Film from 1934 Woolworth fire that killed 3 firefighters in Aurora, IL
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Another interesting film from CriticalPast on YouTube. January 11 was the 80th anniversary of a fire in Aurora, Illinois that killed three firefighters. This clip posted today (Friday) is from that 1934 fire.
Here’s an excerpt from a tribute on the website of the Aurora Regional Fire Museum:
Three firefighters: Captain Herbert L. Reiss, age 37 of No. 4 company, Captain John Petersohn, age 48 of No. 5 Company, and Firefighter Charles Hoffman age 35 of No. 5 Company answered their last alarm when an exterior wall tumbled down on them at the Woolworth 5 & 10 store located at 19 – 21 Broadway Street.
The alarm was issued at “11:30 o’clock” when many citizens noticed flames and smoke coming from the three story structure. The entire Aurora Fire Department responded and began to battle the blaze with several firefighters using the “new gas masks” that were issued as a result of the departments’ first line of duty death, Captain Barney Weiler just five years earlier. Firefighters made their way inside the structure and it appeared for a matter of almost an hour “that the blaze would prove of minor consequences”.
Without warning flames quickly licked their way up thru the roof which collapsed, followed almost immediately by a muffled blast that blew out the entire front of the building. Within the blink of an eye the Aurora Fire Department would forever be changed.
