Question: How and why did apollo 1 set on fire?

Adriana D'Souza answered on 4 Mar 2021:

The Apollo 1 was an unfortunate event. It seems that the fire was caused by electrics. Sometimes electrical connections may generate sparks and this can cause a fire if there are flammable materials or oxygen available which in this particular case it seems that there were both. A fun fact from airplanes is that for this reason there is a Flammability Reduction System in the wings that takes the air from the wings and takes the oxygen out and enriches it with Nitrogen so that this risk is reduced.
Also, it seems that some people knew there might be an issue (they issued a report) however the people in charge were unaware of this. So transparency and speak-up culture is key. In Airbus we have a clear policy of speak-up and everyone is encourages to voice their concerns no matter the seniority or role. And these are taken seriously.
We should all learn from this event so that the lives lost were not in vain.
Thanks for the question.