Denmark Place fire

Coordinates: 51°30′55″N 0°07′46″W / 51.51528°N 0.12944°W / 51.51528; -0.12944

The Denmark Place fire occurred on 16 August 1980 at 18 Denmark Place in Central London, United Kingdom. The fire, caused by arson, killed 37 people of eight different nationalities, most of whom were Spanish or Latin American, who were patrons of two unlicensed bars in the building. At the time, The Sunday Times suggested that it could be "the worst mass murder in British history".

There were two unlicensed but popular bars on the top two floors of 18 Denmark Place: The Spanish Rooms, a late night bar frequented by locals, including Irish and Jamaican immigrants; and Rodo's, also known as El Dandy, a salsa club popular with South American immigrants. Access to both of these bars was obtained by shouting up from the street below in order to obtain a key. The only way into both of these clubs was through a locked front door and up some stairs leading to a landing. Access to the club on the lower floor was via this landing and access to the club on the upper floor was via a fire escape enclosed with plywood. Both bars, being unlicensed, were obscured from the outside world by boarded up windows and the door on Denmark Street that led to the fire escape was bolted shut. The Metropolitan Police were aware of the clubs and were planning to shut them both down on Monday 18 August. A farewell party was being thrown over the weekend.