Today in Fire History 12/9
12/9/1879 a Manhattan, New York (FDNY) firefighter “died as a result of injuries he sustained November 25th, when he was caught under a collapsing wall while operating at a fire.”
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12/9/1885 a Chicago, IL firefighter was fatally injured while fighting a warehouse fire on December 7, 1885. “He was crushed by debris when a brick wall collapsed into the alley where he was operating a hose line. He was treated at Alexian Brothers Hospital, where he died from his injuries on December 9.”
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12/9/1902 two Toledo, Ohio firefighters were killed by falling walls at the Kiefer Brothers Furniture Store fire on Dorr Street and Palmwood.
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12/9/1919 two Coffeyville, KS firefighters “died after inhaling toxic chemicals while operating at a fire at the Florea Drug Store fire. It was believed that the fire started among Christmas decorations that were hanging over the stove. The fire caused chemicals to explode.”
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12/9/1920 a Milwaukee, WI firefighter died “while working at a three-alarm fire in the four-story Milwaukee Seed Company building, at W. Water Street. The members of Engine 5 were ordered to stretch a line to the roof of the building. As the line was being stretched, the dogs on the aerial dislodged and the fly ladder came crashing down. He was at the fourth-floor level and fell to the pavement below. His chest was crushed on impact and he was killed instantly. The other four firefighters on the ladder, and a firefighter on the turntable, were injured, some seriously.”
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12/9/1932 a Matane, Québec, Canada firefighter died from a fall from the roof of the south tower of St. Jerome church during the church fire
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12/9/1941 a Bowdle, SD firefighter was killed when he was caught under a collapsing wall while operating at a fire in a pool hall.
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12/9/1949 a Chicago, IL firefighter died while fighting an apartment building fire at 6238 Magnolia Avenue. He was overcome by smoke while he was fighting the fire on the third floor of the building, and made his way down to the ground floor before he collapsed.
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12/9/1951 a Philadelphia, PA firefighter “died from injuries received at a 2nd-Alarm on December 7th, after he fell from the roof.”
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12/9/1964 a Spring Valley, NY firefighter “died saving three firefighters in a large fire.”
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12/9/2014 a Philadelphia, PA firefighter died at a residential fire in the West Oak Lane section of the city in the 1600 block of Middleton Street after becoming trapped in the basement. “At approximately 0249hrs, she was one of several firefighters that were first to respond to a residential fire in the West Oak Lane section of Philadelphia in the 1600 block of Middleton Street. Upon arrival at 0253hrs, the firefighters advanced a hose into the basement of the house to fight the fire. As reinforcement arrived, a change in tactics was ordered and the first group of firefighters started to withdraw from the basement. During this time, she became trapped. She was rescued by fellow firefighters and, with no vital signs, was transported to Albert Einstein Medical Center where she was pronounced dead at approximately 0400hrs.”
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12/9/2018 a Worcester, MA firefighter died after becoming trapped while battling a five-alarm blaze. “The firefighter was rescued from the burning building but died of his injuries at a local hospital. A second firefighter was in stable condition and released from the hospital. “Firefighters were heroic in their efforts to rescue their colleagues under extreme conditions," Worcester firefighters were called to 7 Lowell St. at 3:58 a.m., the chief said. Residents had said they smelled smoke and heard the alarms around 4 a.m.”
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12/9/2018 five children died in a house fire in Youngstown, Ohio fire broke around 11:30 p.m. at a home in the 400 block of Parkcliffe Avenue. “Heavy flames and smoke were coming from the house when crews arrived. Firefighters say five children were in the house at the time. Two children were found dead inside the home. Three other children were rescued and taken to Mercy Health in Youngstown but died later. The ages of the children are 9, 3, 2, and 1-year-old twins. The mother made it out of the house but was injured when she jumped from a second-story window of the home. Two firefighters were injured in the fire.”
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12/9/1978 a fire at the state school for the “mentally retarded” in Ellisville, MS killed fifteen patients and injured sixteen others as a smoldering fire in a clothing room sent toxic smoke and gases through the building where sixty-six female patients slept. The victims died of smoke inhalation and all were classified as severely retarded and over 40 years old.
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12/9/2011 more than eighty-nine died in a hospital fire in Kolkata, India (formerly known as Calcutta). Officials claim the staff abandoned the patients as the fire spread and smoke extended through the 7-story building; six hospital personnel were charged with culpable homicide. There were 160 patients in the 190-bed health care facility, fire fighting operations were delayed by narrow streets and lack of access.
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12/9/1944 C. M. Shackelford’s Dallas (TX) Basket Company factory, located three miles east of Buckner, Orphans Home was destroyed in an early morning fire.
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12/9/1926 the business section of Borger, TX was destroyed by fire which broke out at midnight; three men were hospitalized, seriously injured after a dynamite blast, twelve buildings were ruined, and fifteen men were jailed as looting.
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12/9/1915 during the Hopewell, VA conflagration looting began, and citizens established armed guards, but were powerless to maintain order, and appealed to the Governor to send the militia. The fire started at 1:35 p.m. in a three-story frame Greek restaurant on Appomattox Street. “The arrest of a suspected German spy within the confines of the du Pont plant this morning caused many to believe that the fire was no accident. The German is held in custody. It is said that the suspected spy had maps and blueprints of the du Pont plant in his pockets and that he was attempting to explode some chemicals in a warehouse filled with guncotton ready for shipment.”
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12/9/1911 Briceville, TN Cross Mountain Coal Mine explosion killed 156; entombed in the great Cross Mountain Coal Mine of the Knoxville Iron Company. Three theories as to the cause of the explosion: a powder or dust exploded; an electric wire came in contact with explosives, or the explosion was caused by poor tamping of a drill.
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12/9/1909 Kalamazoo, MI a fire destroyed part of the city, the fire that started in a five and ten cent store on Main Street at 10:30 p.m.?
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12/9/1891 Louisville, KY fire at the Boone Paper Company extends to several buildings.
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12/9/1958 John Birch Society was founded, a right-wing organization dedicated to fighting the extensive infiltration of communism into American society.
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12/9/1835 The Texan Army captured San Antonio, inspired by the spirited leadership of Benjamin Rush Milam, the newly created Texian Army takes possession of the city of San Antonio, an important victory for the Republic of Texas in its war for independence from Mexico.