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This Month in SFD History - 2010
Updated On: Nov 02, 2010

November 2010

100 Years Ago -

  • November 15, 1910- death of retired Ff Horace Dunklee.

75 Years Ago -

  • November 5,1935- four occupants including a child are treated for smoke inhalation at 33 Pearson Road. A cellar fire spread to the third floor.
  • November 7,1935- Ladder 2 rescues a male occupant from the second floor of 35 Pearl Street. Fire was confined to the first floor.
  • November 15,1935- Gasoline vapors ignite inside the shipping department of the Ford Motor Company on Middlesex Avenue. Eight sprinkler heads activate.
  • November 21,1935- Trygve Andersen, Edward Brady, George Invernizzi and Clarence Ronco are appointed.
  • November 26,1935- Edmund Wall is promoted to Lieutenant.
  • November 28,1935- Hector Doucet is promoted to Lieutenant.
  • November 29,1935- James Gillooley is promoted to Lieutenant.

50 Years Ago -

  • November 2,1960- Ff David Mahood retires.
  • November 23,1960- Two Alarms are sounded for a fully involved building at 406 Mystic Avenue occupied by the Reliable Broom Co.

25 Years Ago -

  • November 19,1985- Three Alarms are sounded for a fire at 184 Broadway. The fire involved the third and fourth floors of a four story dwelling.
  • November 28,1985- A Second Alarm at 445 Somerville Avenue claims the lives of a 57 year old male and a 44 year old female. They were pulled from their burning third floor apartment by firefighters but sadly succumbed to their injuries.

October 2010

100 Years Ago -

  • October 13, 1910- Fire heavily involves the 4th floor of 22 Arthur Street. (Arthur Street would be renamed MacArthur Street after WWII)
  • October 20, 1910- Ff Thomas Joy of Hose 3 retires at half-pay due to injury.
  • October 23, 1910- Ff Horace Dunklee of Hose 5 retires.
  • October 26, 1910- Fire heavily damages the third floor and roof of 26 Packard Avenue.

75 Years Ago -

  • October 20,1935- Two Alarms are sounded for the Flint Street Methodist Church located at 46 Flint Street. Fire in a gutter spread into the attic.
  • October 22, 1935- Two Alarms are sounded for a fire at 42 Middlesex Avenue occupied by the Joseph Cotter Company. A fire in a second floor office spread throughout the three story building. High winds helped spread the flames. Lt. Edward Murray along with Firefighters George Drew and Harold Hamel of Ladder Two searched a second floor office for a missing secretary only to later discover she had escaped the building.

50 Years Ago -

  • October 23, 1960-  Hector Doucet and Francis Reardon are promoted to Deputy Chief.

25 Years Ago -

  • October 20, 1985- John Memory and Mark Wall are promoted to Lieutenant and Stephen Keenan to Captain.
  • October 27,1985- Three Alarms are sounded for a fire at 42 Boston Street. A cellar fire spread to the attic. 

 

September 2010

100 Years Ago -

  • September 24, 1910- Andrew McNamara and William Smith are appointed.

50 Years Ago -

  • September 3, 1960- a three year old girl is fatally burned when her clothing ignites while playing with matches at 11 Linden Street.
  • September 19, 1960- Ff George Cunnigham retires.
  • September 24, 1960- Deputy Chief Charles Cruise retires.
  • September 25, 1960- Deputy Chief Louis Larkin retires.

25 Years Ago -

  • September 1, 1985- Ff Edward Healey retires.
  • September 4, 1985- Two Alarms are sounded for a fire at the 1st Congregational Church at 95 College Avenue. An arson fire heavily damages a lower level kitchen.
  • September 5, 1985- A Working Fire at 44 Concord Avenue results in burn injuries to a male occupant. The cellar fire spread to the first floor.
  • September 8, 1985- Ff Charles Morgan retires.
  • September 27, 1985- A Working Fire at 23 Cross Street damages the attic of the 2 1/2 story dwelling. An electric line fell into a gutter during high winds. Several firefighters received electrical shocks when the entire house became energized due to the high tension line.

 

August 2010

100 Years Ago  -

  • August 10, 1910- Two Alarms are sounded for a fire on the top floor of a four story factory building at the corner of Beacon Street and Sacramento Street. The former tannery was occupied by the Boston Coated Paper Company.

75 Years Ago -

  • August 18, 1935- Two Alarms are sounded for a fire at 283-289 Broadway. A cellar fire spread into several first floor stores. A father, mother and six children were rescued over ladders from a second floor apartment by firefighters.
  • August 19, 1935- sprinklers help control a fire involving a stockroom in the basement of the Parke Snow department store located at 1 Davis Square. $2000 in damages are the result.
  • August 21, 1935- Lt. Charles Davis retires.
  • August 29, 1935- two employees of the New England Dressed Meat and Wool Company are rescued unconcious from inside a drain in the companys yard located at Somerville Avenue and Medford Street. Firefighter Patrick Loan donned an air mask to enter the drain and remove the men. Inhalators were used by firefighters to revive the men who were rushed to the Central Hospital where they are expected to recover.

25 Years Ago -

  • August 13, 1985- Ladder Two is called to extricate a female from a vehicle on the on ramp to Route 93 by the Somerville Lumber. A steel rod in the roadway punctured the undercarriage of the passing vehicle and impaled the woman. The woman was rushed to MGH where a foot of metal rod was removed from her body.
  • Also on this date a Two Alarm fire destroys a 1 1/2 story house at 7 Linden Street.
  • August 27, 1985- Lt. Lawrence Bartlett retires

 

July 2010

125 Years Ago -

  • July 8, 1885- A large tank of boiling fat explodes at the North Packing plant on Medford Street. A small fire resulted and parts of the tank were thrown for some distance. Box 21 was sounded at 9:45 pm.

100 Years Ago -

  • July 18, 1910- Charles Hathaway, Robert Jesson and Charles Spike are promoted to Lieutenant.

75 Years Ago -

  • July 16, 1935- John V. Quinn is promoted to Lieutenant.
  • July 19, 1935- the tower of SFD Headquarters located at 265 Medford Street is struck by lightning. No fire resulted but several slate shingles were damaged.

50 Years Ago -

  • July 3, 1960- retired Ff John P. Connolly passes away.
  • July 19, 1960- Two Alarms are sounded for a fire at 1133 Broadway occupied by the Jumbo Lounge. Fire started in the rear of the first floor barroom and spread in walls and ceilings to the second floor and cockloft.

25 Years Ago -

  • July 14, 1985- Chief Engineer Charles Donovan retires.
  • July 15, 1985- A Working Fire at 14 Paulina Street is ignited by fireworks landing in a gutter and spreading into the attic.
  • July 16, 1985- an arson fire is confined to Room 102 on the first floor of Somerville High School.
  • July 23, 1985- Ff George LeGraw retires.
  • July 24, 1985- Three Alarms are sounded for a fully involved seventh floor apartment at the high rise elderly housing known as Weston Manor at 15 Weston Avenue.
  • July 29, 1985- fire in a second floor closet spreads throughout the upper floors of a 3 1/2 story rooming house at 49 Broadway. Three Alarms are sounded.

 

June 2010

100 Years Ago -

  • June 1, 1910- Captain Henry Turner of Hose 3 rescues a four year old boy from the second floor of 41 Adrian Street. A cellar fire resulted in heavy smoke throughout the house and the sleeping child was carried to safety by the Captain.
  • June 9, 1910- Arthur Mahood and John McCahey are appointed.
  • June 14, 1910- Frank Rametti is appointed to Lieutenant.

75 Years Ago -

  • June 22, 1935- death of retired Ff Joeph Emery of Ladder 3
  • June 27, 1935- An explosion of gasoline vapors in a tank truck at the American Oil Products Co. located at 100 Washington Street results in the death of a 32 year old male employee.

50 Years Ago -

  • June 30, 1960- A spark from a floor sanding machine ignites a fire in a first floor classroom of the Brown School at 201 Willow Avenue. The fire burnt through flooring into the basement.

25 Years Ago -

  • June 1, 1985- Two Alarms are sounded for a fire at 519 Medford Street. The one story building housing Pappy's Pizza was fully involved and spread along the roof line damaging Danny's barroom at 525 Medford St.
  • June 3, 1985- death of retired Ff Ralph Carli.
  • June 8, 1985- A welders spark ignites a large pile of construction material on the second floor of the Vocational High School under construction at 61 Highland Avenue.

 

 

May 2010

125 Years Ago -

  • May 1st, 1885 - George L. Blackbird is appointed to the SFD.
  • May 8th, 1885 - An explosion at the O'Neil Grease Rendering Co. on Linden Street results in the deaths of two male employees.  The 4000 gallon tank containing liquid grease blew out on the bottom resulting in severe scalding of both men.

100 Years Ago -

  • May 12th, 1910 - Lt. Danforth Steele of Engine 4 retires.
  • May 24th, 1910 - Two Alarms are sounded for the former West End Railway car barns on Dover Street near Davis Square.  The building was now occupied as stables and by a laundry company.  One horse was rescued.
  • May 26th, 1910 - Daniel Saunders is appointed to the SFD.

75 Years Ago -

  • May 13th, 1935 - The following entry was taken from Engine Six's company journal, "Engine 6 responded to Cambridge Box 79 @ 950pm.  Carlson reported to the main floor without his nighthitch.  Captain McMahon ordered him to go back to the bunkroom and put his nighthitch on and then report to the box on foot."
  • May 20th, 1935 - Firefighter Benjamin Marble retires.
  • May 26th, 1935 - Firefighter Arthur Melvin retires.

50 Years Ago -

  • May 8th, 1960 - Chief Engineer James O'Hara retires
  • May 10th, 1960 - Retired Firefighter Frederick W. Thumith dies.
  • May 20th, 1960 - A fire in a second floor bedroom of 7 Dickinson Street claims the life of a 75 year old occupant.
  • May 22nd, 1960 - A two alarm fire strikes the two story duplex at 55-57 Bonair Street
  • May 29th, 1960 - Frederick Carey, Peter Griffin, George Heffernan and James Hutchinson are appointed.

25 Years Ago -

  • May 13th, 1985 - Charles Breen Jr., William Cahill, Patrick Dorant, William Ellis, Thomas Gibson, Girard Gover, Francis Houlihan, James Keenan, Thomas Lopez, Robert MacLaughlan, Robert Mahoney, Vincent Mattera, John Mitchell, John Norton Jr.,  Stephen Ortolani, Leslie Rentel, Joseph Scullari, Charles Siciliano Jr., and Charles Smith are appointed.  Leslie Rentel became the first female firefighter to join the SFD.
  • May 18th, 1985 - Two Alarms are sounded for a fire at 63 Gorham Street at the M.W. Carr Company.  A fire on the exterior of the factory building spread into the first and second floors.
  • May 29th, 1985 - Firefighter William Roberts retires.

 

April 2010

125 Years Ago -

  • April 16, 1885 - Fire guts a stable at 92 Broadway killing one horse inside.

100 Years Ago -

  • April 14, 1910 - Firefighters Frank H. O'Leary and Frederick A. Schultz are appointed. Frank O'Leary was the grandfather of Deputy Chiefs Bob and John Gover and the great grandfather of Lt. Girard Gover.
  • April 27, 1910- A cellar fire at 37 Sawyer Avenue spreads in partitions to the first floor. A Tufts student attempting to save some of his professors furniture is overcome and rescued by fellow students.

50 Years Ago -

  • April 23, 1960- Mary G. Mahoney retires as SFD Secretary. She would later marry the Chief of Department becoming Mrs. James O'Hara.
  • April 24, 1960- Three Alarms are sounded for a fire at the Handy Card & Paper Co. located at 250-252 Pearl St. Fire fully involved a one story addition spreading into both floors of the main building and a railroad box car.
  • April 29, 1960- A fire involving the second floor front room of 73 Perkins Street results in the death of a 79 year old male occupant.

25 Years Ago -

  • April 17, 1985- A Second Alarm fire fully involves a vacant two story building at 517 Medford Street. Flames also spread to the adjacent Pappy's Pizza and to a dwelling at 482 Broadway.

 15 Years Ago -

  • April 13, 1995 - Retired Somerville Fire Lieutenant "Buddy" Ross passed away.

March 2010

125 Years Ago -

  • March 10, 1885 - Box 28 is sounded for a house fire at Beacon St. & Vine Street (later renamed Properzi Way). A baby was dropped to firefighters out a third floor window to a second floor porch where it was rescued. A cellar fire spread throughout the dwelling.

100 Years Ago -

  • March 11, 1910- Lt. Daniel Spike of Hose 2 and Lt. William Blaisdell of Hose 5 retire.
  • March 29, 1910- Two Alarms are sounded for a fully involved barn on the Carr Estate at 74 Craigie Street.
 75 Years Ago -
  • March 2, 1935- A cellar fire extends to the first floor of 66-68 Cameron Avenue. Firefighter Fred Kelson carries a male with a broken leg out of the first floor.
 50 Years Ago -
  • March 7, 1960 - Harriet Grasso is appointed as secretary of the Somerville Fire Department.
  • March 10, 1960- A male occupant is killed in a fire on the first floor of 22 Aberdeen Road.
  • March 15, 1960- Two Alarms are sounded for a cellar fire which spreads throughout the home at 136 lowell Street.
  • March 30, 1960 - retired Firefighter Andrew McNamara dies.
 25 Years Ago -
  • March 31, 1985- Two Alarms are sounded for a fire at 1328-1330 Broadway. A cellar fire spreads to the second floor of the three story building.

 

February 2010

100 Years Ago -

  • February 1, 1910- A two story dwelling is heavily damaged by fire @0300 hours at 52 Porter Street.
 75 Years Ago -
  • February 14, 1935 - Fire in a 1st floor kitchen at 16-18 Parkdale Street spreads throughout the dwelling. A female occupant is rescued by firefighters.
 50 Years Ago -
  • February 6, 1960 - A two year old girl dies in a house fire at 413-415 Norfolk Street. Six other occupants suffered burns and several jumped from second floor windows.
  • February 27, 1960 - Two Alarms are sounded for a cellar fire in an apartment building at 38 Day Street which spread to the second floor. Ladder 3 rescued three occupants over aerial ladder and many others were assisted out by firefighters. A male was arrested for arson.
  • February 28, 1960- Firefighter Patrick Reynolds of Ladder 2 retires. 
 25 Years Ago -
  • February 6, 1985 - Two Alarms are struck for a house fire at 7 College Hill Road. A cellar fire spread to the attic.
  • February 16, 1985 - Two Alarms are sounded for a fire at 30 Otis Street. Fire in a third floor stairway spread to the roof penthouse and cockloft.
  • February 23, 1985 - Four Alarms are sounded for a fire at 324-328 Somerville Avenue. Fire in a first floor bathroom of the New Asia restaurant spreads in walls to all floors.
 

 

January 2010

125 years ago -

  •  January 30th, 1885 - A fire on the second floor of 38 Rush Street spreads to the roof and results in damage of $500.

100 years ago -

  • January 1st, 1910 - Chief James R. Hopkins retires.  He had been Chief since 1872.
  • January 10th, 1910 - Box 241 placed in service at Calvin Street and Dimick Street.
  • January 17th, 1910 - Fire in a 1 1/2 story stable at 53 Mystic Avenue results in the death of 50 hens and the loss of 11 tons of hay.
  • January 27th, 1910 - Aldermen confirm the controversial appointment of Chief Sewell Rich.

75 years ago -

  • January 7th, 1935 - Firefighters wearing gas masks rescue 30 occupants from a fire at 1-4 Oak Terrance.  The fire, which started in the cellar of # 2, spread into the first floor.
  • January 15th, 1935 - A Two Alarm fire at the Gordon Poultry Co. at 406 Mystic Avenue destroys the building and results in the death of 300 hens.

50 years ago -

  • January 24th, 1960 - Firefighter Frederick W. McGahan retires.

25 years ago -

  • January 23rd, 1985 - A Working Fire fully involves the attic of 52 Sargent Avenue.  The fire spread in a partition from the first floor kitchen.

 


 
 
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