Photo and diagram: Wikipedia
On July 9, 1937, fire engulfed the 20th Century Fox film storage facility in Little Ferry, New Jersey, resulting in the loss of most of the silent films produced by Fox Film Corporation before 1932.
On person died and two others were injured.
Investigators determined the fire was caused by the spontaneous combustion of nitrate film stored in inadequately ventilated vaults.
Firefighters from Little Ferry, Hawthorne, Ridgefield Park, River Edge and South Hackensack manned 14 hose steams, bringing the blaze under control in three hours, according to Wikipedia.
Four homes and a garage also sustained damage.
