Denmark Place fire

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

Denmark Place fire
Memorial to the victims of the fire
Location18 Denmark Place, Central London, UK
Date16 August 1980
Attack type
Arson, mass murder
Deaths37
Injured23
PerpetratorJohn Thompson
MotiveArgument with bartender

The Denmark Place fire occurred on 16 August 1980 at 18 Denmark Place in Central London. The fire, caused by arson, killed 37 people of eight nationalities. Most of the victims were Spanish or Latin American, and were patrons of two unlicensed bars in the building. At the time, The Sunday Times said the fire could be "the worst mass murder in British history".