What Caused the Fire?
In a BBC Documentary, “Missed Warnings: the Bradford City Fire,” Retired Detective Inspector Raymond Falconer revealed that the investigation concluded that the fire was caused by a lit cigarette that fell through a knothole. It lit up other flammable trash under the stands, which started the fire.
Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
The man who dropped the cigarette was an Australian named Eric Bennett, who went to the game with his nephew. Bennett talked to police after the incident and told them that he dropped the cigarette on the floor and tried to put it out, but it slipped through the hole. When he noticed a fire starting, he immediately alerted the nearest police officer he can find.