Exploring The Fire That Changed Arizona Forever

In its long and storied history, Arizona has seen its fair share of disasters, but none compare to the Pioneer Hotel Fire.

It was a tragedy that changed the way we look at fire damage, and sprung one of Arizona's most controversial court cases of all time.

Tucson's Darkest Day

On December 20th, 1970, Tucson's illustrious Pioneer Hotel caught fire. The blaze raged quickly, and made its way up the 11 floors of the building, causing distressed guests to throw themselves out of windows to avoid the flames.

In total, 28 people perished as a result of the fire, and the state wanted answers. After the smoke cleared (literally) Tucson police concluded the fire was arson, seeing two separate points of ignition on the fourth floor. It wasn't long after that they caught their man, but the controversy surrounding the arrest, no one could have expected.

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The Aftermath

16 year old Louis Taylor was arrested in connection to the fires, with no physical evidence. Taylor, mixed Mexican and Black, was convicted in 1972 by an all-white jury, leading the judge to question the Jury's decision. Taylor was sentenced to life in prison for 28 counts of murder.

He was released in 2013, after the investigation reopened, and found no evidence to suggest arson whatsoever. Taylor was credited for his 42 years in prison, and now walks a free man, after giving most of his life up for a crime he did not commit.

The fire also shined a light on the very lax fire codes at the time, permanently changing them across the nation, with the most notable being a mandatory placement of sprinklers and smoke detectors in any building over four stories.

[Southern Arizona Guide][Pima County Public Library][Historic Tucson via Facebook][AZ Justice Project via Instagram]