On 3/11/1948 in Asheville, North Carolina a hospital fire claimed the lives of nine female patients including Zelda Fitzgerald, wife of author F. Scott Fitzgerald, in the four-story central building of the Highland Hospital for nervous diseases, a mental hospital that is believed … [Read more...]
FIREFIGHTER HISTORY 3/10
On 3/10/1941 the Strand Theater fire killed thirteen and injured twenty firefighters on School Street between Main Street and City Hall in the City of Brockton Massachusetts. The theater was considered a leader in modern fire safety with fireproof construction, 20% more exits … [Read more...]
FIREFIGHTER HISTORY 3/9
On 3/9/1914 the Missouri Athletic Club & Bank building fire killed thirty-seven people and twenty-nine were injured in Saint Louis, Missouri when the seven-story hotel owned by the Boastman's Bank located on the corner of Washington Avenue and Fourth street was destroyed … [Read more...]
FIREFIGHTER HISTORY 3/8
On 3/8/1915 The Fire Department of New York City (FDNY) Rescue Company 1 was placed in service, “at 8:00 a.m. Captain John McElligott picked up the phone at the housewatch desk of the Great Jones Street firehouse and told the dispatcher that Rescue Company 1 was in service. After … [Read more...]
FIREFIGHTER HISTORY 3/7
On 3/7/1929 six Scribner, Nebraska firefighters “lost their lives by the explosion of 500 pounds of dynamite stored in the barn of a county commissioner of Dodge County just outside the city limits of Scribner. The barn caught fire and the firefighters of Scribner rushed to the … [Read more...]
FIREFIGHTER HISTORY 3/6
On 3/6/1982 the Westchase Hilton Hotel fire in Houston, Texas killed twelve of the thirty occupants on the 4th floor. A fire-resistive 13-story structure had a fire detection system that alerted the front desk. Around 2:00 a.m. the alarm sounded, and the clerk shut it off twice. … [Read more...]
FIREFIGHTER HISTORY 3/5
On 3/5/1770 a false alarm of fire led to confrontations that result in the Boston Massacre, known to the British as the Incident on King Street, which left five civilians dead at the hands of British troops. “British troops had been stationed in the Province of Massachusetts Bay … [Read more...]