Today in Fire History 10/13

On 10/13/1966 the Monsanto Chemical plant fire killed eleven in LaSalle, Quebec. “A chemical plant in suburban LaSalle was shattered by a chain of explosions and fires Thursday night. Hundreds of firefighters fought to keep flames from reaching several huge storage vats and tank cars containing highly combustible polyvinyl chlorides used in the manufacture of plastic products. “If one of those tanks goes, it will be like a bomb," one firefighter said. Railway engines were moved in to haul away the dangerous tanks and were hampered by flames from earlier explosions. At least 55 night shift employees and a cleaning crew were in the main plant building when the first explosion occurred, shortly after 10:00 p.m. sending orange and white flames leaping 200 feet. Huge clouds mushroomed up from the devastated plant, a glowing backdrop to the flames. The blast, heard for over a 50-block area, was followed by a steady series of lesser bursts. Windows in homes five miles away were shattered by the explosion. The explosion “hit like an atomic bomb. It's a real holocaust.’’ said a UPI photographer who was one of the first on the scene.”

?

On 10/13/1889 a Middletown, Connecticut firefighter “died from the injuries he sustained while he was entering a building.”

?

On 10/13/1916 a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania firefighter “died of the injuries he sustained after he was caught in a roof collapse at 913-919 W. York Street.”

?

On 10/13/1930 a Norwich, Connecticut firefighter “died after suffering carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning while operating at a brush fire.”

?

On 10/13/1937 a Baltimore, Maryland firefighter died in a three-story brick loft building occupied by a printing concern and a paper box company. “Engine 5 had placed a line into operation and was pouring water into the third-floor windows when suddenly, a loud cracking noise was heard and the building started to come down. As the crew ran for their lives, the firefighter stumbled over a raised street grating, while just inches from safety, and fell. In a second, he was buried under 20 feet of burning rubble. Rescue operations were started immediately, and torches had to be used to cut away the metal that was blocking the rescue efforts. His crushed body was found after a half-hour. The fire went to five alarms.”

?

On 10/13/1953 a Brooklyn, New York (FDNY) “died of smoke inhalation while operating a hoseline on a ladder at a fire that destroyed a large five-story brick abandoned factory building.”

?

On 10/13/1960 a Chicago, Illinois firefighter died “during an arson fire in a commercial structure at 1350 Milwaukee Avenue. He collapsed due to smoke inhalation while fighting the fire, and was transported to St. Elizabeth Hospital where he was pronounced dead.”

On 10/13/1962 a Newark, New Jersey firefighter died “at a two-alarm fire at Station 1436, on South 11th Street. He was attempting an interior rescue when he became trapped on the second floor. He was later found dead of smoke inhalation.”

On 10/13/1962 a Memphis, Tennessee firefighter died while operating at a fire in a vacant dwelling, he became overcome by smoke and was found lying unconscious in a front room. He was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The firefighter had been wearing a filter-type mask, which was later found to be operated properly. There was a very heavy build-up of smoke, resulting in a higher carbon monoxide-laden atmosphere than the mask was designed to work.”

?

On 10/13/1967 a Fisher, Indiana firefighter died assisting “the Noblesville Fire Department with a commercial multi-alarm fire in downtown Noblesville at Goeke Auto, 6th and Conner Streets. There was an explosion that collapsed a wall. The firefighter pushed another firefighter from Westfield out of the way, saving the life of that firefighter at the cost of his own. The fire consumed several buildings in the downtown business district in Noblesville.”

?

On 10/13/1996 a Jefferson Parish, Louisiana firefighter died at a “two-story frame dwelling heavily involved in fire with extension to two smaller houses on either side. Firefighters immediately began to stretch lines into place and enter the buildings to check for possible trapped occupants. The firefighter had just gotten a fresh mask and was preparing to enter one of the buildings to search for the third time, when he suffered a massive heart attack and collapsed to the street, in full arrest. Paramedics started cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) immediately and he was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead after several additional attempts were made to revive him. There were no occupants in any of the homes at the time of the fire.”

?

On 10/13/1998 a Klingerstown, Pennsylvania firefighter “was actively involved in the suppression of a fire in an industrial occupancy. Upon exiting the structure, he collapsed and died of a heart attack.”

?

On 10/13/2001 a Houston, Texas firefighter “was killed at a six-alarm high-rise apartment fire at S. Post Oak Lane and San Felipe Road. He responded to the first alarm and was on a search and rescue mission on the fire-(5th)-floor. Upon their arrival on the fire floor, he and a firefighter were joined by the officer and firefighter of another ladder company. The four firefighters entered the occupancy and began to fight the fire. Two firefighters ran low on air and exited the occupancy. As they opened the stairway door, the fire conditions worsened dramatically. The other two decided to leave the occupancy by following the hoseline out but became separated in the hallway. He called for help. Responding firefighters found him because of his activated personal alert safety system (PASS) device. Firefighters had difficulty removing the self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) from him and by the time he was moved to an area of refuge, he was out of air. During the rescue attempt, two of the rapid intervention team (RIT) companies had also become disoriented and had difficulty getting out of the structure. Despite their efforts, the firefighter died of asphyxiation due to smoke inhalation.”

?

On 10/13/1993 shortly before 6:00 p.m. an accidental fire at Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas extensively damaged twelve private suites but was restricted to a small area of the stadium, there were no injuries. The fire-resistive concrete and steel stadium structure was built in the 1960s. “The growing fire broke large plastic windows facing the playing field allowing spread both vertically and horizontally into adjacent private suites.” The fire flashed over in the compartment of origin and spread to 11 other suites.

On 10/13/1907 a Gloversville, New York house fire killed six, the father and five daughters.

?

On 10/13/1895 a prairie fire heavily damaged the agricultural districts in the near vicinity of Winnipeg, Manitoba “doing great damage, barns, hay-stacks, and buildings” “It is feared there have been numerous fatalities, but only four were reported.”

?

On 10/13/2010 thirty-three Chilean miners were rescued after 69 days trapped nearly half a mile underground on August 5 after the San Jose gold and copper mine collapsed. On August 22, a drill sent by rescuers broke through, and the men sent back up a note saying, “We are fine in the refuge, the 33.”

?

On 10/13/1918 Francis L. (Frank) Brannigan was born; he passed on January 10, 2006. A teacher, writer, and subject matter expert in the field of fire protection engineering. He is best known as the author of Building Construction for the Fire Service.? As Professor and Director of the Fire Science program at Montgomery College, Rockville, Maryland, he designed a model Fire Science program. He was also a faculty member at the National Fire Academy and the University of Maryland's Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute. Brannigan was elected a Fellow of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers.

?

On 10/13/1944 American troops enter Germany.

On 10/13/1845 Texans ratified a state constitution and approved the annexation.

On 10/13/1792 the cornerstone of the White House was laid in the Nation's new capital, Washington, D.C.

On 10/13/1775 the Continental Navy was established.