On March 25, 1911, around 4pm, a fire broke out in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory located on the 8th, 9th, and 10th floors of 23-29 Washington Place in Manhattan, NYC. The factory owners, managers, and inspectors had minimal regard for the safety of workers at this time; the factory had inward swinging doors, incapable fire escapes and staircases, overemployment, and a lack of fire drills and fire equipment. The owners and managers were more focused on theft-prevention and exploiting their workers, who were mostly Jewish immigrant girls new to the country. 

"In the morning, when we were going up to work, both elevators (front and back) would be operating. But on leaving, only the one in the back was allowed to run. This was because the company directed a watchman to search the girls' pocketbooks, in which we used to carry our lunches. "
-Mary Domsky-Abrams, survivor