Arson. And a lesson about how little it takes.
The 98-death hotel fire that started with chafing fuel cans
The Dupont Plaza fire of 1986 was deliberately set. What the arsonists used was a few opened cans of chafing fuel from the hotel's own stock.
This was arson. Three men set the Dupont Plaza Hotel in San Juan alight on New Year's Eve 1986, and this article does not suggest otherwise. What it asks the reader to notice is the tool.
What they used
Opened cans of chafing fuel, placed in a storage room of new furniture next to the ballroom, and lit. The fire flashed over and spread through the casino and lobby. Ninety-seven or ninety-eight people died, depending on the count.
The lesson is about stock
Chafing fuel is a case of accelerant that every hotel keeps in a back corridor, unlocked, next to the linen. It is issued to the newest staff by the box. It is a hazard because of what it is, whoever holds the match.
What to do
Store it locked, in a ventilated room, away from anything that burns. Count it in and out. Or stop keeping it at all: a cordless cell is a battery, and a water-activated pack is a sealed powder that does nothing until it is wet.