 |
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1791 |
|
|
May 9th, 12 firemen killed by a collapsing
wall at a building fire in Philadelphia, PA. |
|
1854 |
|
|
August 30th, the first recorded LODD's for
Richmond, VA occurred when 2 firefighters
were killed at a building fire. |
|
1875 |
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|
On September 14th, an aerial ladder
demonstration in New York, NY at the Tweed
Plaza goes horribly wrong and three firemen
are killed. Their names were Chief William
H. Nash of 4th Battalion, FF Phillip J. Maus of Hook and Ladder 6, and
FF William Hughs of Engine Company 9. |
|
1889 |
|
|
The Boston, MA
Thanksgiving
Day Fire goes to 8 alarms with mutual aid
costing the lives of four firemen and one
retired fireman. |
|
1890 |
|
|
March 17th, a fire in the heart of downtown
Indianapolis, IN occurred at 16-18 West Washington Street
at the Bowen-Merrill Bookstore. The fire was
reported to be in the basement of this four story building. The fire
quickly involved the whole building and soon
nearly the entire Indianapolis FD, a total
of 86 firefighters were on scene. Firefighters were working throughout the building and were on the roof when, without warning, the entire structure collapsed.
The only thing left standing was the front
facade. Rescue efforts immediately however
10 firefighters were either killed instantly
or died waiting to be rescued. Two more died within a few days and one other suffered for almost three years before he
succumbed to his injuries. Several men were so badly injured that they could never return to
frontline work and they were given jobs in the alarm office and as watchmen at some fire stations. A total of thirteen FF's died as a result of this incident.
The ten that died on scene were Thomas Black, Andrew Cherry, George Faulkner, Ulysses Glazier, George Glenn, Albert Hoffman, David Lowry, Epsy Stormer,
Anthony Voltz, and
Henry Woodruff.
John Burkhart died on March 18th,
William Jones MArch 22nd, and William McGinnis December 22nd, 1892.
|
|
1890 |
|
|
July 10th, 12 firefighters were killed in a fire in a cold storage warehouse at the World's Fair in Chicago, IL. A small fire took hold in the chimney area on the cupola of the roof of the building. Firefighters raced to the top of the building without the knowledge that fire had dropped below them through the wall and had taken a strong foothold below them. They were trapped and all but on chose to jump 90' and accept his fate as it was given. Four of the dead were Chicago Firefighters and eight were of the Exposition Fire Brigade.
|
|
1898 |
|
|
February 5th, at 0355
hours Box 412 at Causeway and Lowell Streets
was pulled by Patrolman Sheehan for a fire
at the
George Bent Bed Company at
116-126 Merrimac Street. A heavy snow
hampered FF's and the fire raged to a 3rd
alarm within 20 minutes. At 0515 hours with
the fire just about under control, the
5-story building groaned and shed its top
floor into the others causing a complete
interior collapse killing or mortally
wounding 6 firemen. District Chief Egan was
found about 1000 hours and right behind him
was Captain James Victory of Engine Company
38-39. Both men were alive when brought out
and were given the "Last Rights" by Father
Finnegan of St. Marys Church in the North
End. They both died a short time after. Hosemen
Patrick Disken and Hoseman John Mulhern were found
dead about 1010 hours. The last two men, Hoseman
William Welch and Lieutenant George Gottwald were found
dead at about 1145 hours. Ironically Lieutenant Gottwald
suffocated from being covered with feathers. Three of his great grandsons are presently on the Boston Fire Department. |
|
1902
|
|
|
February 3rd, 7 firefighters are killed in
St. Louis, MO at the American Tent and
Awning Company at 3rd and Chestnut Streets.
This marks the single largest Line of Duty
Death incident for the St. Louis Fire
Department. |
|
1910 |
|
|
December 21st, 13 firefighters and one
police officer killed in a Philadelphia, PA
leather remnants factory. located at
1116-1120 N. Bodine Street. |
|
|
December 22nd, 21 firefighters killed at a
stockyard and cold storage warehouse in
Chicago, IL. |
|
1917 |
|
|
December 6th, over 2,000 people were killed
when two ships, one loaded with munitions,
collided and
exploded in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Nine firemen of the Halifax Fire Department
were killed. They were Fire Chief Edward Condon, Deputy Chief William Brunt,
Captain William T. Broderick, Captain G. Michael Maltus, Hoseman
Walter Hennessey, Hoseman Frank Killeen,
Hoseman John Spruin, Hoseman John Duggan,
and Hoseman Frank D. Leahy. The only surviving member at the scene was driver William Wells, who was in the vehicle at the time of the blast.
The fire engine along with several other
pieces of apparatus and several fire horses
were destroyed and killed. |
|
1941 |
|
|
March 10th, 13 firefighters killed in a roof
collapse at the
Strand Theatre in Brockton, MA.
The brothers that perished are Captain John F. Carroll
of Ladder Company 3,
Lieutenant Raymond A. Mitchell of Engine Company 4,
Firefighter Roy A. McKeraghan of Squad A,
Firefighter Denis P. Murphy of Squad A,
Firefighter William J. Murphy of Squad A,
Firefighter Daniel C. O'Brien of Squad A,
Firefighter George A. Collins of Engine Company 1,
Firefighter Frederick F. Kelley of Engine Company 1,
Firefighter Martin Lipper of Engine Company 1,
Firefighter Henry E. Sullivan of Engine Company 1,
Firefighter Bartholomew Herlihy of Ladder Company 1,
Firefighter John M. McNeill of Ladder Company 1, and
Firefighter Matthew E. McGeary of Ladder Company 3. |
|
|
December 7th, the Honolulu Fire Department responded
to assist with fires raging at Hickam Field.
At 0826 a Japanese aerial bomb was dropped
on crews from Engine Co.1, 4, and 6. 3 firefighters,
Cpatain John Carreira, Captain Thomas S.
Macy, and Hoseman Harry T.L. Pang were
killed. An additional 6 were wounded from
shrapnel. They were Lieutenant Fred Kealoha,
Hoseman Moses Kalilikane, Hoseman John A.
Gilman, Hoseman Solomon H. Naauao,
Hoseman Patrick J. McCabe, and Hoseman
George Correa. In 1944 they all were awarded
the Order of the Purple Heart. They are the
only civilian firefighters to have received
this award. |
|
1942 |
|
|
November 15th, the
Luongo Restaurant Fire
killed six firefighters and injured 43. Many
of the victims were trapped under collapse
debris for hours after a wall failed and
collapsed without warning. This fire is
largely forgotten about due to the fact that
the infamous Cocoanut Grove Fire occurred
just two weeks later. FF's killed in the
fire were Hoseman John F. Foley of Engine Company 3, Hoseman Edward F. Macomber
of Engine Company 12, Hoseman Peter F. McMorrow
of Engine Company 50, Hoseman Francis J. Degan
of Engine Company 3, Ladderman Daniel E. McGuire
of Ladder Company 2, and Hoseman Malachi F. Reddington
of Engine Company 33. Sadly this tragedy
occurred after the fire was declared under
control. |
|
1944 |
|
|
December 16th, Two Indianapolis, IN firefighters were gravely
injured during a test drive of a fire engine.
Firefighter Hubert S. Toombs died on
December 16th and Harold B. Adkinson died on
the 22nd. The engine collided with an automobile.
|
|
1947 |
|
|
April 16th and 17th, 27 firefighters killed following fires and ammonium nitrate
explosions aboard two ships docked at
Texas City,
TX. Those killed were Chief of Department Henry J. Baumgartner, Assistant
Chief Joseph Milton Braddy, Captain Sebastian B. Nunez, Captain Carl Johnson,
Lieutenant Marshall B. Stafford, Lieutenant William D. Pentycuff, Private Zolan
Davis, Private William C. Sullivan, Private Roy Durio, Private Marcel Pentycuff,
Private Archie Emshoff, Private Harvey Menge, Private John Findeisen, Private
Jimmy Reddicks, Private Virgil Fereday, Private Robert Smith, Private Ed
Henrickson, Private Joel Stafford, Private Fred Hughes, Private Maurice Neeley,
Private George Cain, Private Marion Westmoreland, Private Frank Jolly, Private
Clarence Wood, Private William Kaiser, Private Clarence Vestal, and Private
Jacob Meadows. The entire fire department was destroyed and only one firefighter
survived. |
|
1949 |
|
|
August 4th, 12 firefighters killed in
infamous
Mann Gulch Fire in the Helena National
Forest at a section known as the
Gates of the Mountain in Montana. The dead
were Smokejumper Eldon Dietter, Smokejumper Robert Bennett,
Smokejumper Philip McVey, Smokejumper David Navon,
Smokejumper Leonard Piper, Smokejumper Stanley Reba,
Smokejumper Marvin Sherman, Smokejumper Henry Thol, Jr.,
Smokejumper Newton Thompson, Smokejumper Silas Thompson,
Smokejumper William Hellman, and Smokejumper Joseph Sylvia. |
|
1953 |
|
|
July 9th, 15 firefighters killed in
Rattlesnake Fire located in the
Grindstone Canyon in Mendocino National Forest in California.
14 of the firefighters were from the New
Tribes Mission working under the US Forestry
Service. Their names were Alan Boddy, Robert
Mieden, Sergio Coller, Darryl Noah, Benjamin
Dinne, Howard Rowe, Paul Gifford, Ray
Sherman, Harold Griffis, Dan Short, Cecil
Hitchcock Jr., Stanley Vote, David Johnson,
and Robert Whitehouse. The 15th firefighter
was Robert Powers of the US Forestry
Service. |
|
1956 |
|
|
July 29th, 19 firefighters killed in the
Dumas-Sunray Disaster at the Shamrock Oil
and Gas refinery in Sun Ray, TX. 7 of those
killed were Ollen W. Cleveland, Billy Joe Dunn,
Sam A. Gibson, Jr., Albert O. Milligan,
Paschal Pool, Meryl W. Slagle, and
Donald W. Thompson of Dumas Fire Department. 8 more were Chief Ray Biles, Lewis A. Broxson,
Gilford R. Corse, Claude Emmett,
Alvin Freeman, D.C. Lilley,
James L. Rivers, and Virgil W. Thomas of the Sunray Fire Department. The
remaining 4 were from the Shamrock
Industrial Fire Brigade. |
|
1964 |
|
|
October 1st, a fire
alarm transmitted from Box 1232 for a fire
in an vacant 4-stroy brick factory on
Trumbull Street in Boston, MA. The resulting
5th alarm fire would forever be known "The
Trumbull Street Fire". A massive
collapse of part of the building buried
firefighters killing 5 and injuring 12. The
5 "jakes" that died that night were Lieutenant John McCorkle
of Engine Co. 24, Lieutenant John Geswell of Ladder Co. 26
(detailed to Ladder Co. 4), FF Francis Murphy
of Engine Co. 24, FF James Sheedy of Ladder Co. 4, and FF Robert Clougherty
of Engine Co. 3.
|
|
1966 |
|
|
October 16th, the floor collapses in a fire
at the
Wonder Drug Store on 23rd Avenue killing
12 New York City firefighters lost their
lives. They were Battalion Chief Walter J.
Higgins of Battalion 7, Deputy Chief Thomas
Reilly of Division 3, Firefighter William
McCarron of Division 3, Probationary
Firefighter Daniel Rey of Engine Company 18,
Firefighter Joseph Kelly of Engine Company
18, Firefighter Bernard Tepper of Engine
Company 18, Firefighter James Galanaugh of
Engine Company 18, Lieutenant Joseph Priore
of Engine Company 18, Lieutenant John Finley
of Ladder Company 7, Firefighter Carl Lee of
Ladder Company 7, Firefighter Rudolf
Kaminski of Ladder Company 7, and
Firefighter John Berry of Ladder Company 7. |
|
1972 |
|
|
June 17th, the Boston
Fire Department responded to the
Vendome Hotel Fire.
Tragically a collapse of the buildings
southeast section claimed the life of nine
firefighters and injured and additional
eight. The nine firefighters killed were Firefighter Richard B. Magee
of Engine 33, Lieutenant Thomas James Carroll
of Engine 32, Lieutenant John Edward Hanbury
of Ladder 13, Firefighter Joseph F. Boucher
of Engine 22, Firefighter Paul J. Murphy
of Engine 32, Firefighter John Edward Jameson
of Engine 22, Firefighter Charles Everett Dolan
of Ladder 13, Firefighter Joseph Peter Saniuk
of Ladder 13, and Firefighter Thomas W. Beckwith
of Engine 32. |
|
1973 |
|
|
January 13th, an Indianapolis, IN fire
engine was struck by an automobile while en route to a grass fire. The truck overturned killing
FF Raymond F. Moore instantly. Another FF,
Jerry A. Poole died from his injuries the next day. |
|
|
July 5th, 12 firefighters killed at the Doxol Gas
Explosion in Kingman,
AZ. They were
Captain William L. Casson, Assistant Chief Myron B. Cox,
Firefighter Roger A. Hubka, Lieutenant
Joseph M. Chambers III, Firefighter Marvin
E. Mast, Probationary Firefighter
Arthur C. Stringer, Captain Christopher G. Sanders, Firefighter
Richard Lee Williams, Firefighter Frank S. Henry, Firefighter John O. Campbell,
Firefigher Donald G. Webb, and Firefighter Alan Hansen. |
|
1975 |
|
|
August 17th, 8 firefighters lost their lives
at the
Gulf Oil Refinery Fire in Philadelphia,
PA. Those lost were John Andrews of Engine
Company 49, Joseph Wiley of Ladder Company
27, Roger Parker of Ladder Company 27, Hugh
McIntyre of Engine Company 56, Robert Fisher
of Engine Company 33, Ralph Campana of
Ladder Company 19, James Pauliot of Engine
Company 20, and Carroll Brenek of Engine
Company 57. |
|
1988 |
|
|
July 1st, 5 firefighters were killed as a
result of a collapse at the Hackensack Ford
Dealership in Hackensack, NJ. The collapse
happend as a result of a failure of a
bowstring truss roofing system. Three
firefighter died in the collapse and two
more died after they horrifically ran out of
air after becoming trapped in a tool room
from the collapse. Those that died were
Captain Richard L. Williams, Lieutenant
Richard Reinhagen, FF William Krejsa, FF
Leonard Radumski, and FF Stephen Ennis. |
|
1992 |
|
|
February 15th, a flashover occurred during a
fire in the Indianapolis Athletic Club's third-floor dining room. Several firefighters were badly burned.
Firefighters Elwood M. Gelenius and John J.
Lorenzano perished in the blaze. One civilian also died. |
|
1994 |
|
|
July 6th, 14 firefighters killed in a
wildfire on South Canyon mountain near
Glenwood Springs, CO. They were
Kathi Beck,
Tami Bickett,
Scott Blecha,
Levi Brinkley,
Robert Browning,
Doug Dunbar,
Terri Hagen,
Bonnie Holtby,
Rob Johnson,
Jon Kelso,
Don Mackey,
Roger Roth,
James Thrash, and
Richard Tyler. |
|
1999 |
|
|
December 3rd, 6
firefighters are killed in the
Cold Storage Warehouse
fire in Worcester, MA. The men
killed were Firefighter Paul Brotherton of Rescue
Company 1, Firefighter Jeremiah Lucey of Rescue
Company 1, Lieutenant Thomas Spencer of Ladder
Company 2, Firefighter Timothy Jackson of Ladder
Company 2, Firefighter James Lyons of Engine
Company 3, and Firefighter Joseph McGuirk of Engine
Company 3 |
|
2001 |
|
|
September 11th, 343
firefighters are killed in the
World Trade Center
Disaster in New York.
Go here for a list of all firefighters
killed. |
|
2007
|
|
|
June 18th, 9
firefighters are killed in the
Sofa Super Store Fire
in Charleston, SC.
The men killed were Captain Louis Mulkey of
Engine Company 15, Captain Mike Benke of
Engine Company 16, Captain Billy Hutchinson
of Engine Company 19, Engineer Brad Baity of
Engine Company 19, Engineer Mark Kelsey of
Tower Company 5, Engineer Mike French of
Tower Company 5, Firefighter Brandon
Thompson of Tower Company 5, Firefighter
Earl Drayton of Engine Company 19, and
Firefighter Melvin Champaign of Engine
Company 16. |
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COPYRIGHT
©
2008
CAPTAIN GRANT MISHOE / ALL RIGHTS RESERVED |
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