Video of old ambulances

[Steve Lichtman]

Here's a video of a major incident in Kansas City in 1959, a gasoline explosion. In it there are quite a few ambulances shown at work, including a Ford van and some Memphians, and wagons. **WARNING** It is graphic, and unfortunately, several firefighters were killed in the explosion which is caught on film, so if you don't want to see it, please don't watch. There is nice video of a modern memorial to the firefighters at the end.

Video here.

[Joe Rackov]

I first saw that film when I joined the Socorro New Mexico Fire Department as a volunteer in '81. This one and the the film of the rail tank car fire and explosion in Kingman Arizona about 1970. We were shown those at least once a year.

The chilling point of the Kingman tragedy was the film taken after the fire, where the firefighters fell all that was left was the d-rings on their bunker coats.

One of the last large fires I was on, a fully engulfed vacant house (arsonist was arrested at the scene, a contract job) my assignment was to keep spraying water on a 500 gallon propane tank about ten or so feet from the house. And the thought of those explosions did come back to me.