Complex sentence: On May 4,1988, a fire that began on the 12th floor just after 10:00 PM, it burned for about four hours, destroyed five floors, injured 40 people, and left a maintenance worker dead because the elevator opened onto the burning 12th floor.
Split into simpler sentences: On May 4,1988, a fire that began on the 12th floor just after 10:00 PM, it burned for about four hours. It destroyed five floors, injured 40 people, and left a maintenance worker dead because the elevator opened onto the burning 12th floor.