On 2 August 1973. a fire started in a public area where smoking was permitted. The fire quickly developed and spread through the building due to a number of factors including the amount of combustible material used in its construction and breaches in the fire compartmentation by ventilation shafts. which were not fitted with the required fire stopping, passing through compartment walls. It quickly spread through vents which were not property fire proofed. The fire investigation concluded that the fire possibly started from cigarettes