The Hartford Circus Fire Left a City in Mourning #connecticut #tragic #circus #fire #history In 1944, fire swept through the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus tent in Hartford, killing 167 and injuring more than 700 — the deadliest man-made disaster in Connecticut’s history. The big top was consumed in minutes, leaving families to search for loved ones at the Armory morgue. Investigators believe the blaze began with a discarded cigarette. Today, a memorial stands where the tent once f