SoTier Posted December 27, 2023 Share Posted December 27, 2023 Tonight, December 27, at 8:20 pm, the Buffalo Fire Department will mark the 40th anniversary of the death of five firemen in a massive propane explosion in a warehouse at North Division and Grosvenor Streets which was just east of downtown and just north of what is today Larkinville. At the time I lived in the Grant-Amherst neighborhood about 7 miles from downtown. The explosion shook my house. Two civilians, Al Arnold and his mom, Jessie, were also killed in the massive explosion. Al was a friend and classmate when we were at Buffalo State in the late 1960s and early 1970s, so this sad anniversary always hits me hard. Buffalo Propane Explosion 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsPride12 Posted December 27, 2023 Share Posted December 27, 2023 Never heard of that story before as it was before my time but still sad nonetheless and I'm sure with your close connection to it that is something you will remember for the rest of your life 😢 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBill Posted December 27, 2023 Share Posted December 27, 2023 Very sad indeed - I was not aware of the events. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CowgirlsFan Posted December 28, 2023 Share Posted December 28, 2023 🙏🙏🙏🙏 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsPride12 Posted December 28, 2023 Share Posted December 28, 2023 The local news channel here in Buffalo opened with a look back at this story tonight. The footage was pretty crazy. Sad stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wacka Posted December 28, 2023 Share Posted December 28, 2023 (edited) Lived in Cheektowaga near William and Union, about 5 miles from downtown. My mother was upstairs vacuuming. We thought she fell and went running to the stair to call up to her. We get to the back window which had a view of downtown and saw a mushroom ckoud of smoke rising up. My sister lives near the West Seneca Developmental Center thought a car had hit their house. Edited December 28, 2023 by Wacka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted December 28, 2023 Share Posted December 28, 2023 What was the company? And were they ever punished, and/or sued? "After an investigation, it was found the warehouse was housing an illegal 500 gallon propane tank. An employee was attempting to move the tank to another part of the warehouse when it slipped off the forklift, breaking the valve. The leaking gas filled the entire structure with propane and the gas found an unknown ignition source." Probably when they opened the door. Don't they say a structure full of natural gas will gets its ignition source from static electricity like opening a door??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill from NYC Posted December 28, 2023 Share Posted December 28, 2023 22 hours ago, SoTier said: Tonight, December 27, at 8:20 pm, the Buffalo Fire Department will mark the 40th anniversary of the death of five firemen in a massive propane explosion in a warehouse at North Division and Grosvenor Streets which was just east of downtown and just north of what is today Larkinville. At the time I lived in the Grant-Amherst neighborhood about 7 miles from downtown. The explosion shook my house. Two civilians, Al Arnold and his mom, Jessie, were also killed in the massive explosion. Al was a friend and classmate when we were at Buffalo State in the late 1960s and early 1970s, so this sad anniversary always hits me hard. Buffalo Propane Explosion May God rest the souls of the deceased and provide solace for their friends and loved ones. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wacka Posted December 28, 2023 Share Posted December 28, 2023 (edited) 1 hour ago, Bill from NYC said: May God rest the souls of the deceased and provide solace for their friends and loved ones. I read that the tank was off the ground floor. After the valve broke off, the workers exited and called the FD. Meanwhile the propane worked its way down until it got to a furnace/heater, which ignited it. Unfortunately it was right when the crew had just gotten off the rig and were getting their hatchets, etc. The blast blew them into the side of the fire truck. Yesterday,I saw the news interviewing a son of one of the firefighters talking about his dad. He is also a Buffalo firefighter. Edited December 28, 2023 by Wacka 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beast Posted December 28, 2023 Share Posted December 28, 2023 (edited) There was a Sabres game (or some event) that night. The fans in the Aud said they felt the explosion. Edited December 28, 2023 by Beast 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 Didn’t read the article but remember the incident. We knew the Austin family. Mike was a great man. Huge guy. Very kind. Will never forget it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiberius Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 On 12/27/2023 at 8:04 AM, SoTier said: Tonight, December 27, at 8:20 pm, the Buffalo Fire Department will mark the 40th anniversary of the death of five firemen in a massive propane explosion in a warehouse at North Division and Grosvenor Streets which was just east of downtown and just north of what is today Larkinville. At the time I lived in the Grant-Amherst neighborhood about 7 miles from downtown. The explosion shook my house. Two civilians, Al Arnold and his mom, Jessie, were also killed in the massive explosion. Al was a friend and classmate when we were at Buffalo State in the late 1960s and early 1970s, so this sad anniversary always hits me hard. Buffalo Propane Explosion I was outside my friends house when the sound wave hit the side of the house. Cold night as I remember it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoTier Posted January 5 Author Share Posted January 5 On 1/3/2024 at 2:02 PM, Tiberius said: I was outside my friends house when the sound wave hit the side of the house. Cold night as I remember it Yes, it was. I remember the pictures of the firetrucks and the firefighting equipment encased in ice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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