Today in Fire History 4/22

On 4/22/1869 a Baltimore, Maryland firefighter “died in agony as a result of painful injuries sustained in the wall collapse on April 17th. One leg was severely burned from his hip to his heel, and he suffered internal injuries. As firefighters reached him in the debris, he told them he was okay and to move on to others who needed their help more. He told them this as he lay alongside a burning timber.”

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On 4/22/1883 a Memphis, Tennessee firefighter died “while operating at a fire involving a saloon, he was killed instantly when a wall collapsed, throwing him against the wall of an adjacent store. A firefighter was also critically injured and died on November 14, 1884, as a result of injuries sustained.

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On 4/22/1911 an Evansville, Indiana firefighter “died from his injuries after coming into contact with falling electric lines with a ladder he was carrying, while operating at a fire at the Fischer Brother’s Grocery Store, and the Simpson M.E. Church. The Mayor requested that power companies keep an expert representative on duty to attend to all fires in the city. This policy is still in place today”

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On 4/22/1931 a Dallas, Texas firefighter “was knocked from a ladder by falling debris and fell thirty feet to the ground striking on his head while operating at a house fire at 232 North Marsalis Avenue. He was pinned beneath a burning gable that had collapsed. He received a fractured skull and internal injuries which caused his death at the Methodist hospital.”

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On 4/22/1990 a Cornelia, Georgia firefighter “was wetting down a wooded area surrounding an abandoned house fire (arson) when he fell into uncovered well. Initially, firefighters had voice contact but could not see him due to the smoke in the well. Rescue attempts were made with a fire hose, ladders, and rescue personnel. Ultimately, a dive specialist retrieved his body from the bottom of the well.”

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On 4/22/1993 an Alamogordo, New Mexico, US Forest Service firefighter “died after being overrun by a brush fire that originated from a controlled burn. The fire was on day 3 of a 4-day plan when it exceeded its prescribed boundaries due to a rapid wind shift. He was overrun by a 50-foot wall of flame; the other members of the crew either avoided the flames or successfully deployed their fire shelters.”

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On 4/22/2004 a Chesterfield, South Carolina firefighter died while fighting a major fire in a community center. He was assisting with hose line deployment on a sloping hillside while wearing full structural personal protective clothing.

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On 4/22/2018 four adults and two children were killed in a morning house fire in Alcoa Tennessee. Twenty-nine firefighters responded to the single-story home at 885 N. Wright Road after someone called E-911 to report the blaze at 5:24 a.m. Crews began battling "heavy fire conditions," and within five to eight minutes, the flames “were brought under control enough to do search and rescue.” Firefighters found two people dead inside the home. They rescued another four people from the burning house.??

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On 4/22/2004 a train fire and explosion in Ryongchon, North Korea killed at least 160 and leveled several buildings.

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On 4/22/1992 a series of gas explosions in the sewer killed more than 200 and damaged 1,000 buildings in Guadalajara Mexico. “A subsequent investigation found that a leaky water pipe had caused a gas pipeline below it to rust. The gas then leaked into a sewer line, where it set off the powerful blasts.”?

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On 4/22/1938 the Keen Mountain coal mine explosion killed forty-five near Hanger, Virginia.

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On 4/22/1909 much of the business district of Liberty, Texas was destroyed by fire.

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On 4/22/1901 a fire in the Saint Mary’s West Virginia Commercial Hotel, situated in the lower part of town, killed three men and a boy around 1:45 a.m. “it is thought that the fire came from an explosion of gas.”

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On 4/22/1896 several buildings were damaged by a fire in Danbury, Connecticut.

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On 4/22/1879 a fire in the town of Anna, Illinois destroyed 12 buildings.

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On 4/22/1964 the 1964-65 New York World's Fair opened with over 140 pavilions, 110 restaurants, from 80 nations, 24 US states, and over 45 corporations building exhibits or attractions in Flushing Meadows Park in Queens, New York that covered 646 acres on half the park. The fair's theme "Peace Through Understanding", was dedicated to "Man's Achievement on a Shrinking Globe in an Expanding Universe". “The theme was symbolized by a 12-story-high, stainless-steel model of the earth called the Unisphere.” The fair ran for two six-month seasons, April 22 – October 18, 1964, and April 21 – October 17, 1965. … “How do you provide fire protection for 646 acres of 200 "temporary" structures with 30,000 full-time employees and an expected 250,000 visitors during each 14-hour day? The 1964 World's Fair Corporation engaged Pinkerton's International Detective Agency to provide several essential services at the Fair, including fire protection. To raise a cadre of qualified and experienced firefighters for this temporary engagement, Pinkerton turned to the retirees of the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY). In all, 100 seasoned men were hired, and a full-fledged World's Fair Fire Department was formed. … The fire department was commanded by former FDNY Assistant Chief Thomas P. O'Brien. Chief O'Brien also had one Assistant Chief, retired FDNY Battalion Chief James E. Gowdy. A Manual was written for the department that resembled that of any other organized fire department and was modeled after that of the FDNY, though much abbreviated. … Three pumpers and one rescue truck, specially designed by Chief O'Brien, were each manned by one Captain, three Lieutenants, and twenty firefighters on a platoon system. The pumpers were manufactured by H&H Apparatus of Jersey City, New Jersey. They were built on 1962 Willy's chassis (original makers of the world-famous "Jeeps") and were equipped with a 500-gallon-per-minute pump, nearly 2,000 feet of hose, ladders, and an assortment of firefighting and rescue tools. The trucks had to be a slim 17 feet wide so that they could be driven down any of the Fair's streets; the smallest of which was 20 feet wide. Not traditional "fire engine red," these trucks were painted in the Fair's blue and orange colors. They were deployed in three fire stations situated around the perimeter of the Fairgrounds; one on the northwest area at the Security Building, one on the northeast side, and one near the aquacade on the south side of the Long Island Expressway. Also, the WFFD provided a chauffeur for each of the four ambulances of the World's Fair Medical Department. Few of the Fair's visitors were aware that they were protected by this unique professional group. The fire department was disbanded at the Fair's conclusion in 1965 and its equipment was sold.”

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On 4/22/1915, German forces released more than 150 tons of lethal chlorine gas against Allied soldiers in Ypres, Belgium.

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On 4/22/1778 John Paul Jones led an American raid on Whitehaven, England

On 4/22/1889 Oklahoma land rush began

On 4/22/1954 Senator Joseph McCarthy began hearings investigating the United States Army, which he charged with being "soft" on communism.

On 4/22/1955 Congress ordered all U.S. coins to bear the motto "In God We Trust".

On 4/22/1991 an earthquake strikes Costa Rica and Panama killing 95.

On 4/22/1994 President Richard Milhous Nixon died.

On 4/22/2000 a Florida SWAT team returned Elian Gonzalez to his father in Cuba.