Today in Fire History 4/21

On 4/21/1930 the Ohio Penitentiary fire in Columbus, Ohio claimed the lives of 322 inmates after a candle ignited some oily rags left on the roof of the West Block. The fire was discovered just after prisoners were locked into their cells for the evening. Three prisoners, hoping to create a diversion to escape started the fire, and two of the three committed suicide in the months following the fire “The prison, built to hold 1,500 people, was almost always overcrowded and notorious for its poor conditions. At the time of the fire, 4,300 prisoners were living in the jail. Construction crews were working on an expansion and scaffolding was set up along one side of the building. On the night of the fire breaking out on the scaffolding… The cell block adjacent to the scaffolding housed 800 prisoners, most of whom were already locked in for the night. The inmates begged to be let out of their cells as smoke filled the cell block. However, most reports claim that the guards not only refused to unlock the cells but also continued to lock up other prisoners. Meanwhile, the fire spread to the roof, endangering the inmates on the prison’s upper level as well. Finally, two prisoners forcibly took the keys from a guard and began rescue efforts. Approximately 50 inmates made it out of their cells before the heavy smoke stopped the impromptu evacuation. The roof then caved in on the upper cells. About 160 prisoners were burned to death. Although some guards did work to save the lives of their charges, the seemingly willful indifference displayed by other guards led to a general riot. Firefighters initially could not get access to the fire because angry prisoners were pelting them with rocks. By the time the fire was controlled, 320 people were dead and another 130 were seriously injured.”

On 4/21/1926 the Marsh Wood Products fire in Milwaukee, Wisconsin killed six firefighters. “Firefighters had responded to a wood products plant for a report of a fire in the boiler room, where a huge bin held tons of sawdust that were used for fuel. The plant had been closed for a week and no fire was visible upon the arrival of firefighters. The Chief and the company president went to the roof and peered down through a scuttle. Several sprinkler heads had activated and were operating, and there was a thin haze of smoke throughout the boiler room, but there were no visible flames. The members of Engine 14 and Truck 8 were ordered to dig through the smoldering sawdust in the bin while the remaining fire companies were ordered to “take up.” Suddenly, there was a blinding flash and a dozen men became human torches as they were covered with flaming sawdust. Apparently, by their shoveling and use of a hose line, the firefighters had stirred up just enough dust to create a deadly mixture that exploded violently. Bystanders grabbed the first couple of men that staggered out and threw them to the ground, where they worked on smothering the flames that enveloped them. More men came running out screaming in agony as the flames burned their turnout gear off their bodies. Before any ambulances could reach the scene, private cars were commandeered to take the severely burned victims to the hospital, where a makeshift triage area was hastily set up and priests began to administer last rites. The first firefighter died later that day and the second died late that night, after talking and laughing with the priest. Of the other firefighters injured, two died the next day, the fifth died on April 24th, and the last man died on May 1st. The building had been the scene of several fires, including one in the same sawdust bin two years earlier.

On 4/21/1980 around “10:54 p.m., the street fire box at South Front Street and Elizabeth Avenue in Elizabeth, New Jersey was activated for what would eventually be regarded as the largest chemical waste fire in United States history. Chemical Control Corporation, at 23 South Front Street, was in the business of disposing of chemical waste collected from various chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturers. As environmental regulations became more stringent, Chemical Control was either unwilling or unable to meet the new safety standards. Waste barrels were accumulated at the site so that at the time of the incident, it was estimated that there were over 40,000 barrels of chemicals present. The fire raged out of control for over 10 hours, before master streams from deck guns and aerial pipes were able to contain the inferno. Fire units remained on the scene for 185 hours and 21 minutes. Mutual aid was provided from nine different municipalities. More than sixty firefighters were injured, most with long-term symptoms and lasting health effects.

On 4/21/1950 a Chicago, Illinois firefighter “of Engine 51 died from injuries he had suffered in the line of duty two days earlier. On April 19, he and three other firefighters were injured when an oil drum exploded during a coal shed fire at 5746 S. Perry Avenue.”

On 4/21/1955 a Washington DC firefighter died “while attempting to vent the roof during a three-alarm fire in a two-story basket factory in the 1300 block of Linden Court N.E. He fell through the fire-weakened roof and into the heart of the fire. Despite the efforts of a score of his co-workers, who fought valiantly through the flames to reach him, he died as a result of severe burns and smoke inhalation.”

On 4/21/1990 a Hollywood, South Carolina firefighter “died after a wall collapsed on him while fighting a fire at the Ravenel Town Hall.”

On 4/21/2020 four women “were killed in a fire that ripped through the top floor of a Bronx, New York apartment building. The blaze erupted at about 7:20 p.m. in a sixth-floor unit of the building on Grand Concourse near East Mount Eden Avenue in the Claremont section, officials said. After igniting in Apt. 603, the blaze quickly escalated to three alarms and ripped through the roof. One hundred forty responded. The fire was likely caused by a space heater.

On 4/21/2015 a faulty solar panel on the roof of the Hove Town Hall (United Kingdom) started a fire in the early afternoon; no injuries were reported. “The source of the fire is believed to be an electrical fault with a solar panel on the roof…Brighton & Hove City Council will check all solar panels on all council buildings following this incident.” “In contrast to the power used by conventional mains electrical equipment, the power that PV (photovoltaic) systems generate is DC (direct current) and parts of the system cannot be switched off. DC installations have a continuous current, making them more hazardous (volt for volt) than normal AC (alternating current) electrical installations.” “Firefighters need to consider the additional roof loading of the array, especially when the purlins/rafters ectara are fire-damaged or water-laden. They also need to consider the fact that DC string cables may be running down through the property from a system that, during daylight hours, is producing voltages anywhere between 400VDC to 1000VDC, and currents between 1A (amps) and 10A, depending on the nature of the installation and the irradiance present. Furthermore, solar PV modules are manufactured to include several potentially hazardous chemicals and materials that may be released as a side-effect of fire damage. All of these considerations, and more, can lead to the fire service deciding that the level of risk and uncertainty is too high to justify dealing with the property fire at all – resulting in some instances where properties have been left to burn out.”

On 4/21/2012 Rayne, Louisiana four children left unattended in a mobile home died in a house fire.

On 4/21/1899 one hundred-eleven buildings were destroyed by fire in Dawson, the Canadian territory of Yukon.

On 4/21/1880 in New York City, New York Madison Square Garden collapsed and killed several when a floor used for dancing pushed out the wall that was supporting it at 9:30 p.m. during the Hahnemann Hospital fair with about 800 people in the building.

On 4/21/1945 the Red Army overran the German High Command in Berlin, Germany 

On 4/21/1836 the Battle of San Jacinto during the Texan War for Independence

On 4/21/1777 the British army attacked Danbury, Connecticut

On 4/21/753 B.C. Romulus and his twin brother, Remus, found Rome