Today in Fire History 6/27

On 6/27/1895 in Minneapolis, Minnesota the McDonald Brothers Crockery Company fire killed six firefighters and injured nine when a wall collapsed without warning. The fire started around 11:00 p.m. and destroyed the crockery and glassware establishment on First Avenue South. “At 10:40 p.m., crewmen at Chemical 1 station on 3rd Street between Nicollet and 1st Avenue S. spotted flames in the rear of a large warehouse half a block away. They struck Box 18 and responded to find the brick MacDonald Brothers' crockery warehouse at 240-242 1st (now Marquette) Avenue S. very heavily charged with heat and smoke on all four floors. Firefighters struck a 1-11 at 10:43 and a 3-11 at 10:52. As some crews stretched lines into narrow alleys on each side of the warehouse, others worked from ladders to pry open iron shutters covering its side windows, so streams could get at flames. The tightly shuttered warehouse held a heavy fire load from packing material such as excelsior that built up a dangerous concentration of gaseous products of combustion, waiting for only enough oxygen to flash explosively into flame. At about 11:10 p.m., an enormous backdraft ripped through the building, blowing out its walls onto crews in the alleys on each side. The crew of Ladder 3 all died instantly, crushed by a mass of bricks in the south alley. Five other firefighters suffered serious injuries, and a like number in the north alley narrowly escaped. Three civilians across 3rd St. from the warehouse were badly cut by flying glass. The MacDonald building, now wrapped in flames, burned furiously. Uninjured firefighters at the scene performed wonders in preventing further flame spread while they tended to their dead and injured comrades. Although the MacDonald warehouse was a total loss, damage to surrounding structures was minimal.”

On 6/27/1936 a San Anselmo, California firefighter “died while fighting a brush fire. His charred body was found burned beyond recognition in a ditch a half-hour after he vanished in a thick wall of smoke while deploying a hoseline.”

On 6/27/1947 an Arcade, Sacramento County, California firefighter died while fighting “a grass fire behind the Earl Oil Company on Auburn Boulevard. The firefighters were trying to protect the buildings and gasoline tanks from the flames that had spread from the Camp Kohler fire. The firefighters were working desperately against flames reaching a height of 10 feet and by 50 mph winds. An unusually strong gust of wind spread the flames igniting another section of grass, nearly encircling the firefighters. The company officer shouted for the men to pull back. The firefighter “attempted to get away, but apparently lost his sense of direction in the dense clouds of smoke and ran directly into the fire”. He became trapped between the blazing field and the oil company’s main building. His shouts for help were heard and three people attempted to rescue him. Rescuers pulled him through a rear door carrying him to safety moments before the building burst into flames and the gasoline tanks blew. By this time, his clothes were aflame. His rescuers rolled him to the ground to extinguish the flames. He was given first aid at the scene and transported to Arcade Hospital where he later died after suffering third-degree burns and smoke inhalation. Camp Kohler was located in the northern part of Sacramento County, California. It had served as a training facility for the US Army Signal Corp during WWII, and a temporary internment camp for Japanese Americans being moved to the West Coast to the middle of the US.”

On 6/27/1947 a Deep River, Iowa firefighter “died after being electrocuted by a downed wire while operating at a fire at the Axtell Lumber Company.”

On 6/27/1953 a Wilmington, Delaware firefighter “died from the injuries he suffered after a floor had collapsed and he fell to the basement while operating at a fire at the Maeson’s Record Store at 6 E. 4th Street.”

On 6/27/1961 a Brooklyn, New York (FDNY) firefighter died after he was overcome by smoke at a fire at 3rd Avenue & 76th St.

On 6/27/1980 two Manhattan, New York (FDNY) firefighters died “while operating at a three-alarm fire, they were killed when the roof rope they were using snapped, plunging them seven stories to their deaths. One firefighter had dropped from the roof of the burning seven-story brick apartment building to rescue the second firefighter, who was trapped in an air shaft window. Thirty-five other firefighters and four police officers were also injured as a result of this fire.”

On 6/27/1982 two Sioux City, Iowa firefighters died as a result of an arson fire in a poultry processing plant. The first floor of the burning building collapsed into the basement, carrying five firefighters with it. One firefighter was pinned under a slab of concrete. The second firefighter was struck by falling debris and pinned down.”

On 6/27/1990 two California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection firefighters “died from thermal injuries resulting from being caught by the rapid moving fire.”

On 6/27/1993 four Warwick, Québec, Canada firefighters died after they “responded to a report of a barn fire. When they arrived at approximately 9:12 a.m., they found a large cattle barn ablaze. During the size up, a 1055-gallon propane tank was found close to the involved barn. The relief vents were operating on the tank and flames were shooting over 16 feet into the air. Firefighters began to apply water to the exposed LP Tank to cool it. Suddenly, the tank BLEVE’D and split into two large pieces. The blast sent one of the pieces into an open field, while the other piece traveled over 150 feet and struck the Fire Engine, and continued another 754 feet where it struck a vehicle parked on the road trapping an occupant. Three firefighters were killed when the piece struck the engine, where they were donning PPE and preparing hoselines. The fourth firefighter was killed when he was thrown approximately 150 feet as the LP Tank part slammed into the Engine.

On 6/27/2015 more than 205 people were injured and hospitalized, 81 of them seriously, after colored powder sprayed onto a crowd ignited at an amusement park outside Taiwan's capital Taipei. The explosion and fire started at the center of the stage where around 1,000 participants “were having a “color play party” - a festival of dance and music where revelers are sprayed with clouds of colored powder.”

On 6/27/2010 six children were killed in a home fire in Fort Edward, New York.

On 6/27/1990 a forest fire devastated Santa Barbara County, California.

On 6/27/1984 a fire destroyed a set in "A View to the Kill" in Buckinghamshire, England; “several leftover canisters of petrol used during the filming of Ridley Scott's Legend caused Pinewood Studios' "007 Stage" to burn to the ground. The stage was rebuilt and reopened in January 1985.”

On 6/27/1910 on the Mississippi River 15 miles south of La Crosse, Wisconsin the Excursion Steamer J. S. fire killed five and injured over 400 of the 1,500 passengers.

On 6/27/1887 the Marshfield, Wisconsin conflagration started in the afternoon and left about 2,000 people homeless. A spark from a locomotive started the fire at noon in the lumber yard of the Upham Furniture Factory.?

On 6/27/1883 the Nashville, Tennessee conflagration started. A morning fire destroyed the building on the corner of Clark and Front Streets.

On 6/27/1879 a planing mill boiler explosion in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania killed five and injured one on Front Street, below Brown, a few minutes before 8:00 a.m. in a large, three-story brick building. “When the boiler exploded it was torn into three pieces, one part being hurled 40 feet away.”

On 6/27/1895 a San Francisco, California box factory three-alarm fire killed one and injured several shortly before 6:00 p.m. at Fifth and Bryant Streets in a two-story frame building filled with combustible materials.

On 6/27/1979 the Supreme Court ruled employers may use quotas to help minorities.

On 6/27/1976 an Ebola breaks out in Sudan.

On 6/27/1950 the U.S. sends 35 military advisers to South Vietnam.

On 6/27/1844 Joseph Smith the Mormon leader was killed by a mob in Carthage, Illinois.