On Dec. 11, 1934, the Kerns Hotel in Lansing caught fire, killing 34 people, including seven Michigan lawmakers. State lawmakers and community leaders would stay at the four-story hotel when visiting Michiganโs capital. Just before the fire, the Legislature had been called to Lansing for a special session regarding the November election, and many booked rooms at the Kerns Hotel.
Authorities believe the fire was started by a cigarette that was carelessly discarded by the hotel manager in his office. At the time, there were 211 rooms and a popular restaurant inside the Kerns Hotel. The building was 25 years old with a brick exterior and a wooden interior. At about 5 a.m., Dec. 11, 1934, a janitor working in a building across the street saw a curtain on the hotelโs second floor on fire.
After he called the fire department, the entire second floor was engulfed. When fire crews arrived, the building was almost entirely ablaze. An estimated 215 guests were registered that morning. Most escaped by using the fire escape on the buildingโs south side, leaping into nets from the fire department or being rescued by fire crews with ladders.
