6/19/1867 nine Philadelphia, PA firefighters were killed “while operating at a major fire involving a theater, they were killed when they were caught under the collapsing front wall. In addition to the firefighters, three performers and three spectators were also killed.”
6/19/1897 an Iowa City, IA firefighter died at a fire in the university library. “During an early morning thunderstorm, a bolt of lightning of struck the university library, setting fire to it. As the firefighter was operating a hoseline on the third floor, the roof collapsed. He was knocked unconscious and burned to death.”
6/19/1918 an Evansville, IN firefighter “died from the injuries he sustained after being electrocuted by a down power line. The Chief had been struck as the power line had fallen, another firefighter that had gone to help the Chief, also was struck by the downed line. A second firefighter (the victim) rushed into help both of them and had then come in contact with the powerline, but his injuries proved to be fatal in the end.”
6/19/1922 a Portland, OR firefighter “was electrocuted. He entered a smoke-filled room and tripped on a light cord which wrapped around his neck when he fell. The wire was common telephone type and sent 600 volts of electricity through his body.”
6/19/1967 a Decatur County, Kansas firefighter “was killed at a house fire in rural Decatur County when a chimney collapsed on him.”
6/19/1970 a Franklin, PA firefighter was killed, and the other four men were injured at a chemical refinery fire and explosion. “As welders were working inside a condenser box at a chemical refinery, they set off a series of major explosions that killed them and rapidly engulfed four gasoline storage tanks in the center of the refinery. About three hours after firefighters began to battle the raging blaze, a large tank of crude oil exploded, followed by several smaller explosions of other tanks. Numerous firefighters were knocked down by the blasts and a pumper was caught in a wave of burning fuel oil. The firefighter (victim) and four of his crew were operating in the area of the tanks and were caught by the blasts.”
6/19/1977 a wildfire damages 15,000 acres, near Los Alamos, NM.
6/19/1956 a fire burned off the roof and destroyed most of the top floor of a department store in the center of Boise’s (ID) business district.
6/19/1938 a flood in Montana killed forty-six people and seriously injures more than sixty when it washes out the train tracks.
6/19/1917 Ukiah, CA the three-square blocks of the business section were destroyed by a conflagration.
6/19/1908 Mount Washington, NH the Summit House, a two-and-a-half-story hotel, is destroyed by fire.
6/19/1900 Bloomington, IL the Courthouse and business section of the town were destroyed by fire. “As every effort to check progress of the flames proved futile, the blowing up of buildings with dynamite was resorted to after the fire had been raging for three hours and a half. A strong east wind prevailed, which made the work of the firemen extremely difficult.”
6/19/1873 the business district of Burlington, IA was destroyed fire that started around 3:00 a.m.
6/19/1866 Virginia City, NV, was destroyed by fire, 400 families were homeless.
6/19/1897 Black River Falls, WI a balcony collapse injured twenty who were watching a circus street parade.