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The Hartford Circus Fire
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Dark HistoryApr 29, 2026

The Hartford Circus Fire

The Hartford Circus Fire On July 6, 1944, the Ringling Bros. tent went up in flames. It was a matinee. The crowd was full of children. The canvas had been waterproofed with paraffin and gasoline. It burned in minutes. 167 people died in Hartford that afternoon.

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On July 6, 1944, the Hartford circus fire under the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey big top in Hartford, Connecticut killed 167 people and injured over 700 when the paraffin-and-gasoline-waterproofed canvas tent ignited during an afternoon performance attended by roughly 7,000 spectators.
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On July 6, 1944, the Hartford circus fire under the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey big top in Hartford, Connecticut killed 167 people and injured over 700 when the paraffin-and-gasoline-waterproofed canvas tent ignited during an afternoon performance attended by roughly 7,000 spectators.
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