6/3/1857 a Philadelphia, PA firefighter died while operating at a fire, which destroyed a commercial building. He was crushed to death when he was caught under a collapsing wall.
6/3/1892 two Omaha, NE firefighters died from the injuries they sustained in a collapse at Shiverick Furniture Store fire at 1206 Farnum.
6/3/1895 a District of Columbia, Washington DC firefighter died while operating at a fire at a stable on #710 North Capitol Street N.W. He was overcome by heat and smoke and died as a result.
6/3/1912 a fire destroyed the Lion Motor Car factory in Adrian, Michigan and killed a firefighter who was struck by falling walls.
6/3/1933 a Philadelphia, PA firefighter died from injuries he sustained after a wall collapsed at the Byberry Mattress Factory.
6/3/1940 two Portland, Oregon firefighters died after they responded to a fire at the Portland Furniture Manufacturing Company at 5331 SW Macadam Avenue. “The first arriving company, Engine 10, laid a hose line into a wood drying kiln that was on fire. When they opened the door, heavy smoke poured out and the men retreated to get their canister smoke masks. Engine 4, located at SW 4th and Montomery, arrived soon after. Three firefighters, already wearing canister-type breathing masks, entered the building with a hose line. After entering the dense smoke, one experienced problems and had to leave to adjust his mask. When he returned, he discovered one firefighter lying on the floor. He pulled him toward the door but was unable to continue and exited to get more help, eventually getting him out. A Captain found the other firefighter and carried him from the building. Neither responded to a lengthy attempt at resuscitation.”
6/3/1963 a San Francisco, CA firefighter “died of the injuries he sustained while working at the Simmons Company fire, at Powell and North Point.”
6/3/1992 a North York, Ontario, Canada firefighter “became lost on the 2nd-floor of a Building on Valleybrook Drive on June 2nd. He was pulled from the building unconscious and was rushed to the hospital, where he never regained consciousness and died.”
6/3/2013 a poultry processing plant in Dehui in Jilin province of China killed 119 people after a fire started in a locker room during shift change. Workers describe chaos and panic the as light went out while the building filled with smoke, and found exits blocked or locked. The plant established in 2009, produced some 67,000 tons of chicken products per year and employed 1,200. The plant used an ammonia refrigeration system, that may have caused or enhanced the fire.
6/3/2015 a graduate student at Georgetown University in Washington, DC and a 24-year-old man died during a two-alarm off-campus housing fire in a three-story rowhouse in the 1600 block of Riggs Place, NW. shortly after 2:30 a.m. Both victims were found on the third floor. Firefighters had difficulty gaining access because of security bars on the first-floor windows in the building not licensed by the city, as required, for rental units. From 2000 to 2015, 170 people died in college/university-related fires, 87% occurring in off-campus occupancies, according to Campus Firewatch. Common factors in these fires include: missing or disabled smoke alarms, careless disposal of smoking materials, lack of a second exit, and fires starting in couches on porches or decks.
6/3/1989 a leaking pipe and explosion near Asha (Ufa), Russia (USSR) causes two trains to catch fire; 460 died. Caused by poor judgment of pipeline workers, who failed to follow standard procedure and check for a leak, they pumped more natural gas through the line. The leaking gas settled in a low area near the rail tracks. Two trains approaching on the Trans-Siberian Railway ignited the gas causing a massive fireball and derailment.
6/3/1905 Pittsburgh, PA a theater with over 1,200 in attendance was destroyed by fire; no one was seriously injured. The fire started in the “gridiron” above the stage.
6/3/1897 Lynn, MA a circus tent fire killed two and injured several in a small side show tent that was illuminated by gasoline torches from a tank about 50 feet from the main tent. Apparently, fumes ignited the tent. “The tent was well filled and all became greatly excited and attempted to get out. Several crawled under the canvas and escaped uninjured. Those who tried to get out by the entrance were not so fortunate, as here the heat was intense, and six persons were badly burned.”
6/3/1897 the Alexandria, VA conflagration: the entire block bounded by the Strand, Duke, Union and Prince Streets, principally warehouses and manufacturing properties were heavily damaged by a fire that started at a fertilizing mill on the river front in the early morning.
6/3/1839 the town of Port Gibson, Mississippi was destroyed by fire.