On June 25, 1914, Salem, Massachusetts experienced a catastrophic blaze known as the Great Salem Fire, which consumed over 1,300 buildings and left 18,000 residents homeless. The source of this massive disaster was traced to volatile celluloid stock stored at a local manufacturing plant. Celluloid, an early thermoplastic made from nitrocellulose and camphor, was notoriously unstable.
When exposed to hot summer temperatures without adequate ventilation, stored celluloid could spontaneously decompose, generating its own oxygen and intense heat until it ignited in an explosive combustion. On that muggy June afternoon, a mixture of volatile solvents and celluloid dust violently ignited inside the facility. Within minutes, series of chemical explosions ripped through the building, sending fiery debris high into the air.
High winds rapidly carried the blazing embers across the timber-heavy city, completely overpowering local fire brigades. The sheer speed of the celluloid-fueled combustion rendered standard firefighting useless, as nitrocellulose burns aggressively even without ambient air due to its chemical oxygen content. The fire raged for thirteen hours, destroying entire neighborhoods.
The tragedy served as a landmark wake-up call for industrial safety, triggering sweeping changes nationwide regarding how synthetic materials and explosive chemical compounds were handled and stored.