Fire History Books

Wow. There is so much history in this photo.

Tom Scott was a great man and it was an honor to know him. Tom amassed the largest private collection of books on the fire service, firefighters and fire apparatus. A couple of years ago he donated his almost 3000 volume library to the SPAAMFAA Archives. This was just one of the great things that Tom did in a life that was very well-lived. He will be missed. Rest in peace Tom.

Sometimes it seems that colder it gets the more fires there are. Hats off to all of the firefighters out that that will keep us safe this winter.

Rodger Birchfield was an extraordinary man. He was a great apparatus photographer, a wonderful historian and author, and, most of all, a really great guy. He will be missed terribly. Rest in Peace Rodger.

History has a habit of repeating itself. The massive explosion in Beirut this week involved 2700 tons of ammonium nitrate. A similar disaster occurred 73 years ago, in April 1947, when Texas City, Texas, was destroyed and 581 people killed when a fire on a cargo ship detonated 2300 tons of ammonium nitrate. The Chief and 27 other members of the Texas City Fire Department, who were battling the fire, were killed instantly.