20th anniversary of tragic Philly high-rise fire

Twenty years ago on Wednesday, Philadelphia suffered one of the worst fires in its history.

The Meridian Plaza blaze killed three firefighters and consumed the high-rise's upper floors on Feb. 23, 1991.

The fire went to 12 alarms and burned for three days. The 38-floor office building had to be demolished.

Chris Jelenewicz of the Maryland-based Society of Fire Protection Engineers said the tragedy changed fire codes nationwide.

Stairwells are now marked with floor numbers so that anyone inside can tell where they are. The Meridian firefighters became disoriented and lost track of their location.

Other changes were more significant, like calling for sprinkler systems on every floor of a high-rise.

A memorial to the lost firefighters now stands outside the Residences at the Ritz Carlton, the former Meridian site.