Below you’ll find a non-exhaustive list of significant events in fire service history that happened in the month of March, including major incidents, firefighter line-of-duty deaths (LODDs), innovations, and the like. Thanks to Grant Schwalbe and Sam Hittle for proving their insights, as well as the work of Glenn Corbett.
Some of these incidents may provide a springboard for your company training or training ideas for drills.
March 1
Weeks Law authorizes federal-state cooperation in forest fire protection, 1911
LODD: Buffalo (NY) Firefighter Jason Arno, backdraft and collapse, 2023
March 2
U.S. Food and Drug Administration bans carbon tetrachloride fire extinguishers, 1970
March 3
Explosion kills 31 filling gasoline cans from leaking truck, Syria, 1962
March 4
Lakeview Grammar School fire kills 176, Collinwood, OH, 1908
LODD: Fraser (MI) Firefighter David P. Sutton dies, another firefighter burned in attempted rescue of civilian at apartment fire, 2000
March 5
False alarm leads to confrontations that result in the Boston Massacre, 1770
March 6
Psychiatric hospital fire kills 28, Burghoezli, Switzerland, 1971
March 7
Harbor dynamite explosion kills 55, Baltimore, MD, 1913
Prison fire kills 133, Higuey, Dominican Republic, 2005
March 8
Castle Gate #2 coal mine fire kills 171, Castle Gate, UT, 1924
March 9
Missouri Athletic Club and bank building fire kills 37, St. Louis, 1914
March 10
Strand Theater fire roof collapse kills 13 firefighters, Brockton, MA, 1941
March 11
Multiple train station bombings kill 191, Madrid, Spain, 2004
Ski resort fire kills 31, Numata, Japan, 1966
March 12
Chemical plant fire kills 68, Pusan, Korea, 1960
March 13
House of Angels orphanage fire kills 14, Seoul, Korea, 1975
LODDs: Two Pittsburgh (PA) firefighters killed, 28 injured in Ebenezer Baptist Church bell tower collapse, 2004 (Battalion Chief Charlie Brace, Master Firefighter Richard A. Stefanakis)
March 14
Royal Beach home hotel fire kills 19, Chicago, IL, 1981
LODD: Phoenix Firefighter Bret Tarver, Southwest Supermarket fire, 2001
March 15
National Theater fire damages entire block, Washington, D.C., 1845
LODDs: Pittston (PA) LODDs: City Fire Captain John Lombardo and West Pittston FF Leonard Insalaco, 1993
March 16
Willow Grove #10 coal mine explosion kills 72, St. Clairsville, OH, 1940
March 17
First fire prevention legislation passed, Cambridge, MA, 1631
March 18
Consolidated school gas explosion kills 294, New London, TX, 1937
Sparky the Fire Dog is born, 1951
March 19
Insurance groups form committee to design what will be NFPA, NYC, 1896
March 20
San Bois #2 coal mine explosion kills 73, McCurtin, OK, 1912
Subway Sarin gas attack kills 12 and injures 6,000, Tokyo, Japan, 1995
March 21
Conflagration kills 2,018, Hakodate, Japan, 1934
LODD: Cincinnati Firefighter Oscar Armstrong dies in flashover, 2003
Seven children killed in Brooklyn fire, New York City, 2015
March 22
Brown’s Ferry reactor fire, loss worth $342M, Decatur, AL, 1975
March 23
Caboose Bar fire kills nine, Allentown, PA, 1974
March 24
Hasaka Prison fire kills 57, Damascus, Syria, 1993
March 25
Triangle Shirtwaist fire kills 145, NYC, 1911
Happy Land Social Club fire kills 87, NYC, 1990
March 26
Jed (WV) coal mine fire kills 83, 1912
LODDs: Two Boston (MA) firefighters killed in Back Bay Fire, 2014
LODD: Cincinnati (OH) firefighter dies in attempted rescue, 2015
March 27
First steam fire engine’s public test by designer P. Hodge, New York, NY, 1841
March 28
Hanna #1 coal mine fire kills 59, Hanna, WY, 1908
March 29
First state law banning public use of fireworks passes, MI, 1929
March 30
Petrobras refinery fire kills 38, Duque de Caixas, Brazil, 1972
March 31
Cleveland Hill School fire kills 15, Cheektowaga, NY, 1954
- Fire History and LODD Calendar: January
- Fire History and LODD Calendar: February
- Fire History and LODD Calendar: June
- Fire History and LODD Calendar: July
- Fire History and LODD Calendar: August
- Fire History and LODD Calendar: September
- Fire History and LODD Calendar: October
- Fire History and LODD Calendar: November
- Fire History and LODD Calendar: December
