Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse Co. fire explained

Time:6:13pm EST
Place:Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse Co.,
266 Franklin Street,
Worcester,
Massachusetts
Also Known As:Worcester Cold Storage
Cause:Knocked-over candle
Reported Deaths:6
Accused:Thomas Levesque
Julie Ann Barnes
Charges:6 counts of involuntary manslaughter
Verdict:Charges dismissed; 5 years probation in lieu
Litigation:6 wrongful death lawsuits pursued against building owners
Awards:2 plaintiffs accepted $166,667 each in out of court settlements
4 plaintiffs accepted $250,000 each in out of court settlements

The Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse Co. fire began on December 3, 1999, in a 93-year-old abandoned building at 266 Franklin Street, Worcester, Massachusetts.[1] The fire was started accidentally some time between 4:30–5:45pm by two homeless people (Thomas Levesque and Julie Ann Barnes) who were squatting in the building and had knocked over a candle.[2] [3] They left the scene without reporting the fire.[4] The 6-story building, previously used as a meat cold storage facility, had no windows above the ground floor and no fire detection or suppression systems.[2] [5] The fire, which started on the second story, burned undetected for 30–90 minutes.[6]

The structure was five blocks east of the Worcester central business district, near Union Station and adjacent to Interstate 290. An off-duty police officer called in the fire at 6:13pm after noticing grey/white smoke coming from the roof of the building.[2] At around the same time an off-duty firefighter from neighboring Auburn passed the building on I-290 and radioed his Fire Control to report smoke coming from the roof. He told them to inform the Fire Chief "this is going to be a multiple-alarm fire."[2]

Firefighters were unfamiliar with the layout of the building, and most of the floors inside — each up to 15000square feet — were divided into a labyrinth of connecting meat lockers. The walls and many ceilings were covered with insulating layers of cork, tar, expanded polystyrene foam, and spray-applicated polyurethane foam.[7] There were no fire walls or fire doors, and only a single staircase extended from the basement to the roof.

The owner of a neighboring business informed a police officer at the scene that a homeless couple had been squatting in the building and firefighters initiated a search, believing they could still be trapped inside.[8] Conditions inside the building deteriorated rapidly. Worcester Fire Department District Chief Michael McNamee said: "There was a light smoke condition in the upper levels of the building to the point we didn't even have our face pieces on. Within four seconds it went from that condition to the building being filled completely with black, hot, boiling smoke."[9] The layout of the building and the absence of windows left firefighters without a secondary escape route and prevented ladder and rescue operations. Six firefighters were still unaccounted for in the building when the interior floors collapsed to the second story level.[2] They were the city's first firefighting deaths in 36 years.[5] [10]

Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse Co.

The Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse Co. building was constructed in 1906 and covered an entire city block on Franklin Street.[2] [11] The original structure measured 88x, and stood high.[2] The warehouse was built to store western dressed beef from cattle slaughtered in the stock yards of Chicago, which could be shipped east in refrigerated rail cars at a lower cost than shipping livestock.[12] The interior consisted of six storage levels and a basement. The warehouse was served by a rail siding to the rear, operated by the Boston and Albany Railroad.[2]

To insulate the building, it was constructed with 18adj=midNaNadj=mid brick walls and had no windows above the first floor, except in the stairwell. The interior walls were covered with layers of cork impregnated with tar, polystyrene foam and polyurethane to improve insulation. The insulating layers were up to 18inches thick.[6] Two elevator shafts ran alongside the stairwell. The first and second story floors were constructed of concrete, and those above were constructed of timber. In 1912, the building was extended on the west side. The extension almost doubled the floor space and included two further elevators serving all levels, a second stairwell which terminated at the 3rd floor, and some windows in an office space on the north-east corner of the 2nd floor.[2]

Between 1906 and 1983, the building was owned by the Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse Co. In 1983, it was sold to Chicago Dressed Beef. It was purchased by CDB Realty Trust, controlled by Ding On "Tony" Kwan and his wife Shu May Kwan, in 1987.[13] The building was abandoned by 1989 and remained vacant until its destruction, though Kwan had proposed several re-use cases for the property.[14] During this period, it was frequently used by homeless persons, who built fires inside for warmth.[15] [16]

Fire

Reports that homeless people were possibly inside the engulfed warehouse caused fire-rescue personnel to search the six-story building. The searchers' task was made extremely difficult by the large size of the building's interior, the layout, which was a maze of corridors and meat lockers, many with identical flush-handle doors, and the highly flammable composition of its insulation.[4] Nearly a century old, the interior walls had been progressively covered with various forms of insulating materials, including cork impregnated with tar, polystyrene foam, and polyurethane foam, to a thickness of 18 inches. Once ignited, the large amount of fuel, fed initially by the large volume of air in the building, became virtually inextinguishable.

The six-story building's exterior walls were constructed of approximately 18 inches of brick and mortar, with no windows above the second floor.[4] The lack of windows prevented firefighting personnel from making an accurate assessment of the fire. Breaching the lower-floor doors, combined with venting the building by smashing an elevator-shaft roof skylight, effectively turned the building into a huge chimney. With the fire accelerating out of control, rescue teams facing near-zero visibility became lost and air cylinders depleted. After repeated radio calls for help, along with activation of audible location alarms, six firefighters perished in the blaze.[2] It took eight days to find and recover the remains of the six men.[4]

Timeline

TimeIncident
6:13PMThe first alarm is dispatched, fire alarm box 1438, Franklin and Arctic.
6:16 PMEngine 1 arrives on location reporting they have heavy smoke showing.
6:17 PMCar 3 requests the 2nd alarm be struck.
6:20 PMLadder 1 reports fire on the second floor, and has multiple -inch lines being put in service for the suppression efforts.
6:24 PMFire Alarm tells command that they have a report that a nearby business owner told a police officer that there "may be two people that live in that building."
6:32 PMCar 3 asks Rescue 1 if they have checked on the rumor of the two homeless people. Rescue 1 reports they have made a preliminary search, and haven't found anyone.
6:40 PMCar 2 requests the 3rd alarm be struck.
6:46 PMRescue 1 reports to command that they are lost on the fourth floor and they are running out of air.
6:47 PMRescue 1 calls Fire Alarm asking them to clear the air and stating that they have an emergency.
6:47 PMThe Fire Alarm dispatcher sounds the alert tones.
6:52 PMCar 2 requests the 4th alarm be struck and Chief Budd notified.
6:53 PMCar 3 directs Rescue 1 to activate their Personal Alert Safety Systems (PASS devices) to aid the other companies in locating them.
6:55 PM"They are activated," referring to the PASS devices. This is the last audible transmission from Rescue 1.
7:04 PMLadder 2/Portable 2 asks Portable 1 his location. Portable 1 replies, "Good question." They are now lost with Engine 3 on the fifth floor.
7:08 PMLadder 2 requests for the Chief to send a crew to the stairwell and yell, so they can find it. They also report they are running low on air.
7:15 PM"Ladder 2 to command: we're done..." This is the last transmission of the four man search team from Ladder 2/Engine 3.
7:26 PMCar 1 requests the 5th alarm be struck.
7:31 PMThe Millbury Fire Department comes on mutual aid to the scene. They bring a thermal imaging camera with them, to be used to assist in locating the missing firefighters.
7:53 PMCar 4 reports the thermal imager has stopped working.
7:58 PMCar 3 signals for all companies to evacuate the building.

Deaths

RankNameAgeHometownCompany
Firefighter41Auburn, MassachusettsRescue 1
Lieutenant*51Hopedale, MassachusettsLadder 2
Firefighter38Leicester, MassachusettsRescue 1
Lieutenant*34Worcester, MassachusettsEngine 3
Firefighter38Worcester, MassachusettsEngine 3
Lieutenant42Worcester, MassachusettsLadder 2

These are known as the "Worcester Six".[17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22]

Lyons and Jackson both received a posthumous promotion from Firefighter to Lieutenant.[23]

Criminal charges

Involuntary manslaughter charges against Levesque and Barnes were initially dismissed, reinstated on appeal, and finally dismissed in January 2010.[24] They received probation. Ding On "Tony" Kwan, the building's owner,[25] was not charged, but families of the deceased firefighters sued him for wrongful death for negligently failing to keep out squatters. The families received between $166,667 and $250,000 each from Kwan in out-of-court settlements.[26] [27]

Memorials

A memorial service and procession for the firefighters were held in Worcester's Centrum Centre on December 9, 1999. The service was broadcast on several national news networks and was attended by President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, Senator Ted Kennedy and Senator John Kerry (who flew non-stop from Burma, where he had been attending a diplomatic function).[28] Also in the procession were firefighters from around the United States, Canada, and from Dublin, Ireland.[29] [30] The Boston Stock Exchange suspended business at 11:00am during the memorial and observed a minute's silence while a bell was rung in tribute on the trading floor.[31]

City leaders planned to erect a memorial to the men in Institute Park, adjacent to the Worcester Fire Headquarters station on Grove Street.[32] The Franklin Street Fire Station, officially opened November 19, 2008,[33] sits on the land formerly occupied by the cold storage facility,[34] which was demolished immediately after the fire investigation. A memorial to the fallen firefighters, created by artist Brian P. Hanlon, is also located at this site.[33] Also, a banner hangs from the rafters in the DCU Center to commemorate the Worcester 6; it was raised by the Worcester Sharks AHL team on December 3, 2009.

On November 12, 2019, the then-new Triple-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Boston Red Sox, the Worcester Red Sox, announced they would preemptively retire uniform number 6 in honor of the six men who died. Additionally, the team sells jerseys featuring "Worcester 6" on the back, with portion of the proceeds going to a memorial care fund.[35]

Leary Firefighters Foundation

Actor and comedian Denis Leary's first cousin, Jerry Lucey, and his childhood friend and high school classmate, Lieutenant Tommy Spencer, were both victims of the fire. Leary established The Leary Firefighters Foundation in the spring of 2000. In October 2000, Leary held the first "Celebrity Hat Trick" fundraiser including a hockey game, a golf tournament and a dinner. The hockey game was played at Worcester Centrum between a "Hollywood" team, including Michael J. Fox, Kiefer Sutherland, Tim Robbins and Rick Moranis, and a Boston Bruins Alumni Team, coached by Bobby Orr and including Phil Esposito, Johnny Bucyk, Derek Sanderson and Cam Neely. The hockey game raised $350,000 and became an annual event. The proceeds went to Worcester and central Massachusetts fire departments to fund equipment, technology, and training, and to the families of firefighters who died or were injured in the line of duty.[36] [37]

Film adaptation

In July 2000, journalist Sean Flynn's article about the fire, "The Perfect Fire", was published in Esquire magazine.[38] Flynn's subsequent book, 3000 Degrees: The True Story of a Deadly Fire and The Men Who Fought It, was published in 2002.[39]

Warner Bros. planned to use the book as the basis for a movie, with a screenplay written by Scott Silver,[40] a Worcester native. Director Michael Mann was attached to the project, but left in February 2003, possibly as a result of the "slow-moving pre-production process."[41] In September 2003, Warner Bros. hired director Danny Boyle to shoot the project, provisionally titled Worcester Cold Storage.[42] [43] Filming was expected to begin in early 2004 with an autumn 2004 release date.[44]

Filming was scheduled to begin May 10, 2004, in Toronto, with Ed Harris and Woody Harrelson signed to star in the movie.[45] Firefighters across North America protested that it was insensitive to make a film about fallen firefighters while their children were still young, and Worcester Fire Fighters IAFF Local 1009 wrote to other firefighters asking them not to participate in the movie's production. This resulted in the production company being unable to procure agreements in the United States or Canada to allow the use of firefighter insignia, while Canadian firefighters refused to act as extras and fire departments in the Toronto metropolitan area refused to lease firetrucks to the company.[46] [47]

In late April 2004, Warner Bros. and Image Entertainment, the production company, issued a joint statement saying that the making of a film the size and scope of Worcester Cold Storage was "a complex process that needed the support of various groups and individuals, including firefighters. Due to circumstances beyond our control, we no longer have such support. We have therefore decided not to move ahead with this project at this time."[47] Frank Raffa, president of Local 1009, responded that firefighters "may one day drop their opposition" to the movie, "But we want to wait until the kids of our fallen comrades grow up."[46]

Ladder 49

The 2004 movie Ladder 49, directed by Jay Russell, told the story of a fictional Baltimore firefighter who is trapped inside a warehouse fire, and his recollection of the events that got him to that point. The film, starring Joaquin Phoenix and John Travolta, was based on the events of the Worcester fire. The Boston Herald wrote:

See also

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Fallen heroes – Firefighters' desperate final moments. Dave. Wedge. Doug. Hanchett. Jose. Martinez. The Boston Herald. Boston. December 5, 1999. 1.
  2. News: Abandoned Cold Storage Warehouse Multi- Firefighter Fatality Fire. U.S. Fire Administration/Technical Report Series. December 1999.
  3. News: SJC to hear case of pair blamed in Worcester fire. The Boston Herald. December 12, 2001. Hanchett. Doug. https://web.archive.org/web/20140611110937/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-80753909.html. dead. June 11, 2014. April 2, 2014.
  4. News: The Perfect Fire. July 3, 2012. Esquire. July 1, 2000. Sean. Flynn.
  5. News: Blaze kills 2 Worcester firefighters; 4 others feared dead. The Boston Herald. December 4, 1999. Crittenden. Jules. Martinez. Jose. https://web.archive.org/web/20140611110940/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-58486364.html. dead. June 11, 2014. April 2, 2014 .
  6. News: Worcester fights pain to honor spirit of sacrifice. The Boston Herald. Boston. December 3, 2000. Farmer. Tom. https://web.archive.org/web/20150924162158/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-67532432.html. dead. September 24, 2015. April 2, 2014.
  7. News: 6 Massachusetts Firefighters Honored; 30,000 Mourners Led by Clinton Pay Tribute to Men Killed in Fire. The Washington Post. December 10, 1999. Pamela. Ferdinand. https://web.archive.org/web/20140611110953/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-621859.html. dead. June 11, 2014. April 2, 2014.
  8. News: Fatal inferno made time 'stand still in Worcester'. The Boston Herald. Boston. December 12, 1999. Wedge. Dave. https://web.archive.org/web/20140611111008/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-58165722.html. dead. June 11, 2014. April 2, 2014 .
  9. News: Chief recalls deadly night; Building became dark, boiling oven. Tom. Farmer. J.M.. Lawrence. The Boston Herald. December 7, 1999. 5.
  10. News: 2 firefighters dead, 4 missing: Six are trapped in Worcester warehouse fire. The Boston Globe. December 4, 1999. Mac. Daniel. Francie. Latour. https://web.archive.org/web/20140611103842/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8576682.html. dead. June 11, 2014. March 30, 2014 .
  11. News: Workers Start Tearing Down Burned-out Warehouse in Worester Tragedy that Hit Their City. The Boston Globe. December 13, 1999. https://web.archive.org/web/20140611111319/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8567717.html. dead. June 11, 2014. April 4, 2014 .
  12. The Refrigerator Car and the Growth of the American Dressed Beef Industry. Mary Yeager. Kujovich. The Business History Review. 44. 4. Winter 1970. 460–482 . 10.2307/3112669. 3112669. 155364210 .
  13. News: Firefighters widows sue warehouse owners. The Boston Herald. Boston. May 26, 2000. Hanchett. Doug. Lawrence. J. M.. https://web.archive.org/web/20140611112939/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-62332047.html. dead. June 11, 2014. April 3, 2014 .
  14. News: Warehouse was part of family meat-packing complex. Lilyestrom. Betty. 4 December 1999. Worcester Telegram. 4 December 2019.
  15. News: Firefighters feared dead in Massachusetts blaze: Six were trapped in burning building. Charleston Daily Mail. Charleston. December 4, 1999. https://web.archive.org/web/20140611112936/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-18928261.html. dead. June 11, 2014. April 4, 2014 .
  16. News: Warehouse Tentatively Eyed as Part of Proposed Bioscience Park . The Boston Globe. December 5, 1999. Meg. Vaillancourt. https://web.archive.org/web/20140611113002/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8568688.html. dead. June 11, 2014. April 4, 2014 .
  17. https://patch.com/massachusetts/worcester/remembering-worcester-six-cold-storage-fire Mercado S. Remembering The Worcester Six And The Cold Storage FireLocal and national leaders take to social media to remember the Worcester Patch.com: Six. Police & Fire. Dec 3, 2018 4:20 pm ET | Updated Dec 3, 2018 4:22 pm ET
  18. https://www.bostonherald.com/2018/12/09/worcester-warehouse-fire-widow-laments-latest-firefighter-death/ Sutherland B. Worcester warehouse fire widow laments latest firefighter death. Boston Herald: News. December 9, 2018 at 10:14 pm | UPDATED: December 10, 2018 at 4:50 am
  19. https://www.masslive.com/news/worcester/2018/12/worcester_cold_storage_and_war.html Hanson M. Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse Co. fire, which claimed lives of 6 firefighters, remembered 19 years later. MassLive.com: Worcester. Posted Dec 4, 2018
  20. https://www.firehouse.com/historical-incidents/news/10470556/a-fitting-tribute-to-the-worcester-six Ballam E. A Fitting Tribute to the Worcester Six: Like thunder rolling through a valley, the heavy beat of the pipe and drum brigade reverberated off buildings in downtown Worcester, advancing to the site. December 4, 2009
  21. https://www.boston25news.com/news/legacy-of-the-worcester-6-firefighters-lives-on-18-years-after-the-deadly-fire/657998920 Rodriguez E. Legacy of the Worcester 6 firefighters lives on 18 years after the deadly fire. Boston25.com. Updated: Dec 9, 2018 – 11:05 am
  22. https://abcnews.go.com/US/massachusetts-firefighter-dies-battling-huge-blaze/story?id=59711602 Gilman A. Worcester firefighter dies while battling huge blaze, the latest in a string of firefighter deaths in city. December 9, 2018.
  23. News: Worcester firefighters among Medal of Honor recipients. The Boston Herald. Boston. October 29, 2000. Martinez. Jose. https://web.archive.org/web/20140611111017/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-66424179.html. dead. June 11, 2014. April 2, 2014 .
  24. News: January 22, 2010. Charges dismissed in tragic blaze. Gary V.. Murray. Telegram & Gazette. Worcester. March 30, 2014.
  25. News: Owner of warehouse offers condolences . . B4 . December 6, 1999 . Thomas . Grillo . newspapers.com.
  26. News: Still Mourned in Worcester: 6 firefighters a presence at station . . December 3, 2009 . A1 . Sarah . Schweitzer . Jenna . Russell . newspapers.com.
  27. News: Decade later, a city mourns 6 who fell (cont'd) . . December 3, 2009 . A18 . Sarah . Schweitzer . Jenna . Russell . newspapers.com.
  28. News: Words are not enough. Paul. Jarvey. Telegram & Gazette. Worcester. December 9, 1999. https://web.archive.org/web/20030405120419/http://www.telegram.com/static/fire/procession.html. April 5, 2003.
  29. News: From president to residents, 25,000 expected at tribute. December 8, 1999. Telegram & Gazette. Worcester. Emilie. Astell. Shaun. Sutner. https://web.archive.org/web/20070730215650/http://www.telegram.com/static/fire/protocol.html. July 30, 2007.
  30. News: 'My Own Brother Passed Away'. The Boston Globe. December 10, 1999. https://web.archive.org/web/20140611110933/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8578513.html. dead. June 11, 2014. April 1, 2014 .
  31. News: Thousands to pay tribute to fallen heroes; Service honors sacrifice of brave 'jakes'. The Boston Herald. Boston. December 9, 1999. Lawrence. J.M.. https://web.archive.org/web/20140611111236/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-58138017.html. dead. June 11, 2014. April 1, 2014 .
  32. Web site: The Memorial. fallen-heroes.org. https://web.archive.org/web/20121222013121/http://www.fallen-heroes.org/Memorial/. December 22, 2012.
  33. Web site: Fireman's Memorial: Worcester Cold Storage Tragedy. City of Worcester, Massachusetts. https://web.archive.org/web/20140104120748/http://www.worcesterma.gov/fire/firemans-memorial. January 4, 2014.
  34. News: Worcester Opens Fire Station At Deadly Fire Site. November 19, 2008. WBZ-TV. https://web.archive.org/web/20090323192707/http://wbztv.com/local/worcester/new.worcester.fire.2.868308.html. March 23, 2009.
  35. Web site: 'We can't forget': Worcester Red Sox retire No. 6, will reserve seats to honor memory of city's fallen firefighters. Bonner. Michael. 2019-11-13. masslive. en. 2019-11-15.
  36. News: Leary's 'Trick' no joke. The Boston Herald. Boston. September 1, 2000. Conroy. Steve. https://web.archive.org/web/20140611112838/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-64915424.html. dead. June 11, 2014. April 4, 2014 .
  37. News: Stars Come Out for Fire Fighters . The Boston Globe. September 17, 2000. Martin. Pave. https://web.archive.org/web/20140611112840/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8608339.html. dead. June 11, 2014. April 4, 2014 .
  38. The Perfect Fire . Sean . Flynn . . July 2000 . October 25, 2021 . esquire.com.
  39. Book: Flynn, Sean . 3000 Degrees: The True Story of a Deadly Fire and the Men Who Fought It . 2002 . Warner Books . 978-0446528313 .
  40. News: Stars sign for firefighting story . . . W19 . March 26, 2004 . October 25, 2021 . newspaper.com.
  41. News: 'Perfect Fire' burns without director. Daily Variety. February 24, 2003. Harris. Dana. https://web.archive.org/web/20150709203957/http://business.highbeam.com/3860/article-1G1-98542156/perfect-fire-burns-without-director. dead. July 9, 2015. March 31, 2014 . Los Angeles.
  42. News: Hollywood news: Danny's on the boil. Daily Mirror. London. September 26, 2003. 16.
  43. News: Prime time: Sir Hopkins is homeward bound. The Belfast News Letter. Belfast. September 20, 2003. 35.
  44. News: Danny's Fired Up . Daily Mirror. London. September 17, 2003. 16.
  45. News: Hot Film . . 8B . March 28, 2004 . October 25, 2021 . newspapers.com.
  46. News: Warehouse fire movie canceled: Firefighter union opposed project. Bronislaus B.. Kush. Telegram and Gazette. Worcester. April 7, 2004. March 31, 2014.
  47. News: 'Degrees' flames out amid protests . Borys . Kit . The Index-Journal . . S6 . April 28, 2004 . October 25, 2021 . newspapers.com.