Today in Fire History 11/1
On 11/1/1623 a fire destroyed seven Plymouth Colony (Massachusetts) dwellings and nearly ended the settlement. The settlement today is the modern town of Plymouth, MA. The community occupied most of the southeastern portion of the state. It served as the capital of the colony and was an English colonial venture in North America from 1620 to 1691.
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On 11/1/1970 a dance hall fire in Grenoble, France, at the Club Cinq-Sept (or Club 5-7) killed 146, almost all of them between 17 and 30 years, when a nightclub just outside the small town of Saint-Laurent-du-Pont, Isère was destroyed. “Subsequent official inquiries revealed a catalog of shortcomings, oversights, and evasions concerning fire safety…” The Club Cinq-Sept opened for business in April 1970 inside a newly-constructed open-plan windowless building. “The main entrance to the club was via a spiked full-height turnstile. The ground floor housed a dancefloor, bar, and restaurant, with simulated grottos constructed of polyurethane and paper-maché around the walls. A single spiral staircase led to a gallery that ran right around the building and contained more alcoves and grottos. The roof was supported by pillars which were decorated with various flammable materials.” On the night of October 31/ November 1, the Club had drawn a large crowd to watch a live performance by Storm. It is estimated that 180 people remained in the club at 1:40 a.m. when a fire started, caused by a carelessly discarded match, igniting a foam-filled seat cushion, in the gallery and spreading rapidly, fueled by the highly flammable nature of the decor and furnishings. “Those caught in the gallery struggled to escape down the spiral staircase as flames spread across the ceiling. Meanwhile, in the main club area, around 30 people had managed to exit the premises via the turnstile when, according to survivors, a huge sheet of fire plunged from the gallery, turning the whole building into an inferno. Very few managed to escape after this point.”
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On 11/1/1890 a New Bedford, Massachusetts firefighter “died of the burn injuries he sustained on October 14, 1890, while operating at a fire. He would succumb to his injuries and die on November 1, 1890.”
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On 11/1/1892 a Camden, New Jersey firefighter “died as a result of severe exposure suffered while operating at a fire.”
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On 11/1/1901 two firefighters die from injuries sustained at a stable fire in Youngstown, Ohio.
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On 11/1/1901 a Buffalo, New York firefighter died while operating at a third-alarm fire at Chicago and Miami Streets which began around 8:30 p.m. “The fire was rapidly spreading throughout the dilapidated building that was being used as a storage building for cereal ingredients. Three alarms were quickly struck, and crews were able to keep the fire from jumping to exposed buildings. Around 10:30 p.m. the firefighter was directing crews operating a pipeline when someone yelled that a cornice of the building was swaying. The firefighter, who was operating on a ladder from the roof of an adjacent building misstepped after descending the ladder, so others could escape and fell 40 feet to the ground head first landing on a pile of scrap metal after striking the fire wagon. Members that were operating on the same ladder as he carried him to Engine Company 8's house a block from the fire. A Doctor was summoned but the firefighter had already passed.”
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On 11/1/1936 a Hartford, Connecticut firefighter “died from the injuries he sustained at Box 638.”
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On 11/1/1966 while “operating the U.S. Forest Service El Cariso Hotshots were trapped by flames as they worked at a wildfire in Pacoima Canyon, in the Angeles National Forest, they were killed when Santa Ana winds suddenly changed direction, trapping them in a sudden blow-up of fire. Ten members of the crew perished in the Loop Fire. Another two members succumbed to burn injuries in the following days. Most of the nineteen members who survived were critically burned and remained hospitalized for some time.”
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On 11/1/1966 “four Marines were killed, and another burned critically when they were trapped on a ridge while battling a brush fire at Camp Pendleton. A shift in winds caused a flashback fire.”
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On 11/1/2002 a Coal Township, Pennsylvania firefighter died at a mutual aid structure fire involving a large old house that was being used for storage. “During the fire fight, a portion of the wraparound porch collapsed and pinned his leg in the rubble. Two firefighters came to his aid immediately, one tried to pull him free by his arms and the other attempted to lift the debris off his leg. Moments later, the entire house collapsed, propelling the rescuers away from the trapped firefighter. The secondary collapse covered him. It took firefighters hours to control the fire and remove the wreckage that covered the firefighter. He was crushed by a large wooden beam and died of traumatic asphyxiation.”
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On 11/1/2006 a Kent, Indiana firefighter died while firefighters were working inside a burning residential structure. “They were overcome by heavy smoke conditions and ordered by command to exit the structure. While exiting the structure and as the team was coming down a staircase, they encountered rapid fire progression, separating him from the other firefighters. When the firefighters made it outside, they realized that he was not among them. A rescue team was organized and quickly re-entered the structure. The firefighter was located on the second floor and removed. An autopsy determined that he died of smoke inhalation.”
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