On 6/21/1982 the K-Mart Distribution Warehouse in Falls Township, Pennsylvania was destroyed by fire, losses exceeding $100 million, after burning flammable aerosol cans flew through open doorways in the firewalls and quickly spread fire throughout the 1.2 million square foot, 27 acres, building overwhelming the local automatic fire sprinklers. As the fire spread unabated the roof collapsed breaking the remaining sprinkler piping, and rendering the system useless. “The facility was protected with ceiling sprinkler system hydraulically designed to provide a density of 0.40 GPM/square foot over 3,000 square feet.” “The fire was accidental, caused when a carton of carburetor and choke cleaner fell from pallet storage after an industrial lift truck had entered the aisle. The operator reported that he heard the noise of something falling, he turned and saw the fire. The Bucks County Fire Marshal reported the cause of the fire was the carton of carburetor and choke cleaner in aerosol cans falling to the floor, causing more to cans rupture and spray liquid around the area of the forklift truck. It is possible that the electric-powered lift truck ignited the flammable liquid vapors.” “According to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA’s) investigation, the distribution center was a well-run facility with effective fire prevention measures in effect and (with few exceptions) standard fire protection features. The failure of the firewall opening protection and the storage of large quantities of petroleum-liquid-based aerosol containers that were not isolated from the general merchandise storage are considered to be major factors that resulted in the total destruction of the warehouse.”
On 6/21/1970 in Crescent City, Illinois twelve rail-tank cars exploded (BLEVE), destroying downtown, at least seventy persons were injured. “A 108-car Toledo, Peoria & Western Railroad train derailed around 6:15 a.m. Tank cars carrying liquid propane bumped along and began burning. About 7:30 a.m. an explosion involving three tank cars sent a fireball 1,000 feet above Crescent City. In all, 12 tank cars exploded, destroying downtown and some 15 homes. At least 70 persons were injured and nine hospitalized. Damage was estimated at $2 million. Explosions continued until 11:00 a.m. Three hundred firefighters from about 40 surrounding communities rushed to Crescent City. Many of the injured were firefighters.”
On 6/21/1946 ten people died and thirty-eight were injured in a fire at Baker Hotel in Dallas Texas. “The explosion took place shortly before noon in a sub-basement where workmen were installing refrigeration equipment. Ammonia in huge quantities poured out of the basement and into the lobby and rooms.” “Ammonia`s flammability limits in the air at standard atmospheric conditions are 14.8% lower flammability limit (LFL) and 33.5% upper flammability limit, (UFL). Lower pressures tend to narrow the flammability limits and, as temperature increases, the LFL is decreased. The presence of water vapor was noted to narrow the flammability limits.”
On 6/21/1876 a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania firefighter “was fatally injured by falling from the roof of Wood & Marsh’s building at 311 Market Street, which was destroyed by fire late in the spring of 1876. He fell off the roof while directing a squad of men. He died June 21, 1876, of his injuries.”
On 6/21/1932 a Toledo, Ohio firefighter died from a fall at Willys Parkway & Berdan Avenue.
On 6/21/1941 firefighters at the Rock Island Arsenal (Illinois) “were fighting a fire in a storage building at the arsenal when they inhaled sodium nitrate fumes. Twelve firefighters were hospitalized, and one died as a result of the fumes.”
On 6/21/1966 an Atlanta, Georgia firefighter died “after assisting in searching for possible trapped occupants in heavy heat and smoke conditions at a dwelling fire, he then proceeded to help fight the fire. During the overhaul, it was noticed that he was having breathing difficulty and he couldn’t stand up. As he was being led to a chief’s car for transport to the hospital, he collapsed. Efforts to revive him were started immediately and he was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival of carbon monoxide poisoning.”
On 6/21/1969 a Toledo, Ohio firefighter “died of injuries suffered during firefighting operations at 2472 Lawton on June 20, 1969.”
On 6/21/1975 a Smith Falls, Ontario, Canada firefighter died while assisting at a house fire in the town
On 6/21/1979 a Bridgewater, Virginia firefighter died while fighting a mutual aide at 22 South Main St., Harrisonburg, Virginia. “A five-alarm fire destroyed a two-story brick restaurant, with apartments above. The fire also extended into and heavily damaged, two jewelry stores on either side. The firefighter, who was at the fire on mutual aid, died of smoke inhalation when he ran out of air while in one of the jewelry stores and took his mask off. Other firefighters heard a low air alarm but couldn’t find the source right away due to heavy smoke conditions. He was found unconscious and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was administered immediately, to no avail. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.”
On 6/21/1982 an Ankeny, Iowa firefighter “collapsed while operating at a fire at the Mel Ray mobile home park.”
On 6/21/1999 a Northbrook, Illinois firefighter/fire inspector died from an electrical shock. “Firefighters from the Northbrook Fire Department responded to a report of an electrical problem in a department store located in a mall. Crews discovered a smell of smoke in the building and located some electrical equipment that had burned. There was no hazard of fire extension, so crews were released to return to quarters and the on-duty Fire Prevention staff were requested to the scene. The Fire Marshal, an inspector, arrived and accompanied a private electrical contractor as he investigated the cause of the power outage and fire. As the electrician was testing an electrical panel, a white-blue flash, concussion, and fireball occurred, enveloping the electrician and the inspector. Although severely burned over 90% of his body surface, he directed the response to the emergency and directed firefighters to assist other victims before he allowed them to provide treatment to himself. He was alert and oriented throughout his treatment and spoke with others until he was placed on a ventilator at the hospital. He fought for ten days until he succumbed to his injuries on June 21, 1999. The electrician was killed, and two department store employees were injured.”
On 6/21/2007 a Brooklyn, New York (FDNY) firefighter died from a fall at a fire. He was a member of the crew of Ladder 146 based in Brooklyn. The firefighter and his crew were dispatched, along with other firefighters, to a fire in a 4-story building. As he stepped from his ladder truck’s aerial ladder to the roof of the structure, he slipped and fell to the ground. He received fatal injuries.”
On 6/21/1977 the Saint John City Detention Center fire killed twenty-one in St. John, New Brunswick. The fire started in one of the padded cells of the overnight detention center, on the second floor of the five-year-old city hall building.
On 6/21/1930 ten people were overcome and admitted to the Grady Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, from burning X-Ray film. “The flames, punctuated by two explosions, were confined to a single room used for x-ray work.”
On 6/21/1910 a fire that started in the furnace room destroyed the Spokane, Washington South Central High School.
On 6/21/1899 the Oswego, New York Eagle Hotel, a three-story wooden structure, fire that started in the kitchen and spread rapidly. The fire left one dead and several injured.
On 6/21/1882 a glass factory on 19th Street in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was destroyed by fire.
On 6/21/1547 the Great fire of Moscow. “The entirety of Moscow appeared as a single enormous blaze, under clouds of thick smoke. The wooden building simply disappeared; stone ones cracked and fell apart; iron parts and implements glowed red with heat, and copper turned liquid. The roar of the storm, the crackle of the fire, and the screams of people trapped in the blaze were repeatedly drowned out by the explosions of gunpowder that was stored in the Kremlin and other parts of the city. One ran for one’s life; all possessions, whether earned virtuously or through vice, perished: the tsar’s rooms, the treasury, icons, ancient scrolls, precious swords, and even the remains of saints were turned to ash. The Metropolitan remained in the Cathedral of the Dormition, praying, even though he was almost unable to breathe because of the smoke. Someone forced him to leave and people wanted to lower him from a secret passage to the river bank on a rope – but he fell, was severely injured, and was taken to Novospassky Monastery, barely alive… By night, the storm let up, and by about three in the morning the fire went out, but the ruins were hot and smoking for several days… People with their hair burned off, their faces blackened by the soot, wandered like shadows among the horrors of the vast decimated desert: they went looking for their children, parents, whatever was left of their home–and howled like animals when they found nothing…Up to 2,500 people lost their lives in the fire, up to 80,000 were displaced, and fully one-third of Moscow’s buildings were lost. Immediately after the fire, Tsar Ivan IV (the Terrible) issued a law that required Moscow residents to maintain barrels of water in their yards and on the roofs of their houses and mandated that large cooking stoves be placed on empty lots far from residential buildings. However, it would not be until 1649 that Tsar Aleksei Mikhailovich would lay the foundations of the regular fire service in Moscow. Eighteen years earlier, in 1631, Boston’s governor John Winthrop launched the American fire-fighting history when he outlawed wooden chimneys and thatched roofs.”
On 6/21/1882 the Steamer Rodgers was destroyed by fire in Sitka, Arkansas.
On 6/21/1847 the Steamboat Edna explosion left twenty dead in Columbia, Louisiana.