Lt. David Herth describes the Queen City Barrel fire as “one of the most exciting fires” he has fought in his more than 26 years with the Cincinnati Fire Department, reports WCPO Cincinnati.
The five-alarm fire had towering flames, billowing smoke and a fireball that just barely missed some of his colleagues.
But, he also has concerns about the long-term health impacts of fighting a fire without knowing exactly what hazards he was exposed to on Aug. 19, 2004.
All these years later, Cincinnati Fire Department officials and leaders at the Cincinnati Fire Fighters Union Local 48 still can’t be sure whether firefighters who spent hours on the scene of the Queen City Barrel fire have health problems as a result. The fire started around 6:30 p.m. with crews putting out hot spots prior to demolition for a couple days after that. About 160 firefighters responded in total, and investigators were never able to determine where or how the fire started. It caused $5 million in damage.
Two firefighters who were there have since retired with different neurological problems. One had symptoms that mimicked ALS with muscle weakness across his body. Another had breathing problems because of a weak diaphragm. But officials couldn’t pinpoint either of the conditions to any specific exposure, said District Chief Marc Monahan.
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