassing others. Exit signs in the Cocoanut Grove were poorly marked; those in The Station nightclub reportedly became obscured by smoke. Questions surround the thoroughness of fire inspections of both buildings prior to the blazes.

Nearly half of the Cocoanut Grove’s patrons (492 people) died. One-hundred people died in The Station nightclub blaze. The Station nightclub incident is still under investigation.