Six Flags Great Adventure Haunted Castle Fire Part 2 of 5

[@michelemassa7471]

This morning I looked at the calendar and saw May 11th and, not to sound dramatic, quite literally felt an involuntary knot in my stomach. It happens that way when a profound experience lives somewhere within you but not close enough to the surface that you can readily identify, But it doesn't take more than a few seconds to remember and I begin to count the years by 10s starting with 84, 94, 2004, 2014, 15, 16. It's been 32 two years to the day. It's not something that I let my mind focus on too often because it's traumatic, scary and terribly sad to think of the kids who died and the pain of loss that their family and friends must have gone through. Some memories are too painful to keep on your mind too often... I was 16 years old when we went on our school trip to Six Flags that day. I was in the long line to get into the Haunted Castle with my best friend and a few minutes before we would go in, she decided that she didn't want to go. Her decision not to go in changed my position in line and ultimately bumped me into a different grouping of kids entering the haunted house. What I remember about this haunted house is that it was way too dark inside. It was Noticeably. Way. Too. Dark. Inside, even for a haunted house!! I couldn't see anything except for blackness and scary characters jumping out at me. The characters were scary in the fun adrenaline-rush way we expect, jumping out at us and us screaming and clutching each other and laughing. At the same time I was also scared because I was disoriented, literally having to feel the walls to figure out the way through. The walls inside felt like fake stone, meaning it had the rough texture of stone, but real stone is hard and cold and this felt somehow softer and room temperature. Having to feel my way through the pitch dark made me want to take the lighter from my pocket and use it to see a way, but I'd thought of something that my father had said many times when we were at amusement parks. My father is a builder and he often said that a lot of building facades in amusement parks are made of asbestos and that material could go up in flames in a second so I decided not to use the lighter. When I exited the haunted mansion, my best friend was waiting for me. I remember walking up to her, I remember smiling and laughing about to tell her about the it, the sudden smell of fire, seeing black and grey smoke, hearing terrible screams, and running away in real terror from the engulfed haunted mansion. There were no cell phones at that time, but I knew that this fire would be on news very quickly so I first ran to a payphone to call my parents and let them know that I was alright. There were many schools at the park that day, and one image that stays with me always is the unanimous look of hopeless panic on the faces of kids and teachers who wondered if their student or their classmate was stuck inside. It was mass scrambled of chaos. Everyone seemed to have the same group instinct which was to want to run toward the building to try to save the kids inside, but instead we held each other back, and in random huddles held onto each other, crying, grieving instantly for whomever (friend or stranger) was in there. We stood powerless to do anything to help the people inside. After 32 years, It's still surreal to think about and remember that reality. There is a piece/peace of myself that will always remain with the kids in the group behind me, who lost their lives that day...

[@stupidnamewaster]

damn...

[@erinmack9384]

I understand you’re feeling so fortunate. I was spared from the Station Fire here in Rhode Island because last minute my girlfriend decided she wanted to do a make up shift at work. I lost three friends that night. We are here for a reason, so don’t waste it!!!

[@redheadwithafierytemper5668]

@@erinmack9384 So sorry for your loss.That fire was horrific. I watched the trial and there is no way the justice system could punish everyone involved in why so many people were trapped and died there short of them suffering the same fate. Other fires like this over the years are why if I walk into a place that's packed or sketchy looking I am out of there.

[@redheadwithafierytemper5668]

I can't even imagine having to stand by and watch something like this and know there is nothing you can do. Also to know that just by luck/chance you left before being one that was trapped.To know that this could have been avoided had the park listened about the safety issues yet chose to save money even though they were making tons off of this attraction.Just because it had wheels on the trailer shouldn't have stopped them needing a license and being forced to provide the adequate safety features. Once those trailers were connected to one another and that facade was attached that was no longer a movable attraction. I hope everyone that got away with those kids deaths saw their bodies everywhere and have never had a full night's sleep because of the nightmares but those kind of people don't usually care about anything but the almighty dollar. Thank you for sharing your story about your first hand experience.

[@scootermom1791]

I hadn't heard of this disaster before watching a different documentary about this fire. A commenter from that documentary mentioned your documentary to get more specific, detailed information, which is why I'm here. I have to mention a very freaky thing that happened to me last Saturday (April 15) when I first started watching this documentary. I was into part 2 when I started smelling smoke. I was thinking, "that's weird! Am I smelling smoke just because I'm watching a YT video about a fire that occurred almost 40 years ago?!? That's never happened before!" So, I checked everything in my apartment, and, thankfully, nothing was on fire. However, the smell was stronger when my furnace was on. I'd quickly checked it one time already, but I checked it more thoroughly a second time. That's when I heard the very faint sound of the smoke alarm from upstairs! I'd already checked outside to see if there was any smoke from any other apartment, and there hadn't been. However, after hearing the alarm while I was in the furnace room again, I ran upstairs, banged on the door, and rang the doorbell several times then called the fire department when no one answered. As it turns out, there was, indeed, a fire upstairs. I live in a duplex with a top and bottom apartment. If I hadn't been home, my darling pets would have died from smoke inhalation or worse. A couple of days ago, I found out the fire was deliberately set! The person upstairs left all four of her electric burners on before she left her apartment. She had a cat and dog whom she left behind to die in the fire. Thankfully, the fire department arrived in time to save both of them. They actually had to resuscitate the cat. It was so tiny! I can only hope they get homes with people who will cherish them and spoil them like crazy after all they went through (poor babies). Anyway, sorry for the long comment, but I thought it was very ironic all this occurred right after I started watching your documentary. I mean, what are the odds? Lol

[@compozer76]

I was there in 1984. we just got off the ferris wheel and I wanted to go in the haunted house. I heard screaming and saw flames. I remember a cover band in the food court trying to get everyone's attention off the fire as she sang...??? Dolly Parton covers??? It was a scary day. I was 8 years old.

[@Truckguy1970]

This was nothing but a recipe for disaster. Tar paper, plywood, foam padding, wooden framing etc. what you end up with is a fire loading that makes for a lot of smoke and a very hot fire, they may as well have drenched their walls with kerosene.

[@trixiebbeldon7413]

Awesome documentary! I was at the park the Monday before the fire! Friends & I used lighters to see where we were going inside the castle because it was pitch black. I walked into walls twice.

[@bradhig]

It could have been much worse if both mazes were open. People in the blue maze wouldn't have known about the fire until smoke and fire entered it.

[@sasukedbgt]

My uncle which Eric Rodriguez was one of the kids that died in the fire he had just graduated from high school my grandmother talks about him all the the time don't think she knows about this documentary I think it would be to much for her

[@jiggleykrowzer8768]

sasukedbgt My thoughts and prayers. I don't care WHAT kind of people they were because to me they were just kids trying to have fun at a theme park and that theme part only seeing money didn't care at all about the safety of their "guests" or even their employees. This should've never happened and obviously Six Flags got off scott free and even exploited the horrible tragedy

[@angelicareal7381]

I think about all the victims often so please know that you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.

[@bustakitayancey7261]

@@jiggleykrowzer8768 wow how did they exploit the sad tragedy?

[@bebaleena]

Hi I’m your uncle Eric Rodriguez cousin I been looking for your dad and grandparents!

[@ericolson1430]

Im sorry that is a terrible tragedy. You know the kid in the quiet riot shirt started that fire

[@BlyEdBee]

My mom visited the park the week before the fire, she was in her early 20's then. I was 5 and remember my grandma talking about it. I still have the old postcard of the Haunted Castle.

[@drpeterjamessmith]

Suzette was the sole survivor from the group who perished. There were other groups in the castle at the time, a group ahead of them, who passed the fire and escaped, and at least one group behind them that had just entered the first of the trailers. They were sent back to the main entrance, coughing in the thickening smoke. This is mentioned in the film. I am not sure if they person claiming to be a survivor is from this group. Perhaps he is. Thanks. Pete Smith, filmmaker

[@wrodriguez1us]

Eric was my Half Brother when he died it crushed our Little sister Denise. I hope our father found peace.

[@drpeterjamessmith]

I am so sorry to hear this. Thank you for watching the video.

[@C_Holloway]

So sorry for your loss. :*(

[@bebaleena]

Hi I’m family of Eric I been looking for his parents and brother

[@bebaleena]

Hi I been looking for your father

[@Lyubov91]

@jackbuster When I toured the castle 2 years before the tragedy, I noticed right away how unsafe it was. You're right: there weren't enough emergency exits. The castle was dark and very scary, and I wanted to get out right away but couldn't because of the lack of exits.

[@Juliab4312]

i worked there this past season, the entire section of the music express and the bumper cars is closed off to guest, and available for employs only to get from one end of the part to the other... but its so over grown and a hunting feeling comes over me as i walk back there, recetly i asked my mom about the section, and she said she was working there when the fire occoured. its very haunting back there and now i see why!! someone should get a ghost hunting crew back there!!!

[@eubanky2112]

i was there that day i was 22 my friends and i were on our way in when we saw flames and we were pushed back and he fire got bigger nobody knew anyone was in the castle so many thought it was cool. ill tell you it took forever for the fire trucks to get there. after 30 mins they gave us free passes to got all vistors out never telling anybody had died in there.

[@izzypadilla5954]

I only live 20 minutes away from this park and I never knew about this. R.I.P to all of the 8 people who died in this horrible tragedy. This is just horrible.

[@shantiepio7199]

18

[@ThrillsofColdplay]

This gives me chills even though I know about this

[@drpeterjamessmith]

The walls in this area were painted with photosensitive paint, in the colors of green and orange. The blacklight highlighted the paint.

[@Superdeath25]

I learned about this fire on a Rob Dyke video about amusement park accidents. Scary just how unsafe this attraction was and that the park knew it

[@drpeterjamessmith]

Hey. I never heard of Ron Dyke or that piece he did on the Haunted Castle. I am praising his work for the reason that he did not shamelessly rip off my content or research at all and I GET THAT CRAP ALL THE TIME and I see other videos that use my animations and video the entire time without getting permission ever, although some, but not all have put a note of credit in them. Also, they use my research, sometimes word for word, using facts that took me years as an award-winning investigative reporter who was issued an exclusive and highly respected award for research for my work in the Haunted Castle. So, I will watch these other videos and they use things I had to bust my ass to find out over the course of like 5 years, and it makes me hopping mad at the shameless rip offs. I can say that Rob Dyke is pretty off in just about all his facts though. First, he says all the kids who died went to Franklin K. Lane in Brooklyn. 5 of them did, but not the other 3. He said that Suzette Elliot was a star witness and was able to say she knew and saw how the fire started and that is untrue. Suzette was once a good friend of mine and she didn't see any such thing. He also said the kid who lit the fire did something like being push up against the wall and that is how the fire started. That is also untrue. There was one kid with a lighter, and he set a polyurethane foam pad on fire in the presence of another teenaged kid, who is the one who told the police how the fire had started. The kid intended to damage the wall and thought he was going to melt the pad. However, polyurethane foam is almost impossible to put out and is very flammable. Once he set the pad on fire, both of those boys make attempts to try to put it off, but could not. It just got huge instantly and they ran off. Four people right behind them were able to pass the fire before it really took hold, but the 8 who died and Suzette were caught up in the middle of the maze, and there was no way or time for all of them to get out. She barely did. But I don't think Rob Dyke is really a journalist, he makes creepy videos. In fact, even though he is off on those key issues, that is practically gospel in comparison to the lies, cover-ups and just plain other bullshit I have had to correct over the years!

[@abdielmelendez2739]

@@drpeterjamessmith What do you think about Theme park history’s video on the haunted castle?

[@zachbalent1806]

@@drpeterjamessmith THANK YOU FOR BEING SO CLEAR

[@shopsshire9282]

Anybody watching this film after the February 3rd, 2023 train derailment of vinyl chloride in East Palestine Ohio on the Norfolk Southern train that was not inspected properly.

[@stevarino1989]

it's been 30 years ago (Sunday) that the haunted castle burned down. I wasn't born until June 1989 and didn't know about the fire until 25 years later. I live in Western NY so I could drive to NJ and go to the park and make a 2 day vacation out of it. I still like going in haunted houses.

[@racheldianeames3729]

Im betting the location of where the haunted castle attraction used to be located at NJ six flags great adventure is still haunted in 2019 by the spirits of the 8 kids whom lost their lives in the 1984 tragedy

[@ThrillsofColdplay]

I would love to find out actually or hear from people

[@280zxcowboys]

I remember this fire and the day after that was supposed to be a record attendance for the park. I later went on to work for Six Flags there for 3 summers and this fire was talked about often as well as the death on lightning loops.

[@robertjromero9488]

If that story of a kid using his lighter to see through the dark caused the blaze, it just goes to show the change in the times. First of all, I don't smoke, but I did a similar thing in The Fright Walk at SCBB using cell phone light instead. You just don;t think about this sort of thing, and crazy me, I just look at those exit doors along the way for people who can't take the fright.

[@drpeterjamessmith]

Every safety feature required in a haunted house attraction today is a direct result of the Haunted Castle fire, which was investigated by the National Fire Protection Association. The official name of such a place is a "Special Amusement Building."

[@johnfoltz8183]

Safety instructions are usually written in blood

[@ericolsen18]

they are building a new ride on top of the spot where the haunted castle/autobahn was.

[@Lyubov91]

I have to admit I really like this documentary regardless of whatever flaws it has, probably because I toured the Haunted Castle almost exactly two years before it burn down, and let me tell you, it was a scary place in more ways than one.

[@pika23]

i heard that too...also the screams of the dying people...were mistaken for a sound effects tape...how God awful

[@drpeterjamessmith]

Possibly, but the blue side was not touched by the fire for a period of time long enough to where they could have easily evacuated it. However the blue side was closed this night. It was not busy enough, and there was a hole in the floor of one of the trailers I am told that needed to be fixed before peak season.

[@drpeterjamessmith]

I am almost certain that the Mahana's of New Jersey built the St. Louis house also. There also was a Mahana haunted house at Riverside Park in Mass, later Six Flags New England. All were removed shortly after the G.A. fire.

[@joeiraca6456]

yes it's me , and for most part it's accurate..just a really bad memory for me and hard to watch

[@angelicareal7381]

Joe Iraca Wow...nice to hear from you! I'm so sorry you're still affected by the memories of this tragedy today. I can't imagine what it must have been like for you to be a witness to such horror. My thoughts and prayers are always with you and everyone involved in this fire. 🙏🏻❤

[@johnsmith-lk4ci]

prayers to you bro. I was there the next morning and it affected me.

[@drpeterjamessmith]

The barrel was painted with green and orange florescent paint that illuminated with the nearby blacklight. Again, this is why the area is often referred to as hunchback/blacklight.

[@Truckguy1970]

There was nothing left of anything, even some of the metal itself was actually on fire.

[@drpeterjamessmith]

Suzette is the soul survivor from her group, who all perished but her. There were others in the castle at the time, that's for sure, so there certainly are other "survivors", but none quite like Suzette, trapped like a caged rat.

[@drpeterjamessmith]

From what I heard, people who congregated near the front of the castle during the first few minutes of the fire could hear screaming and pounding from inside the paper thin walls between trailers and the facade. Although some had said they thought it was the soundtrack, the sound track was only organ music, whistles, high-pitched noises, but no sustained screaming and banging.

[@drpeterjamessmith]

At first they did have tour guides, but that fell by the way when SFGA Show Operations took over the day to day running of the Haunted Castle. That night, they had a "rover", but he was not in the proper spot when the fire broke out.

[@zac613]

@Dukette100 i know this is late but....your son is safe and the park pretty much got rid of almost all of their flat rides.it's a shame of all the deaths that has happened in that park. No wonder the park closed off the area where the Haunted Castle was.... the spirits r pissed at the park for covering up the deaths and making it seem like the deaths never happened.

[@drpeterjamessmith]

No. The manned stations (in order): Butcher, Hunchback, Phantom and sometimes there was an actor stationed at "Graveyard" at the very end. Rat Lady, Coffin, Lady on Wheel & Frankenstein were displays behind plexiglass.

[@drpeterjamessmith]

The person who led us out was a costumed actor, not a rover as far as I remember. A rover was meant to trail each group and make sure nobody smoked, lit lighters or hung out. A rover was working on 5-11-84, but was not doing the job correctly, at as far as the initial safety plan from the Mahanas. He claimed to have been doing other assigned duties at the time. All this will be in my book

[@drpeterjamessmith]

Yes, I've read books on both. In fact, my friend, Don Massey, is the author of a book called: A Matter of Degree: The Hartford Circus Fire and the Mystery of Little Miss 1565.

[@bradhig]

I have that same book. Sad story about little miss 1565. There is a book out about the station nightclub fire "From the Ashes, Surviving the Station Nightclub Fire".

[@drpeterjamessmith]

Yes, she kept it for about 10 years, and then disposed of it: sort of like a "letting go" ritual.

[@drpeterjamessmith]

I believe it is. I brought paranormal investigators and psychics to the location, and they think the same thing. Good thing is that, according to the psychic, all the ghosts know me well, and protect me when I go there, which I'm happy about, as it's a real viper-pit.

[@snakes3425]

there's an old saying: expect the best, but prepare for the worst. Things are safer now yes, but unless people remember exactally what went wrong at the Haunted Castle, history will simply repeat itself, and the scariest thing is next time, things could be far worse then they were in 1984

[@drpeterjamessmith]

I believe was titled "Fire at the Cocoanut Grove", although there are 3-5 other books I recall seeing and reading over the years. As a writer of a disaster book, I have read so many others over the years. A particular favorite of mine is "To Sleep With The Angels", about the 1958 Chicago school fire. I also liked the book at the Beverly Hills Supper Club in 1977. It was written by a guy named Ron Elliott, told through the eyes of Wayne Dammert, a waiter in the club.

[@drpeterjamessmith]

I imagine they built it with the anticipation of using it, but never did. In Seaside Heights, the actor stage was at eye level, and they did live performances on it, as it was a pay-as-you-go on the Casino Pier, versus pay-one-price-at-the-gate at Great Adventure. At SFGA, they didn't need to entice people like they did in Seaside.

[@drpeterjamessmith]

Although I could have animated the entire castle, it was cost prohibitive. After the strobe room, patrons turned into a room with a Frankenstein display, then crossed through a series of diagonals that led to the caves. From the caves, it was a straight shot through to the roll barrel, then past graveyard, and out.

[@Lyubov91]

Yes it is, especially the music that plays at the very end of Part 5.

[@bradhig]

Six Flags St. Louis had a similar walkthrough attraction called Haunted House that was also made of truck trailers. I think it was removed after the fire at GA in 1984. Anyone know if it was designed by the same people that built the Haunted Castle and what happened to the one at seaside heights?

[@drpeterjamessmith]

Right outside where the exit would be was the moat, like a large pond. To put a door there would have conflicted with the look.

[@drpeterjamessmith]

They didn't look like much. They had railings, and a small area for the actor to sit. Other than that, I don't recall any real decorations. The areas were darkened, so that you couldn't see the live actor until you got right up to it.

[@drpeterjamessmith]

Butcher was wider and longer than either Phantom or Hunchback, giving the actors a better chance to stand back from the crowd. Aside from the portrait, which was seldom manned, especially in later years, there were no other manned spots, save at the very end, a place called "Graveyard", but that seldom was manned either.

[@trumprosie]

I Remember One Of My Good Friends Telling Me He Knew The Students From Franklin K. Lane H.S. In Brooklyn & That He Had Lost One Of His Best Friend's In This Fire As Well As A Few H.S. Aquaintances....

[@Rollercoaster22]

i work in a haunted house right now. and i just have to say. if they had everything they have inside the haunted houses today, everyone would of made it out. there is emergency exits all over even guests go throw them when they aren't supposed to.

[@bradhig]

Have you read any books about the Triangle Shirtwaist fire or the Hartford Circus fire?

[@yourdickdrips]

did the boy with the lighter and quiet riot tshirt ever surface?

[@Lyubov91]

I wondered the same thing. I would certainly have held onto it.

[@drpeterjamessmith]

The only person I know is Suzette, and I didn't know here until 2000.

[@CJBrowninLV]

PJ Smith did a thorough job of explaining everything that would lead up to one of the worst incidents in modern theme park history (back then each Six Flags Theme Park was managed separately - now? Each Six Flags Theme Park has separate Park Management which answers to a Park President)

[@drpeterjamessmith]

Nothing survived the fire, save a very small portion of the caves.

[@TheKurtsPlaceChannel]

Very interesting. Have a nice day now.

[@drpeterjamessmith]

I think the scariest part is the location where they all died: nowhere to escape.

[@skppy1225]

Was the organ that was played in the video the same music that played in the Castle?

[@LarryS378]

Bless you . I hope you didn't know anyone who was in that castle

[@jessicamichallick3253]

It sounds like the perfect example of the pardon the expression evils of greed. They should have shut down the attraction instead of removing safeties when the atmosphere started to get unsavory..

[@bradhig]

What was the point of the roll barrel windows was there something painted on the roll barrel?

[@drpeterjamessmith]

The rover was supposed to follow behind the groups and push them along.

[@bradhig]

Why were there soo many assaults at Phantom and Hunchback and not Butcher or the other stations? Were people jumping into the actor hiding stations or were the assaulting actors as they jumped out ?

[@KarlyC]

I think this WHOLE situation should of been avoided, That kid should of been checked since he was KNOWN to cause fires to start. They should NEVER of built something over this site.

[@bradhig]

What was the point of the high actor stage if no one went up there?

[@bradhig]

Did the barrel survive the fire?

[@drpeterjamessmith]

No, but it was quite similar. Pete Smith, filmmaker..

[@unlimitedfunlol]

the music is damn scary

[@unlimitedfunlol]

I could have bought that by myself like 5 times over

[@drpeterjamessmith]

Oh really? How were they trying to make it safer, I ask???

[@cameronseatsfoodchannel8152]

My mom was there when that happend

[@C_Holloway]

Hoping she was ok; was she in the castle itself? My older sister was there with her high school at the time. Thank goodness she wasn't in the castle when the tragedy happened.

[@skppy1225]

Why didn't they just use tour guides?

[@Lyubov91]

Hey, I'm from Philly. I'm not complaining. :P My accent is similar to his. :P

[@drpeterjamessmith]

All true.

[@drpeterjamessmith]

Even I don't boycott them, even though they have boycotted me by throwing me out of media day. (Pete Smith, filmmaker)

[@Lyubov91]

Hey! Jack is cool! :)

[@TheMsautobodyman]

did they confirm an official cause of the fire?

[@Xx_lost_or_unheard_trackz_xX]

I think a boy used a lighter to see where he was going

[@ThrillsofColdplay]

@@Xx_lost_or_unheard_trackz_xX yes

[@drpeterjamessmith]

More than one person thinks that.

[@drpeterjamessmith]

never

[@iangoblin71]

Seems the fire dept. is just as much to blame for the ridiculous mockery of a safety check. Who can u trust to safeguard lives against substandard safety if not "professional" firefighters??? Pathetic.

[@mikepiersanti3744]

They were Volunteer Firefighters. The Fire Inspector had a low payed position.

[@Dylan-Hooton]

It's really sad that, not only actual live footages of this attraction before the fire (1984) are not confirmed to have ever existed, but also the people who had lost their lives from the fire. :'(

[@EpcotFan]

Thank god!!! Death trap from day one.

[@briangray6858]

The fire was started by a 14 year old boy who used his cigarette to find his way through a dark corridor because of a malfunctioning strobe light, and ignited a polyurethane foam bumper pad at the end of the strobe room.

[@OhioFanatic97]

hey....I can barley hear anything

[@joeiraca6456]

WTF I wish people knew wtf there talking about

[@jamesboyjinx]

Then start talking.

[@kathleensmith8336]

Similar to the author of this post, I have read about the Coconut Grove tragedy years ago. That will always haunt me.

[@islandblind]

The Station Nightclub Fire in Rhode Island still haunts me and I "only" followed the story on TV. It sounds as though polyurethane foam was a major contributing factor here too. You can see why polyurethane foam is sometimes called "solid gasoline."

[@drpeterjamessmith]

Yes, I've read books on both. In fact, my friend, Don Massey, is the author of a book called: A Matter of Degree: The Hartford Circus Fire and the Mystery of Little Miss 1565.