The fire escape ladder does not have a single, universally agreed‑upon “one inventor,” but several key figures are credited with major milestones in its development.

Quick Scoop: Who invented the fire escape ladder?

  • The first known fire escape ladder is often credited to Daniel Maseres, an English lawyer who patented an “escape ladder” (later known as a fire escape) in 1784.
  • In the 19th century , inventors in Europe and the United States refined the idea with iron ladders, platforms, and external stair systems on building exteriors.
  • Anna Connelly , an American inventor, patented one of the first steel exterior fire escapes in 1887, using a metal structure attached outside multi‑story buildings to let people descend safely.
  • Joseph Richard Winters , an African American inventor, patented a wagon‑mounted fire escape ladder in 1878 and later a fire escape ladder that could be affixed to buildings (patents in 1878, 1879, 1882), greatly improving how fire crews and occupants could reach upper floors.

So, if you’re asking “who invented the fire escape ladder?”:

  • Earliest inventor often cited: Daniel Maseres (1784 “escape ladder”).
  • Pioneering external steel fire escape for buildings: Anna Connelly (1887 patent).
  • Major innovator of deployable fire escape ladders (including wagon‑mounted): Joseph Winters (patents from 1878–1882).

In modern summaries and forum discussions, you’ll commonly see Anna Connelly named as the person who “invented the fire escape” for buildings, and Joseph Winters credited as a leading inventor of the portable and wagon‑mounted fire escape ladder, while historians also point back to Daniel Maseres’ 18th‑century “escape ladder” as the first version of the idea.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.