Chief Kanterman’s Journal Entry 71
For some unknown reason, the month of December in the United States has been deadly to both citizens and firefighters. As the year winds down, take a look at just four of the horrendous tragedies that have landed on the doorstep of the fire service over many years during the month of December. Moreover, learn the lessons of these tragedies to prevent them from occurring in the future.
December 1, 1958: A fire occurred at Our Lady of the Angels School in Chicago, Illinois, shortly before classes were to be dismissed for the day. The fire began in the basement near the foot of a stairway. A total of 92 pupils and three nuns ultimately died when smoke, heat, fire, and toxic gases cut off the regular means of egress through highly varnished wooden corridors and stairways. Fire entered the classrooms over door transom windows which were eventually outlawed in schools, hotels, and other public buildings. Many others were injured when they jumped from second-floor windows. (The building had a raised basement, putting the second floor nearly three floors above grade.) The investigation pointed to a 13-year-old student who was known for setting fires. As a result of this fire, schools all over the country were inspected and many were shut down. A child has not died in a school fire in the U.S. since this tragedy, which changed the building and fire codes forever.
Our Lady of the Angels School Fire, Part 1 | Part 2
December 3, 1999: On this date, six firefighters were killed at the Worcester Cold Storage Warehouse fire in Worcester, Massachusetts. The fire occurred at 6:13 P.M. in an abandoned cold storage warehouse at 266 Franklin Street. The firefighters died while searching for homeless people thought to be trapped in the building. The fire went to five alarms and took six days to bring under control. In a bold move of courage, the incident commander blocked the door to the stairs after the six were lost, preventing further loss of firefighter’s lives. The fire was started by a homeless couple trying to keep warm. When it got out of control, they fled the scene. A fire in a similar building in Jersey City, New Jersey, occurred one year later. The lessons learned in Worcester were reinforced in Jersey City, resulting in zero firefighter fatalities or injuries.
Firefighter Fatalities: Remembering the Worcester Six
December 7, 1946: Deemed accidental, the Winecoff Hotel fire remains the deadliest hotel fire in American history. The fire at the hotel 176 Peachtree Street in Atlanta, Georgia, killed119 hotel occupants, including the hotel’s original owners. The Winecoff Hotel had advertised as “absolutely fireproof.” The hotel’s steel structure was indeed protected, however its interior finishes were combustible and its egress design consisted of a single stairway that served all 15 floors of the building. All hotel’s occupants above the fire’s origin on the third floor were trapped. Survivors were either rescued from upper-story windows or jumped into nets held by firefirefighters. The fire—which followed the June 5, 1946, La Salle Hotel fire in Chicago (61 fatalities) and the June 9, 1946, Canfield Hotel fire in Dubuque, Iowa (19 fatalities)—spurred significant changes in North American building codes. Most significantly, multiple protected means of egress and self-closing fire-resistant doors for guest rooms in hotels were required. President Truman opened a Fire Forum to discuss the national fire problem, which is still held today and sponsored by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.
Hotel Fires: “It is Only a Matter of Time . . .”
December 30, 1903: A fire that broke out on the stage of the Iroquois Thater in Chicago, Illinois, during a matinee performance killed 602 patrons, mostly children. The December 30 performance drew a much larger sellout audience than normal due to the holiday season. Tickets were sold for every seat in the house, plus hundreds more for the “standing room” areas at the back of the theater. The standing room areas were so crowded that some patrons sat in the aisles, blocking the exits.
Construction Concerns: Proscenium Fire Curtains
Sparks from an arc light ignited a stage curtain, possibly as a result of an electrical short, although the lamp operator testified that he thought the lamp was placed too close to the curtain to begin with. Theater fireman William Sallers (detailed by the Chicago Fire Department) tried to douse the fire with “Kilfyre” (an early dry chemical-type medium), but it had quickly spread to the fly gallery high above the stage. There, several thousand square feet of highly flammable painted canvas scenery flats were hung. The stage manager tried to lower the asbestos fire curtain, but it snagged and never fully closed. Amongst other things found in the investigation, the asbestos curtain wasn’t fireproof at alI. It was composed of mainly of wood pulp with some asbestos fibers woven into it. The investigation also revealed that fire inspectors took bribes in the way of show tickets to look the other way on numerous safety hazards.
As my Back Step partner Tommy always says: “Let’s heed the lessons learned from these fires.” Take stock in yourselves while protecting your customers. We can all strike that balance. It’s not easy, but if it was, everyone could do it.
Keep an eye out for the January 2024 Back Step Boys podcast. Our guests are Chief Joe Jardin and Chief Frank Leeb from the FDNY. Tune in to hear these longtime battle-hardened fire service veterans discuss how preplanning, battle planning, and fire prevention activities are tied into firefighter safety, health, and wellness. A “don’t miss” podcast on all accounts!
Have a happy holiday season and a healthy and safe New Year.
Ronnie K
ALSO
- The Fires That Forged Us: Three Keokuk (IA) Firefighters Die in Rescue Attempt at Fire
- Jon Davies: Worcester (MA) LODD
- Video: Christopher Roy, Worcester (MA) Fire Department LODD
- A Historically Tragic Day for Chicago
- What We DO
- Many Lives Lost in Three Big Fires: Chicago Stockyards Fire, Philadelphia Friedlander Leather Factory Fire, Cincinnati Fire
- Closing Chapter of the Chicago Stockyards Fire
RON KANTERMAN is the executive inspector of the Bureau of Fire Prevention for the Fire Department of New York. He is a more than four-decade veteran of the fire service and recently retired as chief of the Wilton (CT) Fire Department. He has a B.A. degree in fire administration and two master’s degrees. He’s a contributing author for Fire Engineering, the Fire Engineering Handbook for Firefighter I and II, and the 7th edition of the Fire Chief’s Handbook.
