1/12/1908 the Rhodes Opera House in Boyertown, PA fire killed 171 during a church-sponsored play in the 2nd floor auditorium when a kerosene lamp was knocked over and extended to a stereoscopic machine fueled by gasoline. Actors hearing the commotion lifted the curtain to … [Read more...]

1/11/1911 a Bronx, New York (FDNY) firefighter while operating at a single-alarm fire, was killed when he fell five floors, hitting clotheslines on the way down. 1/11/1916 a three alarm fire in the State Street Methodist Church on State and Sixth Streets in Camden, New Jersey … [Read more...]

1/10/1883 Milwaukee, WI the Newhall House fire claims the lives of seventy-one of the 300 residences of the six-story wood frame hotel around 4:00 a.m. The original home of the Milwaukee Chess Club was located on the northwest corner of Main (now Broadway) and Michigan Streets. … [Read more...]

1/9/1912 the Equitable Building in New York, NY at 120 Broadway was destroyed by fire that claims the lives of six persons and a firefighter, slowing the business of the Stock Exchange and several banking houses. However, the contents of the huge vaults were not significantly … [Read more...]

1/8/1894 a Chicago, IL firefighter died while fighting a fire at the site of the World’s Columbian Exposition. “The fair had closed in October 1893, and many of the buildings were unoccupied at the time of the fire. A number of popular fair buildings were destroyed in the fire, … [Read more...]

1/7/1879 a Manhattan, New York (FDNY) firefighter died as a result of a fractured skull sustained in a building collapse. 1/7/1880 a Memphis, TN firefighter “died as a result of injuries he sustained the previous day, when he and two other firefighters were caught under a … [Read more...]

1/6/1880 a Memphis, TN firefighter died “while operating at a major fire involving a two-story corset factory and a picture frame factory, he and two other firefighters were caught under a collapsing wall. He was killed instantly, and another firefighter died the next day as a … [Read more...]

1/5/1995 a Seattle, WA warehouse fire left four firefighters dead when the floor between the upper and lower levels collapsed. At 7:02 p.m. firefighters were called to the Mary Pang Frozen Chinese Food plant at South Dearborn Street and Seventh Avenue South. More than 100 … [Read more...]

1/4/1918 a Manhattan, New York (FDNY) firefighter died while operating on the third floor of 305 E. 43rd Street. On the fifth floor was a six-ton safe resting on fire-damaged timbers. This caused the fourth and fifth floors to collapse to the third floor. The company was pinned … [Read more...]

1/3/1894 a Toledo, Ohio firefighter burned to death at the King Elevator fire, his body was never recovered. 1/3/1906 a Springfield, MA firefighter was killed, and a second firefighter was seriously injured in “an incendiary fire, which completely destroyed the Highland … [Read more...]