Today in Fire History 3/5
3/5/1770 a false alarm of fire leads to confrontations that result in the Boston Massacre, known to the British as the Incident on King Street, that left five civilians dead at the hands of British troops. “British troops had been stationed in the Province of Massachusetts Bay since 1768 in order to support crown-appointed officials and to enforce unpopular Parliamentary legislation. Amid tense relations between the civilians and the soldiers, a mob formed around a British sentry and verbally abused him. He was eventually supported by eight additional soldiers, who were hit by clubs, stones, and snowballs. They fired into the crowd without orders, instantly killing three people and wounding others, two of whom later died of their wounds.”
3/5/1869 “four Chicago Fire Department firefighters died while fighting an industrial fire at the intersection of Canal and Washington Streets at the Wisdorn Plaining Mill 201 N. Canal. Three firefighters assigned to the steam fire engine “A.C. Coventry” (Engine 11), were killed in a structural collapse. The fire started in the engine room of the factory and spread quickly throughout the three-story building, consuming abundant stockpiles of lumber and oils. Because the building’s windows were closed with large, iron shutters, firefighters had great difficulty accessing the structure’s interior. Firefighters from Truck 1 and Engine 11 climbed to the roof to cut holes into the building so that water streams could attack the flames from above, but the roof collapsed. While some firefighters were able to hold onto beams, fire hoses, and telegraph wires to keep from falling with the roof during the collapse, four were killed when they fell into the burning structure.”
3/5/1914 a Binghamton, NY firefighter “was killed when a large plate glass window fell on him while fighting a fire at the Babcock, Hinds, and Underwood Store, a large four-story building that ran from 174 Washington Street to 120 State Street.”
3/5/1920 a Manchester, NH firefighter “died in the hospital as a result of injuries sustained the previous day, when he fell through the roof while operating at a multi-alarm fire in a railroad warehouse. He then crashed through the first and second floors and became buried in a coal pocket in the basement, suffering severe respiratory distress and multiple-trauma.”
3/5/1926 a Chicago, IL firefighter “died from being suffocated by gas at Coke Company 114 W. Huron.”
3/5/1955 a Duluth, MN firefighter died “while operating at a smoky dwelling fire, he stumbled from the building, collapsed on the steps, and fell into a snow bank. He was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead of a massive heart attack.”
3/5/1960 a Champaign, IL firefighter was overcome by smoke and gas fumes while fighting a residential basement fire on New Street. He responded to the fire with Engine 2 and entered the house with another firefighter, but they were almost immediately overcome by fumes and smoke pouring up from the basement. Despite his injuries, the second firefighter was able to make it out of the house and he notified other firefighters that the victim was trapped in the kitchen.
3/5/1979 a Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada firefighter died while operating at a lumber factory fire. “The night watchman for the Great West Timber Company at the foot of Clavet Street notified the fire department of a fire in one of their wood kilns. He then also called the owner at home and let him know of the fire. At 2:06 a.m., Pumpers 3 and 4 and a salvage truck from Court Street and Pumper 5 from Hodder Ave and Platoon Chief from HQ responded to the large lumber factory on the Port Arthur waterfront. When crews arrived, at 2:10, they found a thirty-foot-high-concrete block structure with a fire inside. The structure was used as a wood chip bin for the fuel of the dry kiln attached to it. The wood chip pile had a deep-seated fire smoldering inside it. They started to apply water from above and below thru hatch’s, when the owner arrived and wanted to investigate the situation. As firefighters were working on the roof above the bin, the owner climbed a ladder and looked in to the bin. At around 3:00 a.m., after being warned by firefighters to stay out of the bin, he started to climb down the service ladder inside, A firefighter grabbed his arm to stop him, but he shook it off and continued down. Firefighters continued calling out to the owner to come out and when they lost voice contact, A firefighter put on breathing apparatus and started down the ladder to rescue the owner. Two additional firefighters followed the first down the ladder about 15 feet to the top of the wood chip pile, where they found the owner unconscious. The first firefighter tried mouth to mouth and then placed his mask on the owner, as he and another firefighter dragged the owner toward the ladder. The incident commander put a call out for more help. In the bin the first firefighter grew faint and collapsed from lack of oxygen. The second firefighter placed the air mask back on him and feeling faint himself now, started back out of the bin. With the help of others, the second firefighter barley made it out and collapsed on the roof. Firefighters climbed back down to rescue the first firefighter and the owner. They were able to tie a rope around the first firefighter and he was pulled up and out of the bin. He was unconscious and rushed to Port Arthur General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. At the fire scene, the burning wood chips began to collapse and buried the owner. Firefighters had to scramble up the ladder and cut a hole in the brick wall from the outside to remove his body.”
3/5/1980 a Brooklyn, New York (FDNY) firefighter was killed when he was caught in a building collapse while operating at a single alarm fire.
3/5/1982 a Chicago, IL firefighter died while operating at a house fire. “He was one of the first firefighters to enter the burning house, helping to carry out a woman in a wheelchair. Believing there were more people trapped in the house, he and another firefighter reentered the burning building, where he collapsed from smoke inhalation and suffered a heart attack.”
3/5/1991 a New York, New York (FDNY) “firefighter responded to a two-story brick building that housed two businesses. After the fire was almost extinguished, he was sent to the 2nd floor to locate any pockets of fire. A 6’ x 6’ section of floor gave way and he fell through to the floor below. Immediately following the fall, a concrete slab fell on top of him.”
3/5/2008 a Linwood, Pennsylvania firefighter died after advancing a hose line into the first story and basement of the residence. “He and another firefighter advanced to the bottom of the stairs and controlled all visible fire. Despite their efforts, heat conditions in the basement were severe and the firefighters decided to go back up the stairs. The firefighter backing up the victim was able to escape the basement after encountering a blocked door, but he was unable to escape. He suffered 3rd degree burns over 40 percent of his body. Three other firefighters were injured while trying to save him. The fire was apparently sparked by a power surge when a strong wind knocked over two trees that pulled down a 13,000-volt power line.”
3/5/2008 a Grove City, PA firefighter died from injuries he received February 29, 2008. Two firefighters “entered a burning duplex and were trapped on the second floor while rescuing a victim. Both firefighters and the victim were rescued by a rapid intervention team and were transported to UPMC Mercy Hospital. The victim did not survive, one firefighter was treated and released, but the second remained hospitalized with burns to 75 percent of his body where he succumbed to his injuries six days later.”
3/5/2019 a Godfrey Fire Protection District firefighter died at a residential structure fire at 4064 Culp Lane Bethalto, Illinois. “The Madison County Sheriff’s Office dispatched the Fosterburg Fire Department to the scene, who in turn requested mutual aid from the Bethalto, Cottage Hills, Brighton, Dorsey and Godfrey Fire Departments. As the respective departments were battling the structure fire, a portion of the structure collapsed injuring four firefighters. Alton Memorial Ambulance, Lifestar Ambulance, and Survival Flight helicopter were summoned to the scene to transport the injured firefighters to St. Louis area hospitals, the Madison County Sheriff's Office said. Two of the firefighters were treated and released, one was hospitalized in stable condition and one firefighter succumbed to his injuries.”
3/5/2015 Galena, IL 21 cars of a BNSF crude oil train derail and a fire erupted.
3/5/2014 a fire on a passenger bus in northeastern China killed ten people and injured seventeen of the forty-three passengers in the country’s second deadly bus fire in less than a week.
3/5/1913 Lushton, Nebraska conflagration, “one block of the business section was burned to the ground.”
3/5/1908 the Sturgeon Bay, WI high school was destroyed by fire; “Sturgeon Bay is left practically without a school now, this building contained the High school and provided quarters for the first, second and third ward grammar schools.”
3/5/1900 the business section of the town of Woodsfield, OH was destroyed by fire that started about 11:00 p.m.
3/5/1870 the rear of the building at the Binghamton, NY Inebriate Asylum was damaged by fire between 11:00 and 12:00 p.m.
3/5/1866 Memphis, TN the Steamer Lockwood explosion killed twenty and scalded and wounded twenty-five others.
3/5/1858 St. Louis, Missouri the Pacific Hotel fire killed eighteen and injured nine, when an accidental fire that originated in the back room of the first floor spread rapidly through the hotel and damaged adjoining buildings on the northeast corner of Seventh and Poplar Streets.
3/5/1963 Jim Morrison, of the Doors’ lead singer, was charged with lewd and lascivious behavior, indecent exposure, profanity, and drunkenness at a Miami, Florida concert
3/5/1963 the Hula-Hoop was patented by Wham-O; it was first marketed in 1958.
3/5/1953 Joseph Stalin, leader of the Soviet Union since 1924, died in Moscow
3/5/1862 Civil War, Union troops under General Wright occupy Fernandina Florida
3/5/1558 Francisco Fernandes introduced smoking tobacco in Europe.