Today in Fire History 3/9
FIREFIGHTER HISTORY
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On 3/9/1914 the Missouri Athletic Club & Bank building fire killed thirty-seven people and twenty-nine were injured in Saint Louis, Missouri when the seven-story hotel owned by the Boastman's Bank located on the corner of Washington Avenue and Fourth Street was destroyed around 2:00 a.m. The fire was believed to have started in the dining room on the third floor of the building. “The building was valued at $250,000 and was erected in 1890, being of especially heavy construction and intended to be of slow combustion. The walls for the first and second floors were constructed of heavy granite, leaning inward from the ground up, in fortress style. The walls of the upper five stories were of brick. The fire caused the brick wall on the Fourth Street side to collapse above the third floor. The ceiling of the banking room was reinforced with heavy steel and concrete construction, intended to prevent the possibility of heavy pieces of hardware from falling through the ceiling from the upper floors. The club occupied the seven floors and basement, except for the banking room. The entrance to Boatmen’s Bank was at the northwest corner of Fourth Street and Washington Avenue, and the main entrance to the Missouri Athletic Club was on Washington Avenue, a few feet west of the bank entrance. The only other entrances to the club were in the rear, used by employees. The club used the basement for a swimming pool and bath, the first floor for lobbies and reception rooms, the second floor for pool and billiard rooms, the third floor for dining rooms and kitchens, the fourth floor for dancing rooms and officials’ headquarters, the fifth and sixth floors for sleeping rooms and the seventh floor for a gymnasium. Guests were sleeping on the fifth and sixth floors when the fire alarm was sounded through the building by the ringing telephone bells in their rooms. The cries of fire were first called by the night clerk and later taken up and relayed by the guests… As soon as the fire department arrived, squads were detailed for rescue work, while others began playing streams on the flames. Several explosions occurred soon after the fire got under headway, and although these are said to have been caused by gas, the night watchman believes they were caused by the steam heating plant going to pieces. Several guests on the fifth and sixth floors, found their egress by fire escape cut off rushed into sleeping rooms on the west side of the building, and leaped from the windows to the top of the adjoining four-story building occupied by the St. Louis Seed Company. It was in this leap that many were injured. Firefighters, hearing the cries of the injured on the roof of the St. Louis Seed Co. building, forced an entrance into that building and ascended to the fourth floor on the elevator. They broke a skylight and trapdoor in the roof and raised ladders, on which they climbed on the roof, picking up the injured and carrying them back down the ladder into the seed company’s building. There they were placed on the elevator and taken down to the first floor. The engineer of the club told the police he started the elevator for the upper floors of the club but the smoke and flames got so dense on the third floor that he had to reverse his lever as he did so the cable snapped and the cage fell into the basement. Hawkins said the fall of this cage might explain one of the noises the firefighters heard, which were thought to have been explosions.”
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On 3/9/1911 the powder magazines of the DuPont-Nemours Powder Company in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin containing 180 tons of finished black powder and dynamite exploded, the shock was felt in Chicago 60 miles away. “Most of the town was destroyed by the explosion of five magazines holding 300 tons of dynamite, 105,000 kegs of black blasting powder, and five nearby railcars holding more dynamite housed at the plant. The explosions rendered most houses within five miles of the blast center uninhabitable. Several hundred people were injured, and three plant employees, along with one employee, who dropped dead of fright, were killed. The low death toll was attributed to the plant being closed at the time of the explosion. A crater 100 feet deep was blasted under the former dynamite house. Damage estimates were put at $1,500,000, equivalent to $37,000,000 in 2015. Almost equal damage was done in Bristol, four miles west of Pleasant Prairie. The force of the explosion was felt more than 130 miles in every direction and was heard as far away as Ohio and Iowa. Many in the Midwest at first believed it was an earthquake. Residents in nearby Lake County, Illinois saw the fireball and remembering the Peshtigo fire fled their houses, jumping into Lake Michigan. Police in Chicago scoured the streets, looking for the site of a bombing. Windows were shattered as far away as Madison, Wisconsin, a distance of some 85 miles. Concerns about looting and vandalism by curiosity seekers prompted Kenosha County Sheriff Andrew Stahl to impress a hundred deputies and clear the village…It was believed the first explosion took place in the glaze house where more than 1,100 kegs of powder were dried in steel cylinders. One steel cylinder crashed through the roof of the general store, tearing a hole five feet in diameter through the roof, the first and second floor, and into the earth. The owner, in an adjoining room, was thrown to the floor unconscious by the shock.”
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On 3/9/1885 in Steubenville, Ohio the Mossgroves Hotel burned and extended to the adjoining block including three mercantile establishments. A firefighter was killed, and several others were injured when the roof collapsed. The fire started around 5:30 p.m.
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On 3/9/1907 a Detroit, Michigan firefighter was killed while operating a fire.
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On 3/9/1912 seven people including three firefighters died when a wall collapsed during a warehouse fire and explosion at the immense brick warehouse of the International Harvester Company in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
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On 3/9/1912 two Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada firefighters died while fighting an arson fire that was started on the outside of the building. “While firefighters were in the process of checking the floors, either the fumes from the Napthe barrels met the flames from outside the building, or the flames were inside the building and met the Napthe barrels. Regardless, what followed was a massive explosion that literally blew the roof off the building & destroyed large portions of the walls. One firefighter from station Number 3 died instantly. A second firefighter died shortly after midnight at the St. Boniface Hospital. Along with them, 5 civilian spectators, among them a 12-year-old boy, died from the blast. During the fire, the arsonist waited at the corner of Main and Sutherland until the No. 3 Brigade had passed, on the way to Radford-Wright. He then ran back with them to watch them fight the fire, as he had done so many times before. He would later testify that he had seen fire in the interior of the building. As he watched firefighters go to work putting out the blaze, he was overwhelmed with excitement. He saw the incident commander yell to a nearby policeman to call another alarm. At this moment, he decided to go to the front of the building and see what was going on. It was this action that very likely spared the arsonist’s life. While he was walking around to the front of the building, a fatal explosion occurred. When the explosion was over, two civilian spectators at the front of the building lay dead. It was not until several hours later that the final death toll of the blaze would be determined. Seven people, including the 2 firefighters from station No. 3. The arsonist would stay at "his fire" until 3:30 that morning, then return at 7:00 (Sunday morning), where he would stay all day. On this day, he took his boss with him to the blaze. Mr. Derrett would later recall how strange and morbid he felt the arsonist’s behavior was. He took several photographs of the blaze including many close-ups of the deceased.”
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On 3/9/1932 a San Francisco, California firefighter “died from injuries he received while operating at a dwelling fire at 22 Victoria.”
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On 3/9/1937 a Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio firefighter “suffered gas inhalation while fighting a fire and died of a heart attack on his way home the following morning.”
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On 3/9/1941 a New Haven, Connecticut firefighter “died of the injuries he sustained after being caught in a roof collapse.”
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On 3/9/1965 a Peterborough, Ontario, Canada firefighter “died in a fire at the Bad Boy’s Store on George Street.”
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On 3/9/1965 a Dayton, Ohio firefighter died “while fighting a fire at the Ungerleider Motor Co. at 415 N. Main Street around 7:00 p.m. the building began to collapse. He was unable to outrun the falling debris that trapped him and two other firefighters. The two other two firefighters were trapped only briefly and escaped with minor injuries. However, one firefighter was crushed by an I-beam during the collapse.”
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On 3/9/1970 a San Bernardino, California firefighter (ranger) (California Department of Forestry/ CAL FIRE) died of pneumonia. “He suffered burns of 60% of his body and was blown 100 feet following the explosion at the Yucca Valley, Unigas Company on February 20, 1970. He was one of two firefighters in a fire truck that had pulled up nearest the fire of leaking propane gas. They were getting hose when the explosion blasted through the air and burned them.”
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On 3/9/1978 a Cornwall, Canada firefighter died at an apartment fire on Second Street West. “On the arrival of Pump 4, firefighters found heavy smoke showing from the second floor of a three-story building. The firefighters stretched a hoseline and began a search for victims. One firefighter found and rescued a woman from the fire apartment on the 2nd floor, and removed her to the outside for medical treatment. Unfortunately, she did not survive. The firefighter went back and reentered the structure to continue search and rescue operations when he collapsed. Firefighters who were only steps away in the smoke, heard him fall and with the help of others, removed him to the outside medical treatment, where he died from his injuries.”
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On 3/9/1995 a San Francisco, California firefighter “died of severe respiratory burns he received after becoming trapped in the garage of a house that was on fire. He had led his crew with the first attack line into the garage when the electrically controlled garage door closed behind them. “One unusually windy night in the City of San Francisco on March 9, 1995, a call came in that there was a fire in a residence located in the Diamond Heights Twin Peaks neighborhood. The winds were gusting at 80 miles per hour, which is the perfect fuel to fan a fire. The first engine crew to arrive put their self-contained breathing apparatus on and led a charged hoseline to the fire entering the open garage and proceeding through an open door in the rear. Winds roaring up Glen Canyon were blasting into an open sliding-glass door at the back of the house, creating a funnel effect that pushed the fire straight toward the crew. There, however, was one major unforeseeable problem. The fire exploded due to the high winds and created a backdraft. The crew quickly retreated to the garage hoping to avoid the smoke and flames. Something had gone wrong, someone had closed the garage door and the crew was now trapped. Since the power had been cut off the crew was unable to open the electric door. The air was getting hotter and hotter- it was unbreathable. A firefighter jammed the door to keep it open. The airpacks the firefighters wore only had 30 minutes of air at the most. Valuable time was passing and there was no way out. The three firefighters lay on the ground attempting to get air from under the garage door. They choked and gagged as they banged on the garage door for help. Personal safety alarms would have been of no additional help since the firefighters' calls for help were much louder than any activated personal alarm scream. These personal alarm devices work well when a firefighter passes out and is unable to call for help. Firefighters heard the calls for help and began attempting to lift the heavy door. The door refused to budge and they could hear the shouts for help becoming fainter. Firefighters outside used axes, chainsaws, and a circular saw. Finally, two firefighters, with almost superhuman strength, lifted the electric garage door. Two of the three firefighters were not breathing. Some firefighters believe that the company officer had given the remaining air in his tank to the rookie firefighter who was lying next to him and as a result, he died. One firefighter had burned his lungs and suffered third-degree burns on both hands and other parts of his body. The second firefighter was placed in a coma by the medical doctors in an attempt to save her. Due to her serious injuries, she was no longer able to work as a firefighter and was forced to retire. She suffered permanent partial blindness as well as other serious permanent injuries. The first firefighter after many months of medical care and physical therapy was able to return to full duty. Nine other firefighters suffered serious injuries. The death of the company officer shocked all the members of the Fire Department.”
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On 3/9/2008 a Val-Des-Mont, Quebec, Canada firefighter died fighting a house fire. “When firefighters arrived, they found it difficult to access the burning house because of two feet of snow. Crews went through an attached garage to reach the fire in the rear bedroom when the garage collapsed. Other firefighters made it out, but one was buried under rubble. It took 45 minutes using a backhoe to reach his body.”
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On 3/9/2015 a Lawrence Township, Clearfield, Pennsylvania firefighter “was critically injured while fighting a structure fire after a burning porch roof collapsed at a house fire on March 3. He passed away from his injuries on March 9th. He was pronounced dead after being heavily sedated at UPMC Altoona for nearly a week.”
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On 3/9/2016 nine firefighters were injured after a natural gas explosion that leveled three business structures in the Greenwood neighborhood of Seattle, Washington at the Quick Stop Market on N. 85th Street and Greenwood Avenue North shortly before 1:45 a.m.
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On 3/10/2020 a “Mount Holly Springs Citizens Fire Company firefighter was killed in a two-alarm residential blaze that also took the life of one of the occupants. The firefighter died after the front porch of the home collapsed, crushing him under the heavy timbers supporting the porch roof. The fire broke out at about 1:00 a.m. in the Type V Wood Frame single-family dwelling at 1549 Boiling Springs Road in a rural area outside the small village of Boiling Springs south of Carlisle in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.”
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On 3/9/2023 a large fire at a vacant house on North Broadway Street in Dayton, Ohio claimed five lives. “Fire crews responded at 3:58 a.m. to the fire in the 500 block of North Broadway Street and were at the scene for about 18 hours. Responding crews could see heavy smoke from more than a mile away and arrived to find a large two-story house with heavy fire showing from the back of the house on both floors. Crews went inside to search for any occupants and to control the fire. Within four minutes of arriving and entering the house, the incident commander ordered all crews out due to the intense fire conditions and concerns of a collapse.”
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On 3/9/1984 the Scandinavian Sea fire disrupted a cruise approximately 5 miles off the east coast of central Florida. A fire of unknown origin started in a crew compartment of the 506’ ship while out at sea at 7:30 p.m. There were no injuries reported among the 946 passengers and crew. The ship docked at the Port of Canaveral Florida a few minutes before 9:30 p.m. All passengers were evacuated safely. “Before the 40-hour suppression operation was completed, the fire had spread vertically within Number 1 main vertical zone from A deck (deck of origin) heavily damaging the main, upper, and lounge decks.”
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On 3/9/1997 a fire in a partially sprinklered one-story combination of wood frame construction and unprotected steel school in Pangnirtung in a remote area of Baffin Island in, Northwest Territories, Canada, destroyed the building being renovated and two weeks from completion. The fire started in a combustible void space near the gymnasium at approximately 1:30 p.m. in temperatures of -40°F (-40°C).
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On 3/9/2013 seven perished in a horrific brick and timber house fire in southeastern Knox County Kentucky.
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On 3/9/2013 seven horses died and four were injured in a barn that was destroyed by a fire at the Gulfstream Polo Club in Palm Beach County, Florida.
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On 3/9/1903 six people died and several were injured in a wood frame hotel fire in Leiter, West Virginia believed to have started when a lamp exploded.
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On 3/9/1902 in Bennington, Vermont the Unity Collar and Cuff Company fire broke out in the cutting room and destroyed the three-story 150’ X 45’ frame structure.
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On 3/9/1899 in Cooper, Texas the Delta County Courthouse was destroyed by a fire that started around 12:30 a.m. in the north side stairway leading to the cupola.
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On 3/9/1883 in Bellows Falls, Vermont a machine shop was destroyed by fire.
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On 3/9/1981 an accident at a Japan Atomic Power Company in Tsuruga leaked radioactive waste exposing fifty-nine workers to radiation.
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On 3/9/1945 United States warplanes dropped 2,000 tons of incendiary bombs incinerating 16 square miles around the Japanese capital starting the “Firebombing of Tokyo”
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On 3/9/1964 the 1st Ford Mustang was produced
On 3/9/1959 Barbie made her debut; the 11-inch-tall blond hair doll was released at the American Toy Fair in New York City by Mattel, Inc.
On 3/9/1916 Poncho Villa attacked Columbus, New Mexico.
On 3/9/1862 during the Civil War, the CSS Virginia, a captured and rebuilt Union steam frigate formerly known as the Merrimac, engages the USS Monitor in the first battle between iron-fortified naval vessels.