Today in Fire History 11/13
On 11/13/1877 the National Fireman’s Journal published the first issue with the mission to be “devoted to the interests of the firemen of the country.” Under the name Fire Engineering, the mission has only broadened and is now devoted to the interests of firefighters worldwide.
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On 11/13/1997 around 6:00 a.m. fire in an occupied, four-story apartment complex in Bremerton, Washington claimed four lives (ages 75 to 91 years) and injured twelve. The non-sprinklered 142 units (130 units occupied) U-shaped building with ground floor storage areas, laundries, parking areas, and utility rooms were noncombustible construction. The upper three floors were constructed of wood studs covered with fire-rated gypsum wallboard on each side of the studs separating the apartment units. The exterior walls were covered with 5/8” non-fire-rated plywood, and a two-story building occupied the open portion of the U built in a similar style. The fire started in an occupied 3rd-floor unattended apartment allowing the fire to grow undiscovered.
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On 11/13/1904 a Chicago, Illinois firefighter “of Engine 10 was fatally injured while fighting a fire aboard the freight steamer Gordon Campbell, which was docked at Chicago’s south pier. The firefighter fractured his skull when he fell through a hatchway into the boat’s hold.”
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On 11/13/1911 a Peoria, Illinois firefighter died while battling a fire at the National Hotel, located at the intersection of Hamilton and Jefferson Streets. On Sunday night, November 12, 1911, at 10:53 p.m. Fire Alarm Box No. 29 signaled a large fire at the National Hotel, a six-story brick structure occupying an entire city block. By 10:55 p.m. a “33 All Hands” general alarm, summoned all available firefighters to the scene. Shortly after midnight, portions of the walls began to collapse. Several explosions, possibly from leaking and trapped gas, were heard coming from inside the building. The firefighters had been involved in the fight for more than five grueling hours. Three firefighters were standing on the roof of a shed at the back of the hotel, hosing water onto the smoldering ruins when a huge smokestack began to waver and collapsed crushing one of the firefighters.
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1/13/1917 a Buffalo, New York firefighter “was killed and six other men were injured at a fire that destroyed a vacant building at 68 Chandler Street. The building was a 100’ X 40’ single-story structure, that had only 2 weeks ago, been used by the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company. Crews had little trouble extinguishing the blaze, and Ladder 4 was sent in to check on any hot spots. As the crews worked near the rear of the structure, a section of the roof suddenly collapsed, burying two firefighters. One firefighter was easy to reach and was quickly rescued from beneath the smoking roof. It took several more minutes to reach the second. The roof was a flimsy affair, not built with heavy timbers. Had it been, all six men would have perished. The second firefighter was rushed to Lafayette General Hospital, but never regained consciousness and died on the way. Six other firefighters including the Chief were injured in the collapse and Rescue efforts.”
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On 11/13/1939 a Bronx, New York (FDNY) firefighter died while he “was operating at a two-alarm blaze when he collapsed. He was taken to Lincoln Hospital where he was pronounced dead from smoke narcosis.”
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On 11/13/1990 a Lebanon, Pennsylvania firefighter “was advancing hose lines in the interior of a structure fire on the 2nd floor. During fire operations, he became separated from his team and became lost in the building. The remaining two team members left the building to obtain help in locating the firefighter. He was found 30 minutes later, out of air and unconscious. He was immediately transferred to the hospital where he was pronounced dead due to asphyxiation and carbon monoxide poisoning. The fire, which burned for three days, consumed four historic buildings. Six other firefighters were injured in the fire.”
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On 11/13/2019 a Worcester firefighter “died and several firefighters were injured in an early morning fire in a multi-family home. The Worcester firefighter died while battling the fire at 7 Stockholm Street. When Ladder 5 arrived at the burning building just before 1:00 a.m. there was heavy fire coming from the building. Firefighters were told that a baby was possibly trapped on the third floor. The fire grew to four alarms, and at one point, firefighters issued a mayday call from the third floor of the building. "The firefighter along with his crew from Ladder 5 were making heroic efforts to search for a reported trapped resident along with the baby. While gaining entry to the third floor, Ladder 5 became trapped by heavy fire conditions."??
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On 11/13/2012 four people died in Lake City, Iowa in a house fire; a 22-year-old woman, a 10-month-old boy, a 3-year-old boy, and an 8-year-old girl were killed in the fire. The home did not appear to have any smoke alarms. The cause of the fire was an overload pinched electrical cord with two plug-ins that caught the wall on fire.
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On 11/13/1950 a mother and her four children died after a kerosene stove exploded in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
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On 11/13/1890 a large fire in the business section destroyed several merchant and manufacturing occupancies in San Francisco, California.
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On 11/13/1909 the Saint Paul coal mine explosion killed 259 near Cherry, Illinois.
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On 11/13/2002 the Prestige oil tanker, carrying 77,000 tons of heavy fuel oil sank with over a $12 billion loss in a storm off Galicia, Spain.
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On 11/13/1942 The U.S.S. Juneau was struck by a Japanese torpedo. Five brothers from Waterloo, Iowa Joseph, Francis, Albert, Madison, and George Sullivan were among those lost from the crew. They enlisted in the Navy on the condition they would serve together. All five were killed in the ship’s explosion or died from exposure following the sinking.