Today in Fire History 5/1

On 5/1/2016 the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Sava, a historic church located at 15 West 25th Street between Broadway and the Avenue of the Americas in Midtown Manhattan, New York City was gutted during a spectacular fire. “The church building was constructed in 1850-55 in the English Gothic Revival style. The building was designated a New York City Landmark in 1968, and the complex was added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 1982. Much of the church was destroyed in a dramatic four-alarm fire. The exterior walls of the church are made of heavy brownstone blocks etched in a rough finish accented with austere Gothic trim and details. The front fa?ade sits on West 25th Street and faces south. The church measures 65 feet in width by roughly 180 feet long. The slate roof soared almost 100 feet high and was supported by heavy timber hammer-beam trusses. The fa?ade is supported by four stone buttresses, framed by delicate stone turrets at the sides, and punctuated by a large stained glass rose window above the entrance. Before the fire, the church was known to have had one of the largest heavy timber hammer-beam truss roofs in the City of New York… A massive fire occurred at the church, on the day Orthodox Christians were celebrating Easter, destroying most of the building. The four-alarm fire started at 6:49 p.m. and was fought by more than 170 FDNY firefighters. The fire spread quickly due to the highly finished combustible interior decorations. First arriving firefighters were greeted by a rapidly developing fire that was quickly spreading to the wood timber roof. An interior attack was initiated but firefighters were soon removed from the sanctuary due to the heavy fire involvement of the roof. Firefighters moved to a defensive posture and were able to contain the fire to the structure with little damage to surrounding buildings in the densely developed area. The adjoining parish house associated with the church was not harmed by fire. Once the fire overtook the sanctuary and roof, tremendous flame and radiant heat destroyed the large rose window above the front entrance. Blowtorch-like flames issued from the failed window and caused minor exposure fires on the upper floors of the buildings across the street due to radiant heat. Firefighters concentrated on containing the fire in the building while the heavy timber roof burned and collapsed onto the sanctuary floor. A distraught church caretaker, upon learning of the fire, attempted to enter the building in a vain bid to salvage church relics but was removed by firefighters and treated for smoke inhalation. Firefighters contained the fire by operating multiple master streams from towers ladders and the fire was declared under control by 8:30 p.m… While there were some initial suspicions that the fire may have been set, investigators later determined that candles that had not been properly extinguished after an Easter service were identified as a likely cause. A caretaker told fire marshals that he stowed the candles in a cardboard box under a piece of wooden furniture in the rear corner of the 161-year-old church.”

On 5/1/1856 a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania firefighter died “while operating at a fire, which destroyed many buildings. He was killed, and numerous other firefighters were injured, when they were caught under a collapsing wall.”

On 5/1/1906 a Mobile, Alabama firefighter died at a fire in the J.H. Glennon house at 965 Palmetto Street; it is believed he received a strong electrical shock which resulted in his death.

On 5/1/1922 two Troy, New York firefighters were killed in a floor collapse while operating at the Log House fire.

On 5/1/1926 a Milwaukee, Wisconsin firefighter “died of burns sustained at the Marsh Woods Products fire on April 26, 1926.”

On 5/1/1987 a Binghamton, New York firefighter “died of health problems caused by exposure to PCB at the State Office Building fire on February 5, 1982.” “Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) is an organic chlorine compound (C12H10?xClx) once widely used as dielectric and coolant fluids in electrical apparatus, carbonless copy paper, and in heat transfer fluids.”

On 5/1/1990 three Hustontown, Pennsylvania firefighters “died inside a well after being exposed to carbon monoxide from the exhaust of a portable gasoline engine-powered pump. The incident occurred after four firefighters responded to a request to remove the remains of a dead animal from a 33-foot deep water well. The Firefighters decided first to pump the water out of the well (12 feet of water). One firefighter climbed down into the well on an aluminum ladder and built a wooden platform at the 15-foot level. A second firefighter climbed down into the well to help position a 9-horsepower gasoline engine-powered pump being lowered to the platform. The two firefighters started the engine but were unable to prime the pump. Within a few minutes, the first firefighter became dizzy and exited the well. The second firefighter remained in the well and became unconscious. In the rescue attempt, the first firefighter climbed back down into the well, turned the engine off, and then collapsed unconscious over the engine. By this time, the engine had run for approximately 8 or 9 minutes. Within minutes, several other firefighters entered the well in rescue attempts. Only two of the rescuing firefighters wore supplied-air respirators. The first firefighter was rescued and revived. The second firefighter and two other firefighters attempting rescue died.”

On 5/1/2018 a Temiscouta-Sur-le-Lac, Quebec, Canada firefighter died “while operating at a fire at the Norampac cardboard-box plant. The Sprinklers activated and filled a ventilation duct with water. The weight of the duct ripped it off the ceiling and it fell on the firefighter, causing fatal injuries.”

On 5/1/2015 a family of three died in a southeast Houston, Texas one-story wood-frame house fire that started around 10:20 p.m. in the 4800 block of Maggie at Coffee.

On 5/1/2013 a fire killed a woman at a psychiatric hospital in central Russia, just days after nearly 38 people died in a fire at a mental hospital near Moscow, the started around 4:45 a.m. inside a patient's room at a psychiatric hospital in Zherdevsky District of central Russia's.

On 5/1/2010 a car bomb was discovered and deactivated in New York City's Times Square.

On 5/1/1908 the town of Rowlesburg, West Virginia was destroyed by a fire that was started by burglars.

On 5/1/1903 the Fairbanks Mills, Maine conflagration destroyed several houses and a factory.

On 5/1/1884 Antrim, Pennsylvania conflagration started.

On 5/1/1875 the Montpelier, Vermont conflagration destroyed 30 stores and dwellings.

On 5/1/1900 Winter Quarters, #1 & #4 coal mine explosion killed 200, near Scofield, Utah.

On 5/1/1853 the Steamer Ocean Wave fire near Kingston,?Ontario killed thirty-eight.

On 5/1/1528 Panfilo the Narvaez began the exploration of Florida.

On 5/1/1707 England, Wales, and Scotland form the United Kingdom of Great Britain.

On 5/1/1898 The Battle of Manila Bay, Commodore Dewey told the captain of the flagship, Olympia, "You may fire when ready, Gridley."

On 5/1/1844 Samuel Morse sent the 1st telegraphic message.

On 5/1/1907 Pleasant View, West Virginia Train Wreck.

On 5/1/1972 North Vietnamese troops capture Quang Tri.

On 5/1/1993 a bomb attack on the Sri Lankan president killed twenty-six.