23rd Street Fire, New York NY (1966)

23rd Street Fire, New York NY (1966)

Firefighters from the FDNY responded to a fire at 7 East 22nd Street entered a building at 6 East 23rd Street as part of an effort to fight the fire. 

Twelve members of every rank, from a probationary Firefighter to a Deputy Chief, made the Supreme Sacrifice when the ground floor of the store collapsed. The fire originated in a basement storage area, which was concealed by a four-inch thick cinderblock wall illegally constructed by the building’s previous owner.

It was the largest loss of life in the department's history until the collapse and murders at the World Trade Center in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. http://www.nyfd.com/history/23rd_street/23rd_street.html