Firefighter Close Calls

Fourteen Persons Killed Including Assistant Fire Chief in Explosion of Dynamite Truck – The Roseburg Blast – Roseburg, Oregon – August 7, 1959 On August 7, 1959, a parked truck loaded with two tons of dynamite and over four tons of ammonium nitrate caught fire outside a supply store on the edge of downtown Roseburg, […]

Two Firefighters Killed in Fire Collapse of Warehouse – Herrmann Warehouse Fire – Goose Island, Chicago, Illinois – August 7, 1932 On August 7, 1932, Chicago Fire Lieutenant Victor Strubbe and Pipeman James Murphy of Engine Company 30 were killed in the line of duty when a four-story wall collapsed on them while they were […]

Firefighter Killed and Fifteen Others Trapped in Canopy Roof Collapse During Three Alarm Fire in Meatpacking Plant – Memphis, Tennessee – August 7, 1950 On August 7, 1950, Memphis Fireman Robert W. Fortune of Engine 10 died while operating at a fire involving a meatpacking plant. The fire was caused by workers using an acetylene […]

FUNKSTOWN- One firefighter suffered smoke inhalation, and dozens of mutual aid personnel were brought in to help fight a major fire outside of the City of Hagerstown late Thursday morning. Calls came in around 10:53am on Thursday, August 6th, for a structure fire at a home in the 200 block of Emmert Road, near the […]

AUBURN, Wash. — Two firefighters in Washington state were injured after a Tesla exploded inside a garage on Wednesday, authorities said. The King County Sheriff’s Office said the incident happened on 53rd Avenue South in the Seattle suburb of Auburn. The electric vehicle led to a two-alarm fire at the home. The sheriff’s office said two firefighters […]

One Firefighter Killed and Sixteen Others Injured in Fire Collapse of Ice Storage Warehouse – Webster-Citizen Ice Company Fire – Buffalo, New York – August 6, 1929 On August 6, 1929, Buffalo, New York Fireman Edwin Hoffman of Truck 11 was killed, and sixteen other firefighters were injured when the walls of an ice storage […]

Six Firefighters Fatally Injured and More One Hundred Persons Including Forty Firefighters Injured During Grain Elevator Explosion – The Northwestern Grain Elevator Explosion – Chicago, Illinois – August 5, 1897 On August 5, 1897, six Chicago firefighters lost their lives, and 40 other firefighters were injured in an explosion during a spectacular five-alarm fire in […]

AUSTIN, Texas — The family of a longtime Austin firefighter is remembering his dedication to his community after his death from cancer, which the Austin Firefighters Association describes as a line-of-duty death. Fire Specialist Reggie Tait died after being diagnosed with cancer following nearly three decades with the Austin Fire Department. He was 57 years […]

Los Angeles, CA – Today, the County of Los Angeles Fire Department (LACoFD) is releasing initial and supplemental investigative reports* identifying the origin and cause of the deadly and destructive Eaton Fire that started on January 7, 2025.  The Eaton Fire tragically took the lives of 19 people and destroyed or damaged over 9,000 homes and […]

SEATTLE — A Seattle firefighter was assaulted after responding to reports of an automatic fire alarm in a Phinney Ridge building Wednesday, according to Seattle police (SPD). Seattle police responded to 6119 Phinney Ave. N after a firefighter reported being assaulted by a suspect while responding to an automatic fire alarm in the building, according to […]

The National Firefighter Registry (NFR) for Cancer: Alaska Firefighter Meeting is scheduled to be held on August 21, 2026, via Zoom or in person at the Ketchikan Fire Department in Ketchikan, Alaska. This meeting will connect fire service leaders from Alaska with a team from NIOSH to discuss firefighter health and wellness research and findings, as well as the National […]

Assistant Chief Killed and One Firefighter Injured by Roof Collapse During Commercial Storage Building Fire – New Carlisle, Indiana – August 5, 2014 – NIOSH Firefighter Fatality Report F2014-18 On August 5, 2014, New Carlisle Indiana Assistant Chief Jamie Middlebrook died after being trapped under a roof collapse while fighting a fire in a commercial […]

Three Firefighters Killed in Backdraft Explosion While Battling Suspicious Fire in Drug Store – Kansas City, Missouri – August 5, 1929 On August 5, 1929, Kansas City Firemen John Morris, Frank Loncar, and Roy Rutherford died of the injuries they sustained while operating at a fire at a drug store in the southern portion of […]

Four Firefighters Fatally Burned During Fire and Explosion at Gasoline Transfer Station – Refiners Oil Company – Cincinnati, Ohio – August 5, 1920 On August 5, 1920, three Cincinnati firefighters were fatally burned and another firefighter received serious burns that led to his death the next day when three above ground gasoline storage tanks exploded […]

The blaze started just before 4:40 a.m. inside a conduit in front of 262 Cypress Ave. A conduit is a pipe that protects electrical wiring. The fire caused elevated carbon monoxide levels in the surrounding area. Multiple manholes caught fire in Mott Haven early Monday morning, leaving three firefighters injured and multiple people without power, […]

EAST VILLAGE, Manhattan (WABC) — A fire on a subway work train filled the Astor Place station with smoke early Tuesday, injuring eight MTA workers and six firefighters. The southbound train caught fire on the express tracks at the station just before 2:30 a.m. The fire spewed heavy smoke through the station in the East […]

Fire officials are investigating a gas explosion that happened on Tuesday afternoon at the Albany Department of General Services headquarters building. Albany Police Department said two people were injured in the explosion that happened around 3:15 p.m. on Conners Boulevard. Fire crews, law enforcement, and emergency medical services responded to the DGS building for reports […]

Nine Firefighters and One Paramedic Killed in Massive Explosion of Warehouse Containing Ammonium Nitrate – Beirut, Lebanon – August 4, 2020. On August 4, 2020, a major explosion occurred in Beirut, Lebanon, caused by the ignition of more than 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate. The chemical, confiscated in 2014 from the cargo ship MV Rhosus […]

Two Firefighters Killed in Flashover During Three-Alarm Restaurant Fire – Shenanigan’s Saloon – Trenton, New Jersey – August 4, 1986 On August 4, 1986, Trenton Firefighters Joseph Woods of Engine 10 and Robert Mizopalko of Ladder 4 were trapped and killed by a flashover while searching for the seat of the fire in a burning […]

Four Firefighters Killed in Dust Explosion During Four-Alarm Fire in Metal Processing Plant – Metallurgical, Inc. Plant Explosion – Cleveland, Ohio – August 4, 1966 On August 4, 1966, Cleveland Ohio Firemen Charles Doehner and John Petz of Rescue Squad 2, Fireman Ralph Simon of Engine 33, and Fireman Joseph Toolis of Ladder 12 were […]