UPDATE: 1945 film show FDNY apparatus crushed at large warehouse fire

UPDATE

It’s not often you get an update to an almost seventy-year-old news story, but we have one. My gut told me this 1945 film was likely the scene of a line-of-duty-death for FDNY, but the date with the clip indicated otherwise. Leave it to my friend Billy Goldfeder to track it down and confirm the date was wrong. Here’ s what Billy discovered:

I reached out to FDNY Honorary Chief of Department, Chief Jack Lerch-the deeply respected FDNY historian. Chief Lerch advised that the FDNY video was January 9, 1945. Fourth alarm at Manhattan Box 1455 at 2296 Eighth Avenue @ 123rd Street. Lee Brothers Storage Warehouse. FDNY Firemen Elbert Hardman and Nelson Tuite, both of Engine 36 were operating the deckpipe on the 1929 Seagrave hose wagon of Engine 36, when an explosion blew out the topmost corner of the front wall of the  building, destroying the hose wagon and instantly killing the two firemen. The tractor of the 1940 Ahrens-Fox 85 foot aerial of Hook & Ladder 40 was also heavily damaged, but was later rebuilt with the front grille getting a different appearance. There were two other multiple alarm fires in the same area (Harlem) at the same time, one in a piano factory, the other in a five story tenement. Commissioner/Chief of Department Patrick Walsh was in charge .

EARLIER

Another film from CriticalPast. This one shows FDNY at a warehouse fire on November 11, 1945. Walls collapsing crushed some fire apparatus and the film shows a body being removed. Looking at a list of LODDs for FDNY it does not indicate any firefighters were killed on that date.