FULTON STREET

FULTON STREET FIRE April 29-30, 1978

On April 29, 1978, the Fulton Street fire - a general alarm at Box 151 (River and Lafayette Streets) - devoured old mills, adjacent homes and buildings. Three Paterson Fire Department vehicles - Engine 2, Engine 5 and Battalion 2 - were also left in ruins. Hundreds of firefighters from across North Jersey provided mutual aid. The initial alarm was received at 5:31 p.m. for a four-story mill at 28 Fulton St., near the Passaic River. Initial reports suggested a grain explosion, according to The New York Times but investigators said the fire was arson. The department was under the command of Acting Chief Daniel Carroll.

Fire started at 29-45 Fulton Street

The fire started at 29-45 Fulton Street, a four-story, 75 x 300-foot building of Type V Heavy Timber/Mill construction. The first floor was occupied by the Quality Printing Company and the upper floors were vacant. The building had a sprinkler system, but water service had been discontinued by the owner. Weather conditions in the Paterson area that evening included a temperature of 71 degrees F with a relative humidity of 30 % with strong northwest winds at 18 mph that had been gusting all afternoon under mostly cloudy skies (Weather Underground). Detail from the Sanborn fire insurance map of Paterson from 1951 showing the congested area around the vacant mill where the fire started. Note the building was originally equipped with a sprinkler system but it had been turned off at the time of the fire - Courtesy Rick DeGroot - Facebook post

Daily News Article

Haycock Collection

Sunday Record Story

Click on Photos below to enlarge

Engine 2 and brand new Engine 5

McGuire Family Collection

Engine 2 '69 Seagrave

Engine 5 '77 ALF

Engine 5 '77 ALF Pumper

Engine 2 1969 Seagrave - Haycock Collection

Engines 2 (Seagrave) and 5 (ALF) - Haycock Collection

Engine 2 1969 Seagrave -- Haycock Collection

Casualties of Engine 2 Seagrave and new ALF of Engine 5 - McGuire Collection

Engine 3 ALF pumper - John D'Ascensio photo adjusted by Vincent Marchese

For Bill Tompkins photos

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Engine 3 ALF Pumper in foreground

Engine 1 ALF Pumper

August 1978 story in Fire Engineering Magazine

Newspaper Clips and Photos

Frank Malzone photos - CLICK to enlarge

Haycock Collection

Note error in last paragraph of story: In 1938 Paterson lost 5 firemen but no apparatus at the Quackenbush fire. Last time PFD lost an apparatus (Truck 3) was 1963 Franklin Street Fire

E1 1977 ALF Pumper - John D'Ascensio photo enhanced by Vincent Marchese

Engine 3 1977 ALF Pumper - Ronald Jeffers Photo

Aftermath

Dugan Collection

Engine 7 - John D'Ascensio photo adjusted by Vincent Marchese

Engine 13 Hahn pumper - John D'Ascensio photo adjusted by Vincent Marchese

Haycock Collection

Courtesy Sharon Woodruff

Haycock Collection

May 2 Paterson News courtesy Dennis Morrison

May 3 Paterson News courtesy Dennis Morrison

May 5 Paterson News courtesy Dennis Morrison

Oral History from Firefighters

F/F Robert Pina: That was back when we had the 10 and 14 hour shifts. I had made a swap with Bob Wester and ended up working a 24 hr. shift. I was driving Engine 13 (1948 Mac) - Captain Woody Woodruff was in charge. He taught me a lot that day. We ended up taking 2 hydrants and fed an engine and a ladder company. We were blocks away and the heat was still very intense. I remember it being windy too. It ignited factory buildings across the elevated railroad tracks on straight Street. Biggest fire I ever saw in my life

F/F Alex Creddio: I was getting ready for a date with a pretty blonde when we got off duty, never made it. Oh well....We were working in an adjoining mill and Captain Gusick said to me (I was relatively new on the job) - "take this in because you are not likely to see something like this again."

Thomas Hannenberg: I was in 3 Engine from Riverside Firehouse when the alarm came in at 5:31. When we arrived 2 engine was line in and had deck gun going on 2 floor. We passed them and had deck gun going. 5 engine was behind 2 engine and next to B/C 3 (Car 73). The flames engulfed Engines 2, 5 and B/C