Today in Fire History 4/4

On 4/4/1949 the Saint Anthony’s Hospital fire killed seventy-four in Effingham, Illinois in a 100-bed?ordinary construction health care facility with open corridors, staircases, and vertical shafts, using oilcloth fabrics and combustible soundproof tiles. The fire rapidly spread through the hospital which had no fire alarm or sprinkler system. “Although the cause of the fire was never determined, numerous safety deficiencies at St. Anthony’s Hospital were identified. The combination of the combustible building materials in the open corridors, stairwells, and vertical shafts, along with the lack of fire sprinklers, detectors, and alarms contributed to the large loss of life. In response, the governor ordered the State Fire Marshal to evaluate all state hospitals to identify and mitigate any fire hazards. This led to a nationwide effort by other hospitals throughout the country to improve their fire safety measures to avoid similar disasters. As a direct result of this disaster modern hospitals now incorporate numerous fire safety features to protect patients who cannot be quickly evacuated, including fire barriers, smoke compartments, and stairway enclosures.”

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On 4/4/1956 six firefighters were killed and thirteen injured when a marquee failed and pulled down the parapet wall on 3rd Avenue (Box 4-4- 2904) in the Bronx, New York in one story 125' by 75', ordinary construction furniture store and artificial flower factory. The building had been converted from a movie theater and was being used as a furniture store on the first floor with an artificial flower factory in the basement. The fire started in the cellar and spread up the walls, and over 150 firefighters responded. “Companies responded to a report of a fire in the furniture store. The fire had been burning for some time before the firefighters’ arrival, allowing it to spread significantly throughout the building and making it especially difficult to fight. The fire started in the basement fed by highly combustible coloring material used in the manufacture of artificial flowers. The firefighters were operating under the front marquee, playing a hose line into the front of the building when the supports to the marquee melted and came down in slow motion taking the front wall with it. Some members ran towards the front wall while others ran away. Those who ran towards the front wall were slightly injured however those who ran away were buried under tons of debris. Six members died, and thirteen others were injured. The entire linear street-side parapet failed and collapsed causing the 20 ft. x 15 ft. overhanging marquee to crash onto the sidewalk where companies were operating. There had been no preliminary warning of the impending failure of the marque or parapet wall. The collapse also brought down power lines which plunged the immediate area into darkness, compounding the difficulty in rescuing trapped firefighters.”

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On 4/4/1848 a Manhattan, New York firefighter “died from injuries sustained when the building collapsed while he was operating at a fire. Two other firefighters were also killed in the collapse.”

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On 4/4/1875 a Buffalo, New York firefighter died while he “was directing his men in fighting a major fire in a commercial block, he was killed when he was caught in a floor collapse. A major controversy ensued after his death and charges of carelessness were leveled against the fire department superintendent for allowing men to enter the building. He was, however, exonerated when members of the department came forward and confirmed that early in the fire, he emphatically ordered that everyone stay out of the building. It was further stated that the victim had arrived on the fireground late and entered the structure without the knowledge of the superintendent.”

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On 4/4/1911 a Fitchburg, Massachusetts firefighter died “while operating at a fire in a four-story brick commercial building, he was killed when he was struck by falling bricks that fell as the result of an explosion.”

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On 4/4/1925 a San Francisco, California firefighter “died from burned lungs while in the performance of his duties.”

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On 4/4/1971 a Baltimore, Maryland firefighter “was killed when he fell from the roof of a two-story brick building while operating at a small fire. He fell headfirst and suffered a fractured skull, dying an hour later in the hospital without ever regaining consciousness.”

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On 4/4/2004 a Houston, Texas firefighter “was killed taking a hose line inside a nightclub fire in northwest Houston. The interior quickly became fully involved trapping him and severely burning his company officer. The fire had been deliberately set by a bar patron. 7610 Kempwood, is in District 5 and went to 2-alarms. “Fire crews were dispatched at 05:55 a.m., to a reported truck fire but arrived on the scene to discover a structure fire. Engine 50 was the first to arrive on the scene. The Captain and two firefighters initiated a “fast attack.” District Chief 5 arrived on the scene and assumed Command. Ladder 38 arrived shortly after Engine 50, and the Ladder 38 crew entered the building to assist the Engine 50 crew. Firefighters decided to exit the building as conditions were deteriorating. It is believed that the firefighter became separated from his crew at this time. Command called for operations to go defensive at the same time the crews were making their way out of the building. A firefighter from Ladder 38 reentered the building after realizing that his Captain had failed to exit with the crew. He found and dragged the unconscious Engine 50 Captain to safety before returning and assisting the semi-conscious Ladder 38 Captain out of the building. A firefighter failed to exit the building and was later found in the debris… The structure involved in the incident had various construction methods and materials. The walls, ceilings, and known interior finishes varied throughout the structure and a significant portion could not be determined due to the extent of fire damage. The approximately 7,500 square foot one-story structure had three sections, with the middle section being the original building, and sections added on at later dates to the Bravo and Delta sides. The exterior walls of the original (middle section) building consisted of concrete blocks with a stucco finish. Steel I-beams supported the gable design with a limited slope roof system that consisted of metal affixed to an “S” channel. The interior wall and ceiling finish could not be conclusively determined; however, a portion of this wall appeared to be made of concrete blocks… The Harris County Medical Examiner’s report listed the cause of death as third and fourth-degree thermal burns to 95 percent of the body and thermal burns to the upper respiratory system. There was less than 5% carboxyhemoglobin (a measure of carbon monoxide exposure) in the firefighter’s blood and no soot was found in the upper and lower respiratory tract. Based on the injuries sustained and the damage to the firefighter’s protective equipment, the State Fire Marshal’s Office surmises that the firefighter was exposed to a rapid intensification of heat and flames inside the nightclub that overwhelmed his protective equipment, exposing his body and his respiratory system to the intense heat that caused him to be rapidly overcome.”

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On 4/4/2008 two Colerain Township, Ohio firefighters died while fighting a residential fire. “Their unit was dispatched along with other firefighters to the report of a fire in a residence. Engine 102 was the first fire department unit on the scene and laid a supply line up the extended driveway to the residence. They reported moderate smoke showing and established command at 6:23 a.m. The crew advanced a 150-foot, 1-?-inch handline to the front door of the structure. The two firefighters entered the structure with a dry handline and called for the line to be charged. Engine 102's other firefighter entered the interior after checking the deployment of the supply line. At 6:27 a.m. the crew radioed that E102 was making entry into the basement and reported heavy smoke. After a request for water, the handline was charged at approximately 6:29 a.m. At 6:34, a firefighter from Engine 102 told another officer that he could not find his crew. The officer reported this fact to command and mayday operations were initiated. A second alarm was requested, and a rapid intervention crew was deployed. Both firefighters were buried under collapsed structural components and were declared dead at the scene. A large area of the first floor collapsed into the basement.”

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On 4/4/1894 the “Great fire in Shanghai” destroyed over 1,000 buildings.

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On 4/4/1968 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee.

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On 4/4/1933 the Dirigible Akron crashed killing seventy-three in New Jersey. “While the U.S. Navy was using the airship to obtain some technical data over New Jersey. It was well-known that dirigibles could experience problems in bad weather, but despite the violent thunderstorms in the area that day, the Akron was not grounded. While in the air over the Atlantic Ocean, a miscommunication over directions by crew members sent the Akron directly into the storm instead of around it. The storm’s winds caused the ship to plunge nearly 1,000 feet in a few seconds. The crew then made its second mistake: the dirigible's water ballast was dumped to make the flying ship rise. However, the ballast dump thrust the Akron up too far, too fast. Critical devices and cables were destroyed and all control was lost. The Akron plunged into the ocean. The rescue airship J-3 was sent to help the Akron crew. It also crashed in the storm, killing two of the seven crew members on board. Only three of Akron‘s 76 crew members survived the disaster.”