(This story was originally written and recorded for Retrocast #33, released on April 16, 2025.)
A January 1952 Associated Press article discussed a troubling phenomenon that had suddenly emerged all across the United States: that of peddlers selling sweaters that seemed to spontaneously burst into flames (when exposed to a source of heat), causing both burns and widespread alarm.
The story told of a young man in Los Angeles who had experienced this firsthand when a sweater he bought erupted in an explosive poof. Even worse, the city’s Fire Prevention Bureau knew of at least a dozen cases involving these flammable sweaters, resulting in injuries to at least eight individuals.
Reports of similar occurrences surfaced in various towns and cities. Even Police Chief Philip Conley of Albany, N.Y., became a victim while examining one of these hazardous garments, likening the experience to igniting “a barrel of gunpowder.”
The sweaters in question were described as resembling jacket-type sweaters rather than slipovers, available in various colors, and sold by “shifty characters” for prices ranging from $3 to $24. ($36 to $290 today.)
It was thought that the explosive cloth, believed to be synthetic Rayon, was manufactured in New York City, and two sweater manufacturers in Providence, RI, had been identified. Simultaneously, the Bureau of Standards in Washington was diligently working to determine the cause of this combustibility, with a focus on the possibility of a dangerously flammable finish applied to the garments.
At that time, California had already passed a law prohibiting the sale of clothing that was highly combustible, with similar legislation either passed or pending in more than half the US states. And while legitimate retailers refused to stock these garments, traveling peddlers operating out of their cars were able to sell their wares to unsuspecting customers.
When actress Jane Russell, one of the leading sex symbols of that era, learned of these exploding garments, she said, “I’ve never thought about it much because I only wear sweaters informally. But now you’ve got me worried.
“I’m going to take my sweaters down to the studio prop department and have them fireproof them like they do the scenery.”
Did she ever get her sweaters fireproofed? Probably not, but it did get her name in the papers.
Just one year later, Congress enacted the U.S. Flammable Fabrics Act, which regulated the manufacture of highly flammable fabrics like Rayon for use in clothing, children’s sleepwear, carpets, mattresses, and so on. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed it into law on June 30, 1953.
I’ll also throw in a personal story: Years ago, my wife Mary Jane had some candles burning around the house. She went to toss a pillow onto our bed and, while it never touched the flame itself, the heat of the candle caused the pillowcase to burst into flames. It was shocking how fast the pillowcase ignited. Excluding the one burnt pillowcase, we still have the set, so I checked, and they are made of 100% polyester. We kept the bed sheets and stopped using real candles in the house.
