PORT NEWARK BLAZE

Photos: City of Newark
Newark firefighters Augusto Acabou, 45, and Wayne Brooks, Jr., 49, died in a 2-alarm fire aboard a cargo ship at Port Newark on July 5, 2023. The maritime blaze burned for days. The Italian-flagged Grande Costa d’Avorio carried autos. It was a complex incident. Newark Fire Chief Rufus Jackson said of his firefighters: "Though this is a difficult fire, a different type of fire, they're still willing to put themselves on the line for others." 

HOBOKEN - 1930s

Fire struck the Windsor Wax Co. at 611 Newark Ave. in Hoboken in the 1930s. The building survived the blaze. 

FLYING FELINE - 1941

Photo: Paterson News via Paterson Fire History
Frisky feline acrobatics - an amazing news photography - at 51 Fair Street in Paterson, New Jersey, on Dec. 6, 1941. As firefighters attempted to rescue her, a grey cat belonging to Mrs. Fanny Levinson survived a daredevil dive unscathed after more than a day meowing perched atop a 40-foot wash-line pole. Once home, Mrs. Levinson fed the frightened flying cat a bowl of milk.

PARK THEATRE - 1974

Fire destroyed the Park Theatre in Caldwell, New Jersey, in 1974. The theater was constructed in the 1920s.

ATLANTIC COAST FIBERS - 2021

On Jan. 29-30, 2021, an 11-alarm fire - accompanied by an explosion - ripped through the Atlantic Coast Fibers recycling plant on 7th Street in Passaic. The business employed 70 people. "Firefighters realized that we could not make any headway, and the fire was getting up and over us into the roof. We had to back out," Passaic Fire Chief Patrick Trentacost told CBS. The site covered five acres.

CLIFFSIDE DYE - 1980

 

Photo: Paterson Retired Firefighters

A general alarm gutted the vacant Cliffside Dye Works at 99 Cliff St. in Paterson on April 8, 1980 - the fourth suspicious blaze in a year.

The 90-year-old mill was engulfed when firefighters arrived - and its walls partially collapsed as the flames raged.

"You just pour water on it," Deputy Fire Chief Solomon Reines told the Paterson News. "There is nothing to save."   

Paterson was known as the "Silk City" for its bustling textile industry during the late 19th Century and early 20th Century.

However, textile firms went bust and empty mills went up in flames when the industry moved to the U.S. south, where wages were lower, and then offshore.

Box 123 as transmitted at 9:35 a.m. - and "it couldn't possibly get going like that unless it had some help," Fire Chief Harold Kane said.

5 ALARMS IN NEWARK

On July 7, 1951, the first five-alarm fire in the history of the Newark Fire Department struck the Warren Maritime Petroleum Corporation at Port Newark. "The fire involved exploding LPG tanks which flew hundreds of feet in the air," according to the Newark Fire Department's website.

LINDEN - 1970

"On December 5, 1970, a very unusual fire occurred at the Exxon Refinery in Linden. A giant explosion, followed by ignition of several storage tanks, caused structural damage to homes as far as 7 miles from the site. The incident was followed by the almost instantaneous looting of stores whose windows had been blown away. Miraculously, no one was seriously injured." - Elizabeth Fire Department website

WYCKOFF - 1935

On Nov. 24, 1935, fire struck the Christian Sanitorium in Wyckoff. Two patients died in the blaze that destroyed one of the sanitorium's five buildings. Paterson, Hawthorne, Midland Park and Franklin Lakes provided mutual aid. Nurses saved many patients. The victims were identified as Barbara Sinke, 47, of Prospect Park, and Mary Duke, 77, of Bayonne, according to an Associated Press story in the St. Petersburg Times in Florida.

DEAR OLD DAD - 1956

By Vinny Del Giudice
Paterson Fire Journal

While doing research, your Fire Journal editor stumbled upon an article in the Paterson Morning Call mentioning his father, also named Vincent Del Giudice, during his time as a Paterson General Hospital ambulance surgeon.

Dr. Del Giudice, then 34, treated seven Paterson firefighters at a two-alarm fire at the Elbow Building at Main and Market streets on Feb. 9, 1956. The article also mentioned his sidekick, ambulance driver Barney Ritchie.

The grainy photo below shows Barney (to far right with his trademark cap) administering oxygen to the firefighters:

Your editor was unable to locate a photo of his "Old Man" at the fire.

My father was a resident physician at the time and ambulance duty was a rite of passage - and he didn't like it, especially after serving as a medic in World War Two. He was at Normandy, Iwo Jima and Okinawa aboard a U.S. Coast Guard troop transport. 

The residents wore white tunics, white trousers and white shoes, not necessarily the best attire for attending a fire. Then again, they did travel in style as ambulances of that era were often Cadillacs, at least in North Jersey.

As for the blaze itself, the first alarm was transmitted for Box 472 at 6:05 p.m. for Engines 1, 4 and 5 and Truck 2. The second alarm was stuck at 6:28 p.m. bringing Engines 6 and 9 and Truck 3 to the scene.

I image the Paterson General Hospital ambulance with my father and Barney rolled on the second alarm - at dinner time.

TRIO OF 3-ALARMERS

Paterson was the scene of three simultaneous three-alarm fires on Jan. 26, 1926. At 12:25 a.m., Box 472 at Main and Market Streets, two commercial buildings. At 12:35 a.m., Box 514 at Market and Cross streets, a tenement. At 1 a.m. at Box 23 River and Warren streets, a feed and grain store and other wooden buildings. Haledon, Prospect Park, Passaic and Clifton sent assistance,  the Paterson Guardian newspaper said.

PERTH AMBOY - 1921

 

On June 15, 1921, a Perth Amboy fire engine racing to a blaze at a junk shop collided with an express train at the Market Street crossing of the Central Railway of New Jersey, killing nine volunteer firefighters.

It's believed to be the largest loss of fire service personnel in 20th Century New Jersey.

Seven of the men aboard Engine Company 4 died instantly, including the driver. The crossing gates were open and witnesses said the train was traveling faster than usual. The New York Times said the locomotive was "flying."

The flagman said there wasn't enough time to close the gates and he tried to stop traffic waving a red flag.

The magazine Fire and Water Engineering said the fire engine "recoiled" and "spun" after slamming into the second car on the train. The victims were dragged as far as 100 feet down the track. The train also came close to nicking an auto at the crossing.

The fire at the junk shop of H. Rudderman on South Second Street was inconsequential. 

OLD CENTRAL

Paterson's central fire station, 115 Van Houten St., opened March 19, 1912 as quarters of Engine Co. 1 and Engine Co. 5. Later that year, Truck Co. 2 moved in. In 1982, it was replaced by the Madison Avenue station, on former site of Paterson General Hospital.

CLOSE CALL - 1958

 

Photo: Paterson Retired Firefighters

In 1958, a backdraft at two-alarm fire at 144 East Main St., Paterson, injured Deputy Chief Daniel J. Carroll, Firefighter Daniel Elkovich and Firefighter Nicholas Ricciardi.

HACKENSACK FIRE PATROL 1876-1921

By Hackensack Fire Department

Hackensack Fire Patrol No. 1 was organized for the protection of property taken from burning buildings. 

The members were appointed deputy sheriffs and put into service on July 4, 1876 with 10 men to preserve order during the centennial parade and fireworks show.

On March 14, 1879, the state legislature passed an act defining the duties of the patrol and specifying that the company should have 20 men.  

In May 1887, the Hackensack Improvement Commission granted the application of the Fire Patrol for an improved equipment, and in August 1887 a new wagon equipped with canvas covers, stretchers, ropes, lanterns, etc. was delivered to the Company and housed in the quarters of Relief H & L Co. 2., where it was organized.

In February 1893, the wagon was moved to the firehouse on Mercer Street.

In 1896, they had 17 members.

In 1921, the patrol was reorganized as a fire department salvage unit.

KIRKER CHEMICAL - 1985

Photo: Paterson News
Firefighter Rich Nocholas told The New York Times he saw "a big fire ball - it was sailing through the roof "of the Kirker Chemical Company in Paterson on Oct. 8, 1985. The three-alarm blaze forced the evacuations of 200 residents. Three workers escaped from the burning plant that produced nail polish and auto paint. Paterson firefighters used foam and water to contain the flames, the Times said.    

PASSAIC BURNING - 2022

Call it a signature North Jersey factory fire.

On Jan. 14-15, 2002, an 11-alarm blaze burned through the night at Majestic Industries and the Qualco chemical plant in Passaic, engulfing adjacent buildings.

"There have been bad fires before, but this is the worst I’ve ever seen,” Passaic Mayor Hector Lora said. In 1985, Passaic's Labor Day fire gutted dozens on structures and took the fire of a Secaucus firefighter who suffered a heart attack.

A flammable combination of plastics, wooden pallets and chlorine were stored in the building bordering the Passaic River where the latest fire started, Passaic Fire Chief Patrick Trentacost told reporters.

On Jan. 30, 2019, a fire of similar magnitude leveled the famed Marcal Paper Company in Elmwood Park.

PATERSON TRAIN DISASTER - 1899

On Nov. 29, 1899, Paterson firefighters wielding axes and saws worked with police to free passengers from wreck of the Buffalo Express at the Van Winkle Street rail crossing. A train bound for Hoboken sped through a signal and crashed into the express as it waited near the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad station - killing six people and injuring 21 others, according to The New York Times.

FRANKLIN LAKES - 2019

Photo: ABC7

An arson fire leveled the Most Blessed Sacrament Church in Franklin Lakes on Dec. 12, 2019.

James Mayers, 27, was found not guilty by reason of insanity, committed to Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital and ordered to remain under court supervision until December 2049, according to NorthJersey.com.

At a 2020 court hearing, psychiatrist Steven Simring characterized Mayers as "religiously preoccupied" and hoping to reach "religious purity" by setting a blaze.

LAKE DENMARK - 1926

On July 10, 1926, a lightning bolt set off a blast at the Lake Denmark Naval Ammunition Storage Depot in Rockaway Township. The disaster killed 21 people and destroyed almost 200 buildings.

WONDER DOG

Photo: Gong Club Inc. Facebook, Collection of Jimmy Carey

Ralph the Wonder Dog, mascot of Jersey City's Engine 6, posing in 1975

FAIRYLAND FIRE, PATERSON - 1955

Photo: patersonfirehistory.com

On Jan. 15, 1955, a fairyland display in a Paterson home went up in flames during a fund-raising party, claiming the life of its sponsor, Emma Ench.   

The 1,200 square-foot display featured 500 characters from nursery rhymes and story books, according to The Morning Call newspaper.

It was built to raise funds for the Damon Runyon Cancer Fund in memory of Ench's  mother, who died of cancer.

Hundreds of people had visited the display, called the "Land of Let's Believe," over the holidays.

The blaze was apparently sparked by a marshmallow that fell onto the display erected in the basement of the home.

Ench suffered burns trying to extinguish the flames with a pitcher of water.

Firefighter Reginald Ripley pulled her from the first floor "and almost dropped from the intense heat and smoke," the newspaper said.

Twenty-five men, women and children escaped up a stairway with six suffering injuries.

Box 347 was transmitted for 95 Totowa Ave. at 6:42 p.m. 

NEWARK - 1978

On May 26, 1978, three major fires struck Newark - including a pair of four alarmers. "The first leveled 16 wood frame tenements at Avon Avenue and Ridgewood (and) a scant six hours later, fire destroyed nine buildings at Mt. Prospect and 6th Avenue," the Newark Fire Department website said. "As the fire on Mt. Prospect Avenue was being fought a two-alarm blaze broke out in three buildings at High and Crane streets."

PATERSON PROJECTS - 1980

Photo: Collection of Bruno Wendt

Ladder up! Paterson firefighters knocked down an apartment blaze with a ladder pipe at the Christopher Columbus Projects in February 1980. The projects - nicknamed CCP - included four 16-story towers, which have since been demolished.

3 ALARMS, PATERSON - 1953

Photo: Paterson Retired Firefighters Facebook

On Sept. 3, 1953, fire crews contended with a three-alarm blaze at 80 Pennington Street, Paterson, N.J. Box 156 was transmitted at 8:05 p.m. Photograph from Vince Marchese collection.

469-471 BROADWAY - 1981

Photo: Collection of Bruno Wendt

On Feb. 15, 1981, a four-alarm fire struck a row of frame buildings at Broadway and Madison Avenue in Paterson, sending a man diving out a third-floor apartment window. The jumper, identified as James Lawson, was admitted to the intensive care unit at St. Joseph's Hospital, according to the Paterson News. Lawson said someone stole his wallet after he landed. Box 265 was transmitted for 469-471 Broadway at 6:40 a.m.

PARK AVENUE ARSON - 1981

Photo: Paterson Retired Firefighters Facebook

By Vinny Del Giudice
Paterson Fire Journal

On Oct. 15, 1981, a spurned suitor set a 4-alarm arson fire that raced through a four-story tenement at 87-89 Park Avenue in Paterson, killing eight people and injuring two dozen others.

"Families in an adjacent building were forced to flee when flames jumped across a small alley," The New York Times reported.

Box 11 was transmitted shortly before 3 a.m. and firefighters, back in quarters from an earlier third-alarm blaze, responded to a chaotic scene.

Gasoline was poured throughout the tenement, blocking exits.

Fire Engineering magazine said:

"First-arriving companies encountered a mass of flame over the entire facade of the building, engulfing both fire escapes and the central stairway. The tenants, most of whom were asleep at the time, were trapped on all four floors.

"Six people who had jumped from upper windows were lying on the ground outside. People were standing at numerous windows and were dropping children into the arms of fire fighters and civilians assisting at the scene.

"To complicate the situation, the fire jumped a 6-foot alley and spread to a fully occupied similar building of four stories.

"First-in companies set up master streams to knock down the flames over the outside fire escapes. This action enabled truck companies to ladder the front of the building and rescue at least a dozen persons."

Firefighter Elliot McGuire rescued members of a family trapped by the thick smoke and flames, according to United Press International.

"The guy was fantastic," Fire Chief Harold Kane said.

McGuire raced up and down a ladder, removing a 10-year-old boy, a woman and a man from a third-floor window. He then "groped in the dark" and found an unconscious 9-year-old boy in a rear bedroom, UPI reported.

Firefighters recovered the bodies of Edwin Perez, 34, his wife Irene, 38, and their children, Alejandro, 5, Carmen, 10, and Edwin Ramon, 11. Luis Alberto Perez, 23, a relative, was also found dead.

The other fatalities were identified as Gloria Hendley, 26, and Ramon Diaz, 56.

Twenty-four people were injured, including three firefighters.

Leonides Garcia, 37, was convicted of setting the blaze, Fire Engineering reported. Police said Garcia had been "making passes" at a tenant for several months and she wanted none of it, according to UPI. 

CHRISTIAN SANITORIUM - 1935

On Nov. 24, 1935, fire struck the Christian Sanitorium in Wyckoff. Two patients died in the blaze that destroyed one of the sanitorium's five buildings. Paterson, Hawthorne, Midland Park and Franklin Lakes provided mutual aid. Nurses saved many patients. The victims were identified as Barbara Sinke, 47, of Prospect Park, and Mary Duke, 77, of Bayonne, according to an Associated Press story in the St. Petersburg Times in Florida.

NORTH BERGEN - 1956

Apartment building and TV tower 

On Nov. 8, 1956,  a twin-engine aircraft flying in rain and fog clipped a giant television tower in North Bergen and crashed into an apartment building, spewing flaming fuel and scattering parts over several city blocks.

Four people died and 15 others - including a dozen firefighters - were injured, according to the Associated Press. 

The pilot and passenger of the plane flying from Indianapolis to New York City were among the fatalities as was a woman who  "jumped five stories to the street in panic as the building burst into flames," AP said.

"The impact of the crash shattered a part of the southwest wall of the multiple dwelling and the main portion of the plane was imbedded in the top floor," the magazine Fire Engineering reported. "Ruptured fuel tanks sprayed gasoline over the entire south wall starting a fire that involved that face of the building.

"In addition fire involved the entire top floor and the cockloft," the magazine said.

An aircraft engine hit a garage at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel School, where more than 200 children were in attendance, AP reported.  Witness Dorothy Mounet said landing gear "bounced like a basketball behind a moving car."

Fearing the steel latticed 810-foot television tower would collapse, officials evacuated hundreds of homes. Workers secured the tower, which residents - rightfully - considered a hazard. It was eventually removed.

Engine 1, Engine 4, Truck 1 and the emergency squad responded on the first alarm at Box 415 at 77th and Broadway. Upon arrival, Acting Deputy Chief Theodore Fletcher ordered a general alarm, including mutual aid from neighboring cities to fight the fire and fill in North Bergen's fire stations.

Fire Engineering said:

"The fire from the sprayed gasoline had ignited the wooden window casings of the building and the first fire fighting efforts were devoted to preventing the spread of the blaze from this fuel.

"Two deck pipes were used to wash the side of the apartment house and quickly stopped the fire on the exterior. It was later determined that the only places the fire had entered the building from this source was through windows broken by the intense heat. Spray from the deck pipe streams was sufficient to put out these interior fires.

"When the outside wall fire had been extinguished, all efforts were directed at the fire on the top floor and in the cockloft.

"Two 2 1/2 -inch hand lines had been stretched to the top floor by way of the fire escape and a third 2 1/2-inch line was taken to the top floor over an aerial ladder. The 2 1/2-inch hand lines, the two deck pipes and two ladder pipe streams were used to control the remaining fire."

Total Response

North Bergen: 4 engines, 1 ladder, 1 emergency squad
Guttenberg: 3 engines, 1 ladder, 1 ambulance
West New York:  2 engines, 1 ladder, 1 ambulance
Weehawken: 1 engine, 1 emergency truck, 1 ambulance
Ridgefield: 1 engine
Bogota: 1 Civil Defense rescue
Maywood: 1 Civil Defense rescue

BEN MARDEN'S - 1936

On Thanksgiving Day 1936, fire destroyed a North Jersey landmark - Ben Marden's Riviera in Fort Lee, the popular night club atop the Palisades.

Flames "spread so quickly that Fort Lee's four fire companies, reinforced by two from Englewood Cliffs, could do little" to save the wooden structure, the Associated Press reported.

Ammonia fumes from the refrigerating plant injured Fort Lee volunteer firefighter John Tierney.

The club was open earlier in the day - Nov. 26 - for its annual distribution of 500 Thanksgiving baskets to needy families.

HOLLAND TUNNEL - 1949

Photo: Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

Battalion Chief Gunther E. Beake

On Friday, May 13, 1949, a truck hauling 80 drums of a restricted chemical from Jersey City to Manhattan triggered a fire inside the Holland Tunnel that blistered the tiled interior of the Hudson River crossing.

The blaze started about 3,000 feet from the New Jersey portal.

"The fire was very difficult to extinguish due to thick smoke, heavy fumes and close quarters, requiring the assistance of both the New York and Jersey City fire departments," according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

The tunnel's ventilation system helped save the day.

"Firemen entered the eastbound tube from the New Jersey entrance and worked their way through two lanes of parked vehicles formed by more than 100 automobiles, buses and trucks," the port authority said.

The Holland Tunnel disaster injured more than 60 people and led to the death three months later of a New York City firefighter, Battalion Chief Gunther E. Beake, who was overcome by smoke and chemical fumes.

UNION CITY - 1934

Photo: Passionist Historical Archives Collection, McHugh Special Collections, The University of Scranton, Scranton, PA

Fire raged at St. Michael’s Monastery Church in Union City on May 31, 1934, leaving charred ruins.

A dozen people were hurt. A worker's torch apparently sparked the blaze.

"The entire interior of the 65-year-old structure was destroyed," The New York Times said. "The great copper dome crashed into the nave from a height of 200 feet.

"When the flames were brought under control, only the walls of the church and the stone part of the two façade towers were standing," the Times said.

PATERSON POOCH'S PALS - 1967

patersonfirehistory.com

May 7, 1967 - Paterson Fire Department - Engine 3

GASOLINE ALLEY, BAYONNE

Image: Wikipedia

BLEVE at Constable Hook - July 1900

December 1960

In the 20th Century, the North Jersey waterfront at Bayonne was a gasoline alley prone to fires and explosions aboard ships, at piers and tank farms.

In 1872, John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil set up shop at the city's Constable Hook and expanded over the decades, adding to catastrophic risk.

After a 1911 blast, Fire and Water magazine, predecessor to Fire Engineering, noted "explosions at Constable Point are of frequent occurance, although every known precaution is taken to prevent such a disaster."

In other words, industrial progress comes at a cost. 

In one of the deadliest accidents, two tankers collided and burst into flames under the Bayonne Bridge along the Kill Van Kull waterway on June 16, 1966, ultimately claiming 33 lives from the ships as well as two tugs.

One of the vessels, the Alva Cape carrying 4.2 million gallons of the volatile petroleum product, suffered a breach. The New York City fire boat Alfred E. Smith moved in close and smothered gushing "lava-like naptha" with foam, averting a greater disaster, New York Mayor John Lindsey said.

Here's a sampling of other incidents:

On July 5, 1900, lightning struck the Standard Oil tanks at Constable Hook with flames roaring to "a height of 100 feet in immense bubbles that burst with a noise like that of wind-drive surf,'' the Democrat and Chronicle of Rochester, New York, reported. Today, firefighters refer to such fiery bubbles as a BLEVE -  boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion. Workers dug trenches to contain spills threatening homes.

On Aug. 9, 1929, an explosion aboard the William Rockefeller moored at Standard Oil's Pier 6 took one life and spewed burning oil across Kill Van Kull toward Staten Island, according to the United Press. "Lines were placed aboard the William Rockefeller and it was towed into midstream, where fireboats poured water into it," UP reported.

On May 8, 1930, at Pier 1 of the Gulf Refining Co., a tanker backing into Kill Van Kull backfired after taking on 800 gallons of gasoline. Flames spread ashore, setting off a fiery chain reaction. "Drums of gasoline piled two high exploded and in some instances were hurled a hundred feet in the air," Fire Engineering said. Tugs and fire boats - including New York's John Purroy Mitchell, Zophar Mills and William J. Gaynor - joined land forces from the Bayonne Fire Department and plant brigades.

An estimated 316,000 pounds of foam powder was shipped to Bayonne to fight the 1930 inferno and replenish supplies.

In 1945, Fire Engineering reported fumes from a 100,000 oil tank at Standard Oil's Bayonne Terminal ignited, and the top of the tank caved in "scattering burning oil over a 100-foot area," injuring firefighters and plant workers. Bayonne firefighter James Farrell, 54, suffered third-degree burns to his neck and shoulders, the magazine said.

On Dec. 28, 1960, a liquid propane tank exploded at the Sun Gas Products Corp. at Constable Hook. Firefighters turned back flames that spread within 50 feet of a huge oil tank, according to the Associated Press. "Police evacuated everybody from within a five-block radius of the explosion scene and cordoned it off," AP reported.

GREEN VERSUS RED

Photo: usfirepolice.net

"It's not easy being green," Kermit the Frog once said.

Newark and other American cities fielded safety lime and safety yellow fire apparatus to improve visibility and cut down on traffic accidents.

Scientists had determined human eyes are "most sensitive to greenish-yellow colors under dim conditions, making lime shades easiest to see in low lighting," according to the American Psychological Association.

However, later scientific studies determined "recognizing the vehicle was more important than paint color" the APA said. "If people in a particular community don't associate the color lime with fire trucks, then yellow-green vehicles may not actually be as conspicuous."

The trend has since shifted back to red, just like Kermit the Frog's Sesame Street neighbor - Elmo.

WOODBRIDGE RAIL DISASTER - 1951

Photo: gendisasters.com

On Feb. 6, 1951, a commuter train derailed at a temporary wooden trestle in Woodbridge, New Jersey, killing 86 people in one of the deadliest rail accidents in U.S. history. 

An estimated 500 were injured.

And yes, that was a "wooden trestle" in "Woodbridge."

"Volunteer firemen of New Jersey spearheaded the rescue effort," Fire Engineering magazine reported in its April 1, 1951 edition.

"As the magnitude of the tragedy became known, police broadcasts brought more and more rescue companies and emergency squads rolling in with needed lighting, cutting, forcible entry and other equipment, and personnel trained in emergency first aid work," the magazine said.

The Associated Press reported:

"The 11-car Pennsylvania Railroad train, The Broker, swerved wildly and jumped the tracks as it sped onto the midtown overpass. The cars, jack-knifing crazily, hurtled down a 20-foot embankment.

"The new, temporary overpass had been put into service only a few hours before the crash."

 AP also reported:

"Ambulances hurried to the scene from all over North Jersey. Blood plasma was sent from New York and Jersey City.

"A morgue was set up in a garage. Blood-splattered rescue workers tenderly placed the dead in long rows, then pulled brown sheets of paper over their still forms. The feet of the dead sprawled limp, uncovered by the paper shrouds.

"Acetylene torches sputtered beneath the eerie rays of big spotlights, the torches biting first this way and then that around trapped passengers.

"Small ladders were laid against the slime of the embankment. And other big fire department ladders also were moved up to get at the coaches. The dead and injured, pulled free, were placed on the stretchers and handed down the ladders."

PERTH AMBOY ASPHALT PLANT - 1949

Photo: Fire Engineering

Perth Amboy volunteer firefighters Lawrence Dambach, 52, and Howard Adams, 35, died when an asphalt tank exploded at the California Refining Company on June 23, 1949. A plant worker also died.

Eight people - including two other firefighters - were injured.

The blaze burned unchecked for five hours.

"Black, greasy smoke rose hundreds of feet into the air" and "was visible as far away as Manhattan, 25 miles to the north," the Associated Press reported.

"The first explosion let go at 2 p.m., and fire spread rapidly to adjoining stills and storage tanks," the AP said. "Then a 10,000 gallon asphalt tank blew 50 feet into the air, spewing its blazing contents."

Citing Second Assistant Fire Chief Alex Pietraska of Perth Amboy, the magazine Fire Engineering reported:

"When firemen arrived at the plant it looked as though a bomb had dropped on it. Hair and eyebrows were singed as the men hooked up lines and advanced through slime and melted tar to reach what appeared to be the center of the fire.

"Adams and Dumbach were on a foam nozzle, about five feet ahead of Howard Adam's brother, Harry. The Chief was about, five or ten feet behind Harry and both were lighting up the line for the men at the pipe.

"The first two men got in between two tanks which were described as steaming, spitting and whistling and they trained their stream on the center of the fire. Suddenly there was a whine like the noise associated with the dropping of a bomb.

"Chief Pietraska yelled to the men to get back, as it looked as if a tank was going to blow. As the chief and men began to run, there came a terrific blast, which caught the two nearest men. Howard Adams and Dumbach were thrown into a three-foot deep pit filled with molten asphalt and burned to death."

Dambach was the father of four and Adams had a 6-year-old son, the AP said.

HUDSON RIVER TUBE - 1942

Photos: PM newspaper

On April 26, 1942, a Hudson River tube train derailed at the Exchange Place station in Jersey City, killing five people and injuring more than 200 others, the United Press said.  [Click on image for finer details]

HALFWAY HOUSE, PATERSON - 2019

Photo: Straight & Narrow website

Photo: Straight & Narrow website

On Aug. 24, 2019, a five-alarm fire destroyed Paterson's largest halfway house. 

The blaze at Straight and Narrow, 410 Straight St., displaced 200 people but there were no injuries despite the intensity of the flames.

The smoke plume was visible for miles.

A statement issued by Straight and Narrow said:

"A small isolated blaze quickly turned into a five-alarm fire, sending plumes of black smoke into the air.

"Thank you to our working Straight and Narrow employees, who, when the alarm sounded, acted diligently and professionally. Our service recipients evacuated quickly and calmly, and none of our employees or clients were hurt."

The statement also said:

"It is times like these that our community comes together and we have many people to thank. We would especially like to acknowledge: 

"Paterson's brave firefighters, police officers and all first responders for their quick action which prevented an even worse disaster.  Special thanks to Fire Chief Brian McDermott, Police Director Jerry Speziale, and Police Chief Troy Oswald.

"The additional fire departments who bravely assisted including Boonton, Parsipanny, Bloomfield, Pompton Lakes, Fairfield, Wanaque, Wyckoff and West Milford."

Six Alarms in June

Earlier in the summer, on June 25, a six-alarm fire destroyed a row of homes on Summer Street in Paterson, Channel 7 Eyewitness News reported. Firefighters suffered heat exhaustion. "It really is very stewy out here, and it's taken down our firefighters," Fire Chief Brian McDermott said.

FRANKLIN LAKES - 1950s

Photo: Franklin Lakes Fire Department
Franklin Lakes firefighters testing flame retardant gear in 1950s.

METZLER'S - 1960s

Photos: patersonfirehistory.com

Metzler Ambulance Service provided emergency aid and transport in the City of Paterson in the 1960s. The Paterson Fire Department assumed responsibility in 1970.

ANARCHIST BOMBINGS - 1919

Paterson and other major American cities were the target of anarchist bombings in the spring of 1919. The bombers were said to be followers of Luigi Galleani, who settled in Paterson from his native Italy. The anarchist movement was aimed at overthrowing the U.S. government and Paterson was a hive of activity.