Firefighter Close Calls

Mutual Aid Firefighter Dies in Floor Collapse During Residential Basement Fire – Forrest, Illinois – July 22, 2008 – NIOSH Firefighter Fatality Report F2008-26 On July 22, 2008, Firefighter Brian Munz of the Fairbury Fire Department was fatally injured during a floor collapse in a residential basement fire in the village of Forrest, Illinois. Firefighters, […]

All,  We regret to pass on that Chief Steve Woehrle of the Piseco (Hamilton County, NY, northeast of Syracuse) Volunteer Fire Department died in the Line of Duty yesterday. The Chief was responding on a run at the time of his death.  Chief Woehrle began his role as the Piseco Fire Chief in 2024. Prior […]

Fire Officer Killed by Cornice Collapse During Three-Alarm Brewery Fire – Ziegele Brewery Fire – Buffalo, New York – July 21, 1887 On July 21, 1887, Foreman John Manning was killed, and Assistant Foreman Thomas Broad was injured when part of a burning wooden cornice fell on them as they advanced a hoseline during a […]

Downed power lines hit a Sacramento firefighter while crews were responding to a fire, officials said Monday. The Sacramento Fire Department said it responded to 1965 Grand Avenue and found a fire at an outbuilding. While trying to access the building from a side alley, power lines in the area were damaged by the growing […]

LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM)– A Lancaster County man was arrested on Monday after allegedly attempting to steal an ambulance while the crew was on call, according to Columbia Borough Police. Police said that officers responded to the area of 11th Street and Grinnell Avenue at around 4:30 a.m. on Monday for a reported ambulance theft. […]

Railway Tunnel Arson Fire Kills Firefighter – Puerto Suello Tunnel Fire – San Rafael, California – July 20, 1961 On July 20, 1961, Alto Richardson Bay Fire Department Firefighter Frank Kinsler was killed when his fire apparatus that he had parked on a roadway over a railway tunnel was swallowed up in a collapse due […]

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) — A house fire sparked by a lightning strike in the Gaithersburg area early Saturday morning left a firefighter injured and displaced a family of five, according to officials. David Pazos, a spokesperson with the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service, said crews responded to the fire at a house […]

Urban Conflagration Destroys Large Portion of City and Kills Four Firefighters – The Great New York City Fire of 1845 – July 19, 1845  The Great Fire of 1845 broke out on July 19, 1845, in Lower Manhattan, New York City. The fire started in a whale oil and candle manufacturing establishment and quickly spread […]

Building Collapse During Hotel Fire Kills One Firefighter and Injures 41 Others – The Hotel Grace Fire – Milwaukee, Wisconsin – July 18, 1899 On July 18, 1899, as Milwaukee firemen were overhauling the building after a two-alarm fire struck the Hotel Grace in the downtown area of the city, the entire building suddenly collapsed […]

Fire and Explosion in Warehouse Kills One Firefighter and Injures Scores More – The Great Jane Street Chemical Explosion – Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York City – July 18, 1922 On July 18, 1922, a fire and explosion in a six-story warehouse located on Jane Street in the Greenwich Village section of Lower Manhattan resulted […]

Firefighter Killed in Fire Collapse of Arched Timber Truss Warehouse Roof – Adeline Street Collapse – Oakland, California – July 17, 1947 On July 17, 1947, Oakland California Hoseman Louis R. Cetraro of Engine Company 3 was killed, and five other firemen and a civilian were injured during a six-alarm fire which destroyed a storage […]

FORDHAM, Bronx (WABC) — A four-alarm fire burned through two homes in the Fordham section of the Bronx, injuring five firefighters. The fire started in the basement of one home on Briggs Avenue just after 8 a.m. on Thursday and spread to another. More than 230 firefighters and EMS responded to the scene. There were three […]

Thirty-Three Firefighters Burned During Gasoline Storage Tank Fire – Pure Oil Company Fire – Atlantic City, New Jersey – July 16, 1937 On July 16, 1937, 40,000 gallons of gasoline exploded at the Pure Oil Company fuel storage plant in Atlantic City, New Jersey sending flaming liquid flowing through the streets and injuring 33 firemen […]

A Folsom firefighter was injured while battling a residential fire early Wednesday. Crews responded shortly before 1:15 a.m. to the area of Dunstable Way and Wellfleet Circle. Fire officials said one home was heavily damaged, and a second home sustained damage to its attic and exterior. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. “Upon […]

INDIANAPOLIS— A firefighter was transported to Eskenazi Hospital after battling a morning fire on the south side of Indy. According to the Indianapolis Fire Department, firefighters were called out to the 2900 block of Bluff Road around 10 a.m. on Wednesday. Once firefighters arrived on scene, they were met with many challenges at the vacant […]

Fire Captain Shot and Killed During Civil Unrest – The Newark Riots – Newark, New Jersey – July 15, 1967 On July 15, 1967, Newark, New Jersey Fire Captain Michael Moran of Engine 11 was hit and killed by suspected sniper fire while investigating a building fire alarm during a period of civil unrest in […]

Fire Officer Dies After Being Fatally Injured in Fall Through Glass Marquee During Fire at Dry Goods Store – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – July 14, 1909 On July 14, 1909, Philadelphia Assistant Foreman Robert C. Keyser died from injuries he received following a fall through a glass roof panel of a marquee while operating at a […]

Chief Officer Trapped and Killed During Waterfront Pier Fire – Tacoma, Washington – July 14, 1963 On July 14, 1963, Tacoma Washington Battalion Chief Arthur Strong was killed while operating at a spectacular three-alarm waterfront pier fire in the port area of the city. Battalion Chief Strong was directing his men who were operating hoselines […]

Eight people were able to escape a house fire in Plano that claimed the life of several of the family’s pets. The fire left the house uninhabitable, displacing the family. Two firefighters were injured while battling the blaze, with one requiring treatment at a medical facility, according to the Little Rock-Fox Fire Protection District. The district said it […]

MERIDEN, CT — A family was displaced from their home after a two-alarm fire Sunday on Hobart Street in Meriden, according to officials. The Record-Journal reports a firefighter was injured while battling the blaze, suffering burns to their wrists, and was taken to a burn unit in Bridgeport. The American Red Cross is helping a family of […]