REMEMBERING THE WORCESTER 6: Worcester Cold and Storage Warehouse Fire December 3, 1999

[markmets415 524]

REMEMBERING THE WORCESTER 6: Worcester Cold and Storage Warehouse Fire December 3, 1999 Wednesday, December 3, 2008 On December 3, 1999, a five-alarm fire broke out in an abandoned cold storage warehouse 5 blocks east of the downtown business district, near the Union Station train station. Fire companies from throughout the city and neighboring towns were called in.

Due to reports that homeless persons were possibly inside, fire rescue personnel began a search of the six-story building. The firefighters' task was made extremely difficult by the large size of the building's interior, and the highly flammable composition of its interior insulation. Over nearly a century's use, the interior walls were progressively covered with various forms of insulating materials, including cork inpregnated with tar, polystyrene, and polyurethane foam, to a thickness of 18 inches of highly combustable material. Once ignited, the huge amount of fuel, fed initially by the large volume of air in the building, became virtually inextinguishable. The 6-story building's exterior walls were constructed of approximately 18 inches of brick and mortar, with no windows above the second floor level. The lack of available windows prevented firefighting personnel from making an acurate initial assessment of the fire. Initial breaching of lower-floor doors, combined with venting the building by smashing a roof skylight which resided over an elevator shaft, effectively turned the building into a huge chimney. With the fire rapidly accelerating out of control, rescue teams facing near-zero visibility became lost, with available breathing oxygen depeleted. Despite repeated radio calls for help, along with activation of audible location alarms, 6 firefighters, Paul A Brotherton, Timothy P. Jackson, Jeremiah M. Lucey, James F. “Jay” Lyons III, Joseph T. McGuirk and Lt. Thomas E. Spencer, who have since became known as the "Worcester Six", perished in the blaze.

A PERSONAL ACCOUNT: Camaraderie Under Fire: A Remembrance of the Worcester Tragedy by Robert M. Winston

It was December 3, 1999 when an abandoned cavernous warehouse was set afire by two homeless people who “lived” in the hulking structure. This was the Worcester Cold and Storage Warehouse that was located in the City of Worcester, Massachusetts. The scene of this fire was to become one of fiery collapse, death, heartache, heroism, and camaraderie under the most extreme firefighting conditions.

The homeless man made sexual advances to his girl friend and she had rebuffed his suggestions. He became angry and the two were arguing and throwing things. They were using candles for light and one of the lighted candles was knocked into a pile of debris that quickly ignited. The fire spread as the two squatters fled into the cold night air leaving the fire to grow into what would become one of the worst Line Of Duty (fire service) Deaths (LODD) in the history of the Worcester Fire Department.

Firefighters in many fire engines responded to the growing fire. More aid was called to the scene as it became obvious to the chief in charge that this was no routine fire-fight. Heavy smoke turned to visible flames as the fire ate through the nearly windowless ark of a structure. Inside were many firefighters straining to extinguish the flames. The interior was a maze of darkened rooms and corridors. Six floors of them! Debris was scattered everywhere adding to the difficulties of searching blindly to find the seat of the fire and being able to exit the building in a hurry if needed.

A number of Firefighters became disoriented in the smoke, heat and darkness. They radioed for help. Brother firefighters entered the burning building to try and rescue their now trapped comrades. Time after time these rugged firefighting veterans made dangerous and heroic attempts to find their colleagues. It was no use.

The fire had been eating away at the strength of the brick and wood edifice. It started to collapse. The fire chief in command ordered all firefighters to stop rescue attempts and to vacate the fire building. Six Worcester Firefighters would perish this night despite the Herculean efforts of a small army of firefighters. Recovery of their bodies would last for an arduous somber eight days and nights.

The call went out across the New England region for assistance to respond to Worcester.

Many emergency and non-emergency personnel turned out to help. They came by the hundreds to stand with and work with their brother and sister firefighters until the difficult and honorable task of recovery was completed.

The City of Boston Fire Department immediately sent personnel and equipment to the tragic scene. I was one of the many that were sent. My role was one of the safety operational sector chiefs. Those of us that were assigned that task would check for safety issues, look for hazards and prevent any further injuries or deaths. Prior to our arrival at the warehouse fire tragedy, we were given a briefing that included specific instructions and alerted us that the Worcester Firefighters were under severe emotional stress. We were told that tempers may be short and to use tact and to be sensitive to the raw emotions being experienced by the Worcester Firefighters.

It was the second night of the eight nights of recovery operations. The warehouse roof, floors and two exterior walls had fallen and were now huge piles of smoldering debris. The danger of additional structural collapse and of firefighters falling through burned out floors haunted us. The safety officers were kept busy and were vigilant. Injury or worse was at every step.

As I was surveying a section of the building I noticed that a Worcester Fire Lieutenant was standing in a very dangerous location. Debris was loosely dangling above him. I approached the man to warn him of the situation. He was a tall lean guy. Much taller than I. His face was black with soot and his eyes were red and swollen. He looked very tired and tense. I tried to warn him, as delicately as I could, that he was in a dangerous spot. What we were cautioned about prior to our arrival at this fire was about to happen. The Lieutenant became angry with me and got in my face. He didn’t care what rank I was or that I was looking out for his safety. Angry emotion packed words were hurled at me. I tried to reason with him to no avail. A Worcester Chief Officer was standing nearby and saw and heard what was happening. He immediately positioned himself between the lieutenant and myself and defused what could have become an ugly situation. I explained the reason why I had tried to talk to his lieutenant and then I pointed upwards to the hanging debris. The chief understood, apologized to me and assured me that he’d talk to his lieutenant. We both knew and understood how tempers can flare under the unprecedented stressful circumstances that we were all caught up in.

Eight days had passed since the fire began. I had returned to the scene and was again assigned as a safety operational sector chief. The pile of smoldering debris that was once this old warehouse had been reduced in size and fully extinguished. Five of Worcester’s Bravest had been recovered. One was still buried somewhere in the remaining mounds of twisted steel, burned wood and bricks. As I surveyed the scene I noticed the lieutenant that I had the earlier encounter with. He was searching some rubble. I inquired about him and was told that he had been at the scene from the fire’s start and had refused to go home for eight days and nights.

The cold day turned into a very cold and windy December night as recovery operations continued for the last firefighter. Firefighter Paul Brotherton’s body was located under one of the many mounds of bricks and charred wood. His precise and somber removal from the debris will be a picture in my mind’s eye that I will never forget.

It was so cold and dark and quiet as Firefighter Brotherton’s body was taken away in an ambulance. The sad task of recovery was finally over that night. The healing could begin.

There was a large crowd of people standing quietly beyond the yellow safety tape that surrounded the ruins. Hundreds of firefighters formed two parallel lines leading from the destroyed building out to the crowd of onlookers. The Worcester Firefighters climbed down from the piles of debris and slowly walked between the two rows of firefighters who had come from other fire departments. As the Worcester Firefighters passed by us we saluted them, applauded them, shook their hands and some gave hugs. One by one they filed through the rows. A walk of honor and consolation.

I barely recognized the lieutenant whom I encountered days before. It was his height that caused me to look harder at him than at his brothers. His face was now gaunt, blackened and the eyes were red and sunken. We looked at each other. He recognized me and stopped walking. It was more like a slow shuffle. I shook his hand first. Then the lieutenant literally collapsed into my arms. We embraced each other as only firefighters can do at a time like this and he began to sob. Even through our heavy wet protective firefighter’s gear he felt frail and unsteady. Tears stained our faces as we looked at each other. Unbelievably this exhausted weary fire lieutenant apologized to me. I was sort of…stunned. I told him that it was okay, gave him my condolences for his losses and hugged the man again. I watched him as he walked away shoulder to shoulder with his comrades.

I never saw the man again. I have thought of him from time to time when the memory of the Worcester Tragedy comes back to me or when I see the word “camaraderie.”

P.S.

This horrific fire had occurred at about the same time as Chanukah was being observed. Chanukah is a Jewish Holiday also called the Festival of Lights. It commemorates the victory of the Maccabees over the Syrians in 165 B.C. The Maccabees, under siege, were fighting for their lives at that time. Their lamp flames were fueled by oil. As their supplies were running out during this battle it was noticed that the lamp oil supplies would last only one more night. They prayed for a miracle to keep the lamp’s flames burning. God answered their prayers and caused the lamps to burn for eight nights. The eight nights of Chanukah have since been celebrated for centuries.

The recovery of the six Worcester Firefighters lasted for eight days and nights. Near the top of one of the warehouse walls that was still standing was a piece of a wood beam. It had been smoldering and a flame had been flickering from the beam for days. Streams of water were occasionally directed at the flame in an attempt to extinguish it. Stubbornly the flame would not be put out.

It was that last night when Firefighter Brotherton’s body was found that another miracle of sorts occurred. His body was recovered and with ceremony, it was brought down from the charred piles of what was once the warehouse and placed inside an ambulance. As that ambulance drove away I looked up at the spot where that flame had been burning for eight nights. It went out never to be seen again!

Robert M. Winston

Boston District Fire Chief, retired

Former Pickens County (GA) Fire Chief

posted with permission from firefighterclosecalls.com

[RescueKujo 130]

May they never be forgotten and may we never forget...

[FFPCogs 863]

A sad day for all. May they rest in peace.

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

Wow.....powerful to say the least

Never Forgotten

[ENG47INE 17]

RIP Worcester 6 May you Never Be Forgotten

[markmets415 524]

Wow.....powerful to say the least

Never Forgotten

very powerful, sad day indeed

[tdc202 0]

Hard to believe it's been 9 years already. May we never forget them.......