Today in Fire History 8/19

On 8/19/1943 an explosion and fire destroyed a three-story building and gutted two adjacent buildings at the Congoleum-Nairn plant killing eleven and injuring fifteen, eight critically at the Passaic Avenue plant in Kearny, New Jersey. “At 5:50 p.m., the police report reads, “a terrific explosion was heard in Kearny and about the same time an alarm of fire was sent in over Fire Box 121, located at Belgrove Drive. and Passaic Avenue. In 1886, the Nairn Linoleum Co. in Scotland began buying property in Kearny. It later became Congoleum- Nairn (“Congoleum” flooring supposedly named for an asphalt saturate that came from the African Congo). Eventually, the Congoleum- Nairn plant became a 63-acre complex. After the United States entered World War II in 1941, the plant was converted to war-product manufacturing, and by August 1943, while still producing some linoleum, 75% of the work involved supplying the military. Most reports say only that it was manufacturing camouflage netting, but according to Congoleum’s history, “aerial torpedo parts and grenades” were also among its output. As the police report states, it was at 5:05 p.m. that an explosion occurred, one so powerful it leveled all of Building 12, a 300 X 300-foot three-story structure abutting Passaic Ave., just to the south of the plant’s main gate in the middle of the block. In Building 12 were the stoves used to dry out the camouflage netting. In that building also were at least 30 employees. Of those, 10 would escape uninjured, seven would suffer varying degrees of injuries — and 13 would die, nine immediately, most buried under tons of “bricks, stone, and twisted steel.” The last victim was not found until 9:45 a.m. on August 21. Investigators at the scene included not only the Kearny police but detectives from the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, the federal Bureau of Mines (we don’t know why), and the FBI, which had seven agents on site within 90 minutes. Their concern was the plant’s involvement in the war effort.” “So important is Congoleum-Nairn’s part in the war production effort that the actual materials being manufactured at the local plant have not been publicly disclosed by the company, the Army, and the Navy. However, it was revealed at the award ceremony that Congoleum plants are participating in the following: Incendiary bombs, rockets for tank-smashing bazooka guns, tracers for anti-aircraft shells, land mines, compressed air vessels for aerial torpedoes and heavy projectiles, as well as many types of coats and impregnated fabrics for tents, camouflage, uniforms, and equipment.”

On 8/19/1894 a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania firefighter “died from injuries he sustained from a barn fire at Main and Sumac Street.”

On 8/19/1897 a Chicago, Illinois firefighter died from injuries he received “on August 5, 1897, when six firefighters from the Chicago Fire Department were fatally injured while fighting a fire in a grain elevator located on Grand Avenue at the north branch of the Chicago River. Three firefighters, all of Engine 3, were killed instantly; a fourth firefighter also died but his body was not found until August 8. A fifth firefighter of Engine 27 died from his injuries on August 6, and the sixth firefighter of Engine 5 died from his injuries on August 19… The fire was discovered by a Chicago and Northwestern Railway grain elevator employee shortly after 5:00 p.m. The first responding firefighters were met by intense heat, smoke, and rapidly spreading flames. Because the fire was confined to the upper levels of the elevator and the flames were spreading upward, however, fire officers believed that the conditions for a grain dust explosion had been avoided and an aggressive fire attack was ordered. Firefighters from Engine 27 were stationed on a rooftop thirty feet from the elevator, and firefighters from Engine 3 were attacking the fire from street level when the grain dust exploded… The elevator was ripped apart by the explosion, sending iron, bricks, wood, and tons of grain raining down onto the firefighters. Three firefighters were instantly crushed to death by a falling wall, and the other three firefighters all suffered serious burn injuries in the explosion…The explosion was witnessed by thousands of city workers heading out of downtown for the day. The damage to the elevator, its contents, and nearby buildings was estimated at $275,000.”

On 8/19/1952 a California Department of Forestry firefighter died while “fighting a fire near the Cleveland National Forest south of Lake Elsinore. He had been laying hose through the brush along the fireline. Carrying the nozzle end of the hose, he advanced toward the fire, calling for more hose. A whirlwind sprang up and whipped the fire around him, cutting him off from two other firefighters who were helping lay the hose. He was engulfed by flames and perished. The other two survived.”

On 8/19/1961 an Oregon firefighter died after “a wildfire overtook him when he was attempting to stop fire spread with a bulldozer.”

On 8/19/1997 a South Whitley, Indiana firefighter “was killed and two others were injured in a restaurant fire caused by cooking equipment that had been left on. He and others were making an internal fire attack when the heat buildup became extreme. They started to exit the structure when a flashover occurred causing some of the ceiling tiles to fall.” “The firefighters entered the structure by crouching/crawling through the front door and advancing about 15 feet into the interior of the structure. About 10 minutes later, intense heat filled the area. The heat apparently startled or panicked the firefighter who tried to run for the doorway entrance. He subsequently died from asphyxiation, while the other two firefighters received serious burns. Also, a fourth firefighter received serious burns during a rescue attempt. The site of the incident, a two-story restaurant/tavern structure with a one-story addition measuring 62 feet by 62 feet total, was located in a rural community. The structure was an old barn (about 100 years old), which had been converted into a restaurant/tavern. The structure had been remodeled several times and at least three partial roofs remained intact in the structure at the time of the fire. The exterior of the structure had been constructed of wood siding and the roof was covered with asphalt shingles. The structure had been built on a concrete slab and access to the interior was provided by three doorways.”

On 8/19/2015 three Washington State firefighters died and four others were injured after their vehicle crashed and was caught by flames as they battled a fire in the north-central part of the state. While engaged in initial attack operations they were involved in a vehicle accident when it is believed that the fire overtook their vehicle. “The firefighters were killed, and one additional firefighter was injured when the Twisp wildfire trapped them in their apparatus on state forest land. The firefighters, members of an engine crew from the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, were involved in initial attack operations on the fire near Woods Canyon and Twisp River Roads in Washington State when their vehicle crashed, and fire overtook it after winds suddenly shifted. The injured firefighter remains in the hospital in critical condition. Several other firefighters with dozer crews were also reported to have been injured.”

On 8/19/2011 a fire that followed several explosions at a local Saint Augustine Florida BP “gas” station injured one person. The incident started when a tanker exploded while making a delivery to an underground storage tank shortly after 4:30 p.m. and was under control after 7:00 p.m.

On 8/19/1989 a fire caused heavy damage to several Carteret, New Jersey buildings in the industrial complex at the S & A Plastics Company.?A sprinkler system, not yet completed, was being installed, and an AFFF closed-head sprinkler system was partially installed to protect a drum storage area.?The AFFF system activated during this fire, discharging water, and was instrumental in the control of the fire.

On 8/19/1980 a fire on a Saudi jet killed 301 people. A scheduled passenger flight from Riyadh International Airport to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Saudia Flight 163, caught fire seven minutes after takeoff. The captain declared an emergency after the crew received warnings of smoke in the plane's aft cargo compartment and returned to Riyadh International Airport and landed safely. “After touchdown, contrary to the captain's declaration of an emergency landing, the airplane continued to a taxiway at the end of the runway and exited the runway, stopping on the taxiway 2 minutes 40 seconds after touchdown. Why the captain did not immediately order an emergency evacuation of the aircraft is unknown. Twenty-three minutes after the engine shut down, the R2 door (second door on the right side) was opened by ground personnel. Flames were observed through the windows at the rear of the aircraft three minutes later, the aircraft burst into flames, and was consumed by fire.”

On 8/19/1949 a forest fire killed 230 and damaged 256,000 acres, in southwest France.

On 8/19/1933 the Cass County Courthouse was destroyed by fire in Linden, Texas.

On 8/19/1926 a mother and three of her children died when their farm home was destroyed by fire in Cooperstown, Pennsylvania.

On 8/19/1901 a blast furnace explosion killed seven in Youngstown, Ohio.

On 8/19/1900 the ax factory in Alexandria, Indiana “employing some 800 or 1,000 men” was destroyed by fire.

On 8/19/1899 six-hundred employees panicked when a fire started at the hosiery mill in Reading, Pennsylvania.

On 8/19/1878 a fire destroyed several buildings in Petrolia, Pennsylvania.

On 8/19-20/1812 a hurricane struck west of New Orleans, LA at 5:00 p.m. during the War of 1812 that destroyed a levee with a storm surge killing 100 and creating extensive losses and covering the city with 15 feet of water, Fort Saint Phillip was underwater. The British fleet approaching the city was scattered across the Gulf during the storm.

On 8/19/1812 the USS frigate Constitution defeated HMS frigate Guerrière.

On 8/19/1960 a captured US pilot, Francis Gary Powers, was sentenced to ten years imprisonment in Russia after his U-2 plane was shot down.

On 8/19/1953 the CIA-assisted coup overthrows the government of Iran.

8/19/1946 Bill (William Jefferson) Clinton was born in Hope, Arkansas

On 8/19/1934 Adolf Hitler, already chancellor was also elected president of Germany.

On 8/19/1909 the first race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

On 8/19/1884 a complicated collision in dense fog occurred in Boston harbor at 5:00 p.m. seven excursion boats and a tug were involved.