Worst Fires

[Guest DADAY]

Just looking for some stories about the most exciting, or devistating fires that people can remember.

[DOC22 1]

Jeff, for starter, look at Somers- Structure Fire- 11/15/76, That will make you think a bit.

[Guest DADAY]

saw it but looking for more, i like to hear about many older fires

[DOC22 1]

Perhaps one of the best ways of dealing with some of the more tragic incidents is to discuss them on this board, cause wr're all here to hrlp one another!

[WAS967 97]

Thats one of many ones. Sure if you want to vent, vent. Put PLEASE, if you have a bad call, and you feel you need to talk to someone, do it. Find anyone. Coworker, friend, clergy, go to counseling, call the CISD team. Whatever it takes. Don't let your ego tell you it's going to be okay, cause maybe it won't be.

[DOC22 1]

Thats one of many ones. Sure if you want to vent, vent. Put PLEASE, if you have a bad call, and you feel you need to talk to someone, do it. Find anyone. Coworker, friend, clergy, go to counseling, call the CISD team. Whatever it takes. Don't let your ego tell you it's going to be okay, cause maybe it won't be.

Good point, WAS, that's what I mean. Most of my worst calls occurred prior to the existance of CISD, so you did the best you could. Surprisingly (at least to me I quickly developed the ability to put'em away, but can be a little tough as I turn into an old fart when we get a bad one it kinda sets off some rough memories, but you just keep on going cause if you look down the street there's always somebody worse off, so it works out ok, anyways.

[CFD320 35]

I'm not sure of the date I think it was 4/1/1988, I was 10 years old. I woke up from a sound sleep because I was sweating like a pig. Out my window was an orange glow, my room must have been 100 degrees. The house next door 150 feet away was completely engulfed in flames. (Morningside Drive Croton)

So it happened, a mother and 2 (maybe 3) children perished in the blaze. Numerous rescue attempts by neighbors and firefighters were not successful. The morning after this horrible event I knew I wanted to be a fireman.

[Remember585 815]

April 16, 1988.

I remember because it was only 3 hours after my Father's first term as Chief.

The mother and 2 kids did perish.

Matt, do you remember the assembly we had to go to at CET??

[CFD320 35]

Yes I do, and I also remember being interviewed by the news that morning with Chris Z**** who lived in the house on the other side.

[61MACKBR1 222]

Playland Fire, Rye, of the 1960's; St. Casmier's Church Fire (1960's Yonkers), Central Avenue Bowling Alley Fire (1960's Yonkers), 4th Street and First Avenue Fire (1970 Mount Vernon)

[CHIEFPHIL 90]

When I was a kid, we lived across from the RB&W plant in PC, when that went up... wow. That burned for 3 days. /My old man came home just to change his sock 2 or 3 times that week. My grandfather fell into a vat of oil and my mom had him in the shower for an hour trying to get the oil off of him. that was Nov. '73. I went to Holy Rosary Scool which overlooked the plant, so the first day I had a birdseye view of the fire. didnt go to school the second day, stayed home and helped my mom and aunts make sandwiches. Went to school the third day, but stayed at the window all day.

the Gullivers fire was bad, I remember my dad coming home, crying etc, my mom dragged me and my bro's to church that morning...that was emotional day for us.

The worts for me was the fire at Midland and Armet street. Cant remeber the year, but think it was 73 or early 74. I saw this guy pull the box in front of our house. My dad ran out after the guy [box 34 cronic FA] , but the guy just pointed down the street, we ran out and here was this house well involved. My uncle and dad ran down and I watched as my uncle climbed over garbage cans to get into a room where a baby was, my dad went thru the front door. They both bailed out another window, I didnt see them come out as the first floor lit up. I was crying and thought I'd lost them both. One of the old guys grabbed me and put me on the running board of the old E61 and told me not to move and kept his hand on my shoulder . After a few minutes they came around the building and started to pull lines. They could'nt get to the kid... It was a sad day in the nieghborhood.

A few years later when I got in my dept, I we had a fire with a women trapped. I was on the second due engine and was an EMt, the mom had thrown the kids out the window, so 1 was hurt, I had to tend to the kid, as one of the older kids was screaming at me and the dept chaplin who was active about the mom, Once I splinted the kids arm I made entry to the room via ladder to search for the mother, The house was going real good, and some guys were pushing thru the front door, I found the mom and carried her out the window, it was bad, all I could think of was this little kid crying in my face as I was splinting his arm, he knew the outcome well before I did. when I got down all I could due was puke in my mask. years later I had a a live grab, got an award and guess made a difference.

[mfc2257 464]

Summer of 1980 or so... the house on the corner of Millwood Road and Crystal Springs Road (Old Millwood Road) I think it's actually 235 or 237 Millwood Road.... I was three or four.... My dad and I watched my future boys roll up in the middle of the afternoon and watched from my front portch. I can still remember the sound of the old E246 (GMC pumper that was also called MA10 and R36 from time to time) as its underpowered gas V6 wheezing as it rolled in. 2252 and Ex-Chief Kendall talk to this day about stepping over the body of the badly burned son of the family several times before they realized that it was a body. He was burned beyond any human recognizable traits and face down on the floor by a couch I think.....The family was away on vacation at the time.

There was also a fire well before my days at an old school on Rt120 where the Wagon Road Camp now is in Chappaqua. DG795's father still tells me about adding engine oil to the old E245 because it pumped for almost a week.

[Guest DADAY]

I think the worst fire for me and for a ferw memebers of this site was on June 22 1997. Brewster Lt. Mike Nuener made the ultimate sacrifice in this fire. No one can ever understand the sadness the world has until it happens to one of thier own.

I was 19 home from college and in the Croton Falls Fire Department for 2 1/2 years.

We got called mutal aid to the scene with our tanker. I missed the tanker and responded to the scene, upon arrival i found a single family dwelling. It seemed like the guys from brewster were out of sorts, we (CFFD) didn't know that facts yet.

When I asked what had happend one of the BFD guys told me that Mike had gone down. Never in my life did I feel the way I did at that very moment.

Knowing Mike from the fire house and his amazing personality, I was destroyed, my first thought was for his family.

Mike had the personality that you could never ever forget and will be tough for anyone to ever duplicate.

I remember one of the first parties I ever met him at, Let me say that if you had never met him, or it was your first few times talking to him, you would have never know, he talked to you like you grew up with him.

Man do we all miss him and his crazy antics.

Sorry if this brings people down just a way to remember him, and help his memory live on.

By the way his son, has joined. Lets just say, he is definetly a Nuener and he is truly Mikes son.

Always remember 585

[WAS967 97]

Biggest fire that sticks out in my mind is the Old 1852 Inn at Lexington and Strawberry in Mohegan across from the old Fransiscan HS (now a day care center). I lived on the other side of the woods at the time and heard the sirens but didn't know what was going on. Heard a lot of commotion in the neighborhood and headed outside. Was about 10 or 11 at night, dark out but the entire sky was lit up like someone dropped a bomb on the hill above us. I just grabbed her keys and went. I was an active member of PCVAC at the time and still an EMT so it was probably around 1994 or so. I headed up to find out what was going on. I ended up helping one of the firefighters gor for supplies (I seem to remember it raining out too cause we got a bit wet). I ultimately ended up manning a rescue (ambulance) with the Beumonts (sp?) and just watched this thing go. It was an all wood structure dating back to the mid 1800s so it went up quick. At the time it was an italian restaurant kind of join that wasn't doing so well, so everyone immediatly suspected arson. I don't know what came of that whole case. Thankfully nobody was injured that I know of. Basically ended up being a surround and drown and the entire place was a complete loss. Only thing left standing was the huge industrual size refrigerator.

[WAS967 97]

Just did some research, here is an interesting item from a yorktown historical website. Did you know that it used to be home to the Mohegan Fire Dept?

n 1852, a sea captain built what came to be known at the 1852 Inn at Lexington and Strawberry Roads. The captain had made money trading spices from the Far East and bought 464 acres. A carriage house in the rear was the first location of the Mohegan Lake Volunteer Fire Department. The Inn became known as the 1852 Inn in the 1900s, and later Onofrio's, until it burned to the ground in a tragic fire in 1993. We wish the Fire Department had remained there! On the site today is a day care center.

[BFD1054 1,552]

I am not an ol' timer by any means, so i do not have many fire stories to share. The worst fire for me personally, was on New Years Eve 2002. It was at 213 (now 3213) Albany Post Rd. in the Village of Buchanan. It was a 2 1/2 story 2-family home, unoccupied on the 1st, occupied on the 2nd by a mother & her 3 sons. The alarm came in at approx. 4:30am & upon our arrival we found heavy fire on the #2 floor, A/B division. 2 of the boys managed to escape via their bedroom window, but unfortunately, the mother & 3rd son were trapped. We made an aggresive interior attack & primary searches with some guys from the Montrose FD. Unfortunately, our efforts were too late. After the fire was k/d, we found the mother in the attic area (served as an additional bedroom) and found the boy in his room (the room of origin), burned beyond recognition. The mother was 44-years-old and the boy was only 10. It was a fire that i will never forget and one that gave me nightmares for months afterward. That was the first CISD debriefing i attented, and let me just say that i never thought i'd have to sit with my fellow firefighters, crying & watching them cry, some uncontrolably! Just goes to show that we are not made of stone, we are not indestructable, we are human like anyone else.

Some other big fires that i can think of....

Dains Lumber Yard, Peekskill, 1980s

Church fire (next to the Paramount theatre), Brown St. Peekskill, 1998-99?

YWCA building, Main St. Peekskill, 2002-03?

Fleishmans fire, John Walsh Blvd., Peekskill, early 1900's, 7 or 8 Peekskill firefighters were killed in that fire.

The Club (now known as the Premiere Athletic Club after it was re-built), Albany Post Rd., Montrose, mid-1990's.

Charter Circle - Ossining - 7 or 8 story OMD - 1999

[Guest DFFD227]

Didn' that fire cause some kind of controversy...I remember it being on the news, something about the addresses?

[Guest DFFD227]

I'm not even a firemen yet, but I can sure tell you my first experience when I Knew I wanted to be one. One of the worst, and first fires I have ever scene was the Roslyn Gardens fire (269 Broadway) in Dobbs Ferry back in December of 97' when I was only 8 years old. This happened to be right next door to me...a 5 story Multiple Family Vacant Apartment building. Started when a woman was making Christmas decorations and sprayed pine cones with a flammable substance and put it in the oven. The stove blew up and immediately blew a hole through the roof. This was the first fire I have ever scene. being my grandfather is a retired Fire Investigator, and being that my father is very close with a lot of firemen I was always interested in the fire department, but didn't really think that it was the job for me.... . But that night it hit me that I actually wanted to do that, and till this day I look at that building EVERY day, and I can remember it just like it was yesterday.

[BFD1054 1,552]

George, glad you asked, yes tere actually was some controversy with this job.

The alarm was received from 911 by a passer-by who actually stopped and helped rescue the 2 other boys. The address was entered into the computer at 60-Control & the dispatcher was given 4 choices. The address, 213 Albany Post Rd., came up in Buchanan, Montrose, Peekskill & Croton. For whatever reason, there was a mis-understanding and the Montrsoe FD was dispatched. Luckily, the Tri-Village response was activated and Buchanan & Verplanck FD's were put on stand-by. Montrose E123 got to 213 Albany Post Rd. in their district to find nothing, except for some confused residents. One of our FF/Drivers (now an Assist. Chief), lives 2 doors down from where the fire was. As he left his house to respond to our quarters, he saw fire on the #2 floor of his neighbors house and saw the Police Officer already there. Realizing there had been a terrible mistake & knowing he wouldn't be able to do much without apparatus, he responded to the FH and transmitted the update. Thankfully we were all on our way to the FH anyway, so i pulled up along with 2 other guys and an officer and off we went as the 1st due. Montrose had their guys on their apron with the Ladder, so they immediately responded to our scene, knowing that we'd be calling them soon anyway. If not for the Tri-Village response, this tragedy could have been far worse! We never really figured out how much time was lost, but we don't believe it was much.

Since that fire, Buchanan & the surrounding communities have gotten together and came up with a plan. Addresses on Albany Post Rd in Croton added a 1 as the 1st number, Montrose a 2, Buchanan a 3 & Peekskill a 4. So that fire was at 213 Albany Post Rd., and it has now been re-numbered as 3213. We have been working to put this into place with any street that runs through several municipalities. Ironically, Verplanck FD had an EMS call on Westchester Ave the other day & their Capt kept reporting that he couldn't find the address & it was finally determined that it was in Buchanan. Buchanan FD, Cortandt VAC & Cortlandt ALS were all dispatched, luckily it turned out to be an RMA lol! So needless to say, Westchester Ave will also be re-numbered!

[Stepjam 118]

I grew up in SW Yonkers and saw beaucoup fires, especially down in "The Hollow" and up on "Nodine Hill". Had a pretty good one right in my own building too.

By far, the most intense fire I have ever witnessed was in early June of 1976. It started in the "Rockbottoms" store on South Broadway in Yonkers. I was on my way home from school and stopped to watch as the first YFD units pulled up. A light smoke condition, no working fire visible until they vented the roof-then all hell broke loose. The heat was so intense from the sudden geyser of flame that the Police began pushing people away who were watching from across the street. Next, Little Darling's juvenile store went up, followed by Jaylen's arts and crafts. Sultan Oldsmobile began emptying it's showroom of the new '76 models, and it's service department of customer's cars. The fire never got to the dealership, but you could see the panic on their faces.

[afd65 4]

wow that could of been a lot worse if it got to the car dealership

[JBE 328]

I want to say it was the summer of 1990 or 91. I was leaving my job at Putnam Hospital Center in Carmel. Within an hour of me getting home, Carmel was getting toned out for a fire at the Barns medical center, right across Stoneleigh Avenue from the Barns. Must have been ten departments on Mutual Aid. Croton Falls, Mahopac, Brewster, Lake Carmel, Somers, Mahopac Falls, Kent and Patterson doing relocations. I think even East Fishkill got involved in the mix.

The next big one I remember was January of 1991. Seavey Plaza on Route 52. 2 Story taxpayer stores on the first floor, offices above. I watched my mother cry as the fire took off across the second floor, taking out her office.

Then my first worker in Lake Carmel, and nearly getting thrown off the backstep of 17-2-3 as we turned onto Nichols Street and hit a bump.

[DOC22 1]

I want to say it was the summer of 1990 or 91. I was leaving my job at Putnam Hospital Center in Carmel. Within an hour of me getting home, Carmel was getting toned out for a fire at the Barns medical center, right across Stoneleigh Avenue from the Barns. Must have been ten departments on Mutual Aid. Croton Falls, Mahopac, Brewster, Lake Carmel, Somers, Mahopac Falls, Kent and Patterson doing relocations. I think even East Fishkill got involved in the mix.

The next big one I remember was January of 1991. Seavey Plaza on Route 52. 2 Story taxpayer stores on the first floor, offices above. I watched my mother cry as the fire took off across the second floor, taking out her office.

Then my first worker in Lake Carmel, and nearly getting thrown off the backstep of 17-2-3 as we turned onto Nichols Street and hit a bump.

I was Chief in Croton Falls for the Barns Med Center fire. Definitely a big one. The one part of the incident that I'll NEVER forget was the steam bleve of the southwest corner lollicolumn. Damn near killed 2 of my members. Talk about close calls----- I think every FD in Putnam County as well as a lot from Dutchess and No. Westchester. Had to be Summer of 1990 cause I was Chief in 89 and90.

[JBE 328]

Then it must have been 90. I had just started working at PHC.

[firemn23 8]

How about the Selecto Fire in Ardsley in 1986. Guys were on scene for about 40 hours straight. Mutual aid from Hastings, Dobbs Ferry, Irvington, White Plains and others jsut cant remember. Saw Mill Parkway closed due to Irvingtons Ladder in operation on the parkway. Smoke could been seen as far away as New Rochelle. Wasn't there (and barely remember this fire) but looking in the past log book members wound up being on scene for about a week at this fire.

[DOC22 1]

How about the Armonk Lumber Yard Fire had to be about 1987 or1988. CFFD Rescue 28 was dispatched for cascade to the scene. That was about the farthest we went as far back as I remember.

[E64PCFD2044 1]

I'm WAY too young to even think about these fires but the old timers still talk about them...

Gulivers Night Club - Mulitple Fatal Fire

R B & W Plant - "We drafted out of the Byram River for 2 days!"

Both in Port Chester

[TRUCK6018 50]

One fire that wasn't mentioned (I don't remember all the details) was on 5 Westlake Drive in Thornwood (off Nannyhagen Rd) in the 80's.

If I remember correctly, a swedish nanny was accused, if not conviced of arson that led to fatality of an infant.

Another one not mentioned was the Stouffer's Hotel fire in White Plains/Harrison area in the 1980.

A quick google brought up this:

Arrow Electronics Corparion lost their 13 high-ranking executives    

In December 1980, a fire broke out in the Stouffer's Inn in Westchester County, N.Y. , killing 26 people. Among the fatalities were 13 high-ranking executives of Arrow Electron-ics Inc., then the nation's second largest electronics distributor. Employee stock options, deferred compensation payments, survivor death benefits, additional accounting costs, hiring replacements and personnel relo-cation charges resulting from the deaths cost Arrow Electronics more than $5.5 million pre-tax, or approximately $3 million in net after-tax, expenses. As a result, Arrow Electronics' 1980 earn-ings fell from $5.5 million in the year before the disastrous hotel fire to $5.27 million, despite a substantial one-third increase in company revenues. Debt and losses mounted, and it took Arrow Electronics nearly a decade to reestablish its operating profitability  

Arrow sued the owners of the inn, the Stouffer Corporation, and the William L. Crow Construction Company, which had been retained by Stouffers for the planning, design and construction of the inn, and a firm of consulting engineers who performed the mechanical engineering and electrical work on the inn.  

Arrow alleged that in October 1980, Stouffers agreed to rent guest and meeting rooms to Arrow for its senior level management annual budget meetings to be held between November 30, and December 6, 1980. Arrow also alleged that the agreement implied that the rooms were suitable and safe, reasonably free of fire hazards, and reasonably equipped with devices to minimize the danger of fire. Arrow sought $5,000,000 compensatory damages plus $5,000,000 punitive damages for the loss of its management; costs of recruiting new employees; loss of books, records, and papers; death benefits paid to the widows and estates of deceased employees; and lost profits.

 

[Stepjam 118]

I remember the Thornwood fire and the accused Swiss Nanny. Her name was Olivia Reiner. The DA tried to railroad her for the crime, and she was put on trial. She was aquitted because she was INNOCENT. Suspicion later fell on the stepson of the baby's father. He had plenty of motive, and by all accounts was enough of a low-life to do such a thing. Nobody was ever convicted for that arson murder.

[doug_e 0]

I looked at the trivia thread and saw a question about a fire in Mt. Vernon in the '70's on S4th. and W1st. On the Fourth Ave side you had Fanny Farmer, they had just loaded in their Easter candy, then a jewlry store, then the Bee Hive. On the First St. side you had a small restaurant (point of origin) and PM's Billards above. As the fire got going the pool tables were dropping through the floors to the basement.

On top of the buildings there were two bill boards. I had suggested to the Benevolents Assoc and the Members Assoc. that they rent them to extoll the benefits and virtues of a volunteer FD. In hind sight I'm glad they didn't listen because a news photo was taken from the top of the Fiske bldg. looking down at the fire. There were two plumes of smoke billowing up and you could read the signs perfectly. Whew...I believe a copy of that pic ended up in Firehouse magazine.

Ahhh, those were the days!

DC