Kansas City, KS Firemen Hurt In Gas Explosion, Aug 1959

33 FIREMEN HURT IN GAS EXPLOSION.

Kansas City, Kan. (UPI) -- Police reported at least 33 firemen were injured, many critically, today when a gasoline storage tank exploded while firemen battled a raging fire here. Police said there were reports of one or two deaths.
An attendant at General Hospital said 13 of the victims were there. "We don't know how many are still alive," he said.
All available firemen from both Kansas City, Kan., and Kansas City, Mo., were battling the flaming gasoline for nearly two hours when the first of a series of explosions occurred.
A stream of flaming fluid was hurled into a group of firemen pouring streams of water on the flames which at times shot 100 feet into the air.
The firemen were knocked over. Spectators about a block away rushed in the help police and ambulance drivers assisted the injured.
Earlier, at least 18 firemen were stricken with heat prostration while battling the fire.
Firemen were pouring nine streams of water and one of foam on the four 1,800-gallon tanks when the series of explosions began.

The Daily Inter Lake Kalispell Montana 1959-08-18

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POSSIBLY 4 DEAD, 62 INJURED FIGHTING FUEL BLAZE IN K.C.

BLAST FOLLOWS BLAZE IN 'GAS' TRUCK; MOST OF INJURED FIREMEN.

Kansas City, Aug. 18, (AP) -- Racing flames from exploding gasoline and oil tanks today injured 62 or more persons, most of them firemen. There were conflicting reports on whether any were killed.
Fire Chief FRANCIS DOHERTY of Kansas City, Kan., and his department said they received reports four Kansas City, Mo., firemen were killed. But EDGAR M. GRASS, acting director of the Kansas City Mo., department, said that he was unable to confirm that any of his men were dead.
Six of the 62 or more hospitalized were reported in critical condition.
"My first report was that two were dead on arrival at a hospital, but later they were found to be alive," GRASS said. He said so far as he knew in early afternoon four of his men were on the critical list but still alive.
One fireman with his head singed and his clothing burned off was taken to the General hospital by JAMES RUST, an ambulance driver.
"The poor devil kept saying the Lord's Prayer all the way to the hospital, then he asked for a priest," RUST said. "He was going fast."
Given Last Rites.
The Rev. JAMES BROWN, priest of the Sacred Heart Catholic parish nearby, said he administered last rites to five of the most critically injured firemen after the sheet of flame swept over them.
Fireman LESTER CECIL related:
"The tanks were ruptured and were hissing like jets. I saw a sheet of flame coming at me and started to run up Thirty-First (street). I caught on fire and started to roll. There was a sheet of flame over me. It was about five feet off the ground and completely over me."
CECIL'S arms, legs back and face were critically burned.
The fire, as if from a flame-thrower, trapped other firemen.
Two men darted into a street with blankets and a coat to smother flames covering one of the firemen. They carried him to an ambulance.
Other firemen ripped some of their burning clothing off themselves as they fled from the racing flames.
Filling Gas Truck.
The fire flared up in a filling station where two men were filling a gasoline truck. As it spread four 25,000-gallon storage tanks exploded. Several lesser explosions belched out of the mass of flames and smoke.
One of the large tanks spewed flaming fuel into a group of firemen. Several of the men were felled.
These flames shot out 200 feet, crossing one street and searing down another street.
The tanks exploded one by one as leaping flames licked at them.
JAMES MITCHUM, 33, of Shawnee, Kan., and FRED BERRY, 33, of Kansas City, Mo., said they had partly filled their gasoline truck when a blaze shot up from inside the truck.
They were using two hoses to fill the truck's compartments. BERRY managed to shut off the valve on his hose, but MITCHUM couldn't turn his off. MITCHUM'S arms were sprayed with burning gasoline.
The two men ran to sound an alarm.
Soon the Continental Oil Co. (Conoco) filling station was engulfed in flames.
Rush Fire Equipment.
Both Kansas Citys rushed extra fire equipment to the scene, but the flames spread toward tanks at the rear and side of the station.
Firemen fought under handicap and danger of leaping flames and belching black smoke that darkened the area and was visible several miles away.
Gradually they won their fight, and the fire was out about three hours after it started.
The sixth or seventh tank to explode was the one that sent the flames searing across the street and engulfing a business structure. The flames also engulfed a fire truck.

Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune Missouri 1959-08-18
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!