Today in Fire History 10/7

On 10/7/1979 the first Fire Fighters Memorial Sunday was held.

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On 10/7/1935 the Glidden plant explosion killed eleven (twelve) in Chicago, Illinois. “The explosion at 1845 N. Laramie Ave. in the North Austin neighborhood was so powerful that it leveled the five-story Glidden factory building, destroyed nearby storage buildings, flattened automobiles and rail cars, shattered windows in 200 houses and apartments, and was felt as far away as Elmwood Park. The blast killed eleven (twelve) employees and injured forty-three (sixty) other people. For weeks, officials speculated that the explosion at the factory, which had just reopened after a five-week renovation, was caused by a chemical used in the process of extracting oil from soybeans. But a fire department expert on Oct. 23 blamed it on "the spontaneous eruption of dust in a huge five-story tank."

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On 10/7/1908 a Buffalo, New York firefighter was operating at a fire at the Nowak Elevator on Broadway at the BeltLine Crossing. After battling the blaze for over 5 hours, a collapse suddenly occurred burying men from Engines 18 and 22 and Hook and Ladders 3, 5, & 6. A firefighter from Ladder 3 and a firefighter from Engine 18 were buried under several feet of rubble. The others clung to anything they could to try to stay alive. One firefighter was dug from the rubble and pronounced at the scene. The other was also removed but transported with serious injuries. The other members suffered various degrees of injury, including severe burns, broken bones, and abrasions. Several would never return to work.”

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On 10/7/1921 a Cambridge, Massachusetts firefighter died “while operating at a five-alarm lumberyard fire.”

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On 10/7/1929 a Columbus, Ohio firefighter died during a confined space rescue attempt. “Firefighters were called for a man who had fallen into a well at a fuel company. He climbed down into the well, and halfway down he was overcome by fumes. The firefighter fell backward into the well, and drowned.”

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On 10/7/1933 a Lima, Ohio firefighter “died as a result of breathing in nitrous oxide fumes from burning records and film while operating at a fire in the 400 block of North Main Street, on June 26, 1933.”

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On 10/7/1941 a Milwaukee, Wisconsin firefighter “died after having suffered a heart attack at a garage fire.”

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On 10/7/1948 a Litchfield, Illinois firefighter “was killed while responding to a house fire. He and the other firefighters had initially been unable to enter the house due to the strength of the fire, but he and another firefighter entered the house once the flames were under control. In pulling down some burning drapes, the firefighter created a small flash fire and unexpectedly inhaled some heated gases. He was immediately helped out of the house, but he collapsed on the street and was taken to Saint Francis Hospital where he died two hours later.”

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On 10/7/1980 a Chicago, Illinois firefighter “collapsed during a house fire at 4653 W. Wrightwood. The firefighter was advancing a hoseline. An incident occurred that resulted in fatal injuries to the firefighter. Firefighters were unable to revive him at the scene, so he was taken to Saint Anne’s Hospital where he was pronounced dead.”

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On 10/7/2003 a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania firefighter died at a structure fire in a 2-story residence at 2972 Aramingo Avenue. Upon their arrival, the firefighter went to the roof of the structure by ground ladder for ventilation. After removing the glass from some windows, the firefighter felt weak, pressed the distress button on his portable radio, and collapsed. An upper-floor resident observed him across the street. That resident also called 911 to report an injured firefighter. Other firefighters came to the aid of the firefighter and initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Paramedics arrived and continued efforts as he was removed from the roof and transported to the hospital. Their efforts, however, were unsuccessful and the firefighter was pronounced dead at the hospital. A 7-year-old child playing with matches started the fire in a mattress.”

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On 10/7/2014 a Hartford, Connecticut firefighter “died from injuries sustained while operating at a residential structure fire. Several other firefighters were injured in the incident, transported to the hospital, and were expected to recover from their injuries. "The firefighter was advancing an attack line in efforts to extinguish a working fire at 598 Blue Hills Ave. when he suffered critical injuries and was removed from the building in cardiac arrest. All efforts were made to revive him, but unfortunately, these efforts were unsuccessful."

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On 10/7/2014 a fire in part of Dounreay's Prototype Fast Reactor (PFR) facility in north Scotland led to an "unauthorized release" of radioactivity into the environment from trace amounts of tritium in the sodium tank farm but did not pose a risk to the public at the Dounreay Site Restoration Limited (DSRL) resulting from "procedural non-compliances and behavioral practices by the staff”. The reactor ceased operating in 1994 and was over halfway through a decommissioning process; over 1,500 tons of sodium, used in the reactor, have been safely destroyed. Dounreay was on the north coast of Caithness, in the Highland area of Scotland, and west of the town of Thurso.

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On 10/7/1895 the Wilkes-Barre, Lehigh Valley Coal Company (Pennsylvania) explosion killed nineteen.

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On 10/7/1890 in Rockland, Delaware around 3:23 p.m. the DuPont Powder Mills explosion killed fourteen. “Two magazines, a packing house, a dry house, and the separating and corning room had exploded one after another. They were completely wrecked.”

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On 10/7/1867 a wildfire destroyed Fort Ransom, North Dakota

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On 10/7/1825 the Miramichi, ?New Brunswick conflagration left over three hundred buildings destroyed; twenty died from fire injuries, one hundred thirty persons received burn injuries, and at least ten drowned while trying to escape the fire.

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On 10/7/1777 the 2nd Battle of Saratoga began during the American Revolution.

On 10/7/1780 American Revolution Battle of King's Mountain began.

On 10/7/1913 Ford’s Highland Park automobile factory was fully automated.

On 10/7/1943 Japanese executed nearly 100 American prisoners on Wake Island.