FIRES AND FIREFIGHTING

Much of the information for this timeline came from a chronology on file at the Park Fire Department, written in about 1985 and unfortunately unsigned. Joe Williams also provided information in his memoir.  Thank you to Shirley Huiras at the SLP Fire Department for sharing the Department's scrapbooks.  Please contact us if you have any additions, corrections, or comments..
 

1866

The Pratt School, located at Excelsior Blvd. and Pleasant Avenue [Wooddale] burned down and was immediately rebuilt.

1890's

The first fire barn was located on the north side of the Walker brick building (6512 Walker Street). A team of freight horses was used to pull the fire wagon, which had eight 40-gallon soda acid tanks. Soda and acid were mixed together to create water pressure in the days before the water mains were installed. There were also two hose reels on had carts that were kept at Excelsior Blvd. and Wooddale. This facility moved to Monitor Drill in about 1899 and burned down in 1908.

1893

The first volunteer Bucket Brigade was organized with 40 volunteers and two hand rigs (alternately reported as 16 men).

Thompson Wagon Works, built the year before, burned down.

A horrendous fire in Minneapolis burned out 1,500 people .

1894

On September 1, prairie and forest fires that had spread across the state became a firestorm near Mille Lacs Lake and spread east. The towns of Hinckley and Sandstone were incinerated, and estimates of the dead start at 413 people.

1899

The fire equipment was moved to the Monitor Works (Hampshire and 36th) since most of the firemen worked for Monitor. A steam heated addition was built to house the equipment.

1900

The Bucket Brigade volunteer fire department had 20 members. In August, it was voted to purchase fire apparatus from the New Jersey Spring and Rubber Company for $1,200. But in September, when the Village agreed to purchase a team of horses to draw this apparatus for $300, Village President C.B. Waddell refused to sign the voucher, nixing the deal.

1901

On June 10, 1901, a committee was appointed to organize a volunteer fire department to replace the Bucket Brigade. Members of the committee were Joe S. Williams, A.T. Masters, Charles Hamilton, John E. Williams, and E.M. Trenkley. This is considered the official beginning of the Park Fire Department, despite its many iterations to come. It originally had 27 members. Charles (Butch) Miller was elected chief, but he resigned after six months to join the Alaska gold rush. The first piece of equipment purchased was a horse-drawn vehicle with two 80-gallon tanks. Sam Sewall was hired at $65 per month to care for the new equipment and horses, which were kept at the Walker Bldg. Sewall did not hold this job for long. Sam and his brother Leon Sewall had come to Minnesota from New Hampshire in the 1890's. Sam later served as a trustee of the Village and, in 1920, Village Street Commissioner.

In October, there was a fire at Hanke’s farm, and the Village paid wages for seven firemen.

1902

The SLP and Hopkins Electric Line Car Barn was destroyed by fire from lightning on October 27. (Mpls. Journal)

1903

Joe S. Williams became Chief of the volunteer fire department, serving until 1946. He volunteered while a full-time employee of Monitor until the Chief's position became full time in 1930.

“At this time it was thought advisable to dispose of the team used in the fire department and offer a prize of $10 to the man who was first to get engine chemical to fire.”

1906

The Minnesota Beet Sugar Manufacturing Company factory on Walker Street, built in 1897, was destroyed by fire. Ernest J. Lewis reports that he and the other boys at Oak Hill School jumped out the open window to see the blaze. The loss was estimated at $400,000.

1907

There was a fire at the Walker Building on the Brick Block. Not all of the second floor was rebuilt. The small moving picture house operated by Jake Werner and Eric Liljenfors earlier in the year did not resume after the fire.

1910

The grounds of the Pockrandt Lumber Co., started in 1910, burned but was rebuilt.

The Commander Larrabee Grain Elevators burned and were replaced with concrete structures.

1911

T.B. Walker's Methodist Church and a saloon across the street caught fire and the volunteer firemen arrived and found it engulfed in flames. They knew they couldn't save the church, so they went across the street to try and save the saloon. The minister saw the firemen go over to save the saloon and he cried out "They're letting God's house burn and saving that Devil Establishment over there!" Or so the story goes.

1912

The Great Northern Hotel burned to the ground on June 24. Despite assistance from the Minneapolis Fire Department, the building, owned by T.B. Walker, was a total loss, valued at $10,000 (covered by insurance). Somehow, the reaction to the fire by the hotel's guests was the defenestration of valuables. A contemporary news account is worth the reading:

Mrs. L.C. Sprague, proprietress of the hotel, asleep when the fire was discovered, refused to get up , believing it was not serious. Later she was carried out in her night attire by Fire Chief Joseph Williams... Many persons narrowly escaped injury when a big chimney fell. The hotel had fifty rooms and was full of guests. Thirty-five [who] were at breakfast... ran upstairs and roused the sleeping guests.... These articles were tossed from second and third story windows:

One piano, which was shattered beyond repair when it struck.
One big refrigerator, which suffered a similar fate.
One chair, which struck William Chase, 14 years old, and broke his arm.
One water pitcher, which struck Howard Bradford, 17 years old, on the head, inflicting a severe scalp wound and knocking him down.

1916

The 14-member Fire Department was reorganized and divided into two sections; south and Lake Street. Joe Williams was elected Chief, and Axel Carlstrom was Assistant Chief.

The Ainsworth Brothers and the St. Louis Park Volunteer Fire Department hauled chemicals to fight the Johnson fire in April 1916 and requested reimbursement of expenses from the Village Council.

The Village Council discussed installing a Tri State telephone in the Fire Chief’s residence or the Monitor Engine Room.

1917
A Wilcox truck, made in North Minneapolis, was purchased and mostly used for grass fires.  It cost $3,000 and had four 40 gallon tanks - soda and acid were dumped together to get pressure.

1918

The Village purchased a former saloon from a Mr. Carlson of the Minneapolis Brewing Company for $2,000. The building, at 36th between Brunswick and Dakota, became the new fire barn. It was used until 1938. Firemen were issued fisherman-style raincoats and hats, which were not warm enough for the winters. Joe Williams blew a steam whistle at the Monitor Drill to call volunteers to the fire; the number of blasts told them which section of town the fire was in. The whistle carried 10-15 miles. Paid members were given $3 per fire, payable at the end of the year.

Lars Johnson joined the force in November 1918. Lars was born in Mess, Norway on September 15, 1888, and came to the U.S. in 1907, at age 19. He worked at the state hospital in St. Peter for three years, moved to Minneapolis in 1910, and then to the Park. He was the second man to become a paid member of the Fire Department, alternately reported as 1930 or 32. Since Fire Chief Joe Williams was also the Water Superintendent, one of Lars's duties was to make out the water bills. He spent 44 years as a Park firefighter, and in an article dated October 29, 1959, he recalled the old days and pushing the old hand cart.

The Kilburn Lumber Company burned in a memorable blaze.

A deadly forest fire raced through northerneastern Minnesota on October 12, 1918, killing 453 people and destroying nearly all of Moose Lake, Cloquet, and other towns. Medical personnel in the State were stretched thin between attending the victims of the fire and of the Spanish flu.

1920
A picture from the Minnesota Historical Society shows a fire in a lumberyard. The description says around 1920, so this may be the Kilburn fire of 1918.

1921

A terrible elevator fire took place at 31st and Glenhurst Ave.

On March 3, Village Council President James Guy had to leave the meeting to fight a fire near the Prestolite plant.

1921-62

The Fireman's Carnival was an annual fundraiser, first held at the Bandstand in now-Jorvig Park and then at a recreation area at 37th and Wooddale. Before these carnivals, the firemen held a dance on the night before Thanksgiving. The carnivals started out as ice cream socials, with the fire department receiving the profits from sales of pop, ice cream, watermelon, and hamburgers. As it grew, it went on for three days, with food being served out of a tin building that was wired for electricity and had running water in the kitchen.

During the Depression, the Volunteers used the profits from the carnivals for the mobile Santa Claus program, in which Santa went around on a fire truck, distributing food to 30-40 needy families.

1925

The Martin Manufacturing Company factory, built before 1902, burned to the ground on October 15. The company manufactured grain grinders.

1926

North (Side) School, at 6800 S. Cedar Lake Road burned on April 2; legend has it that a janitor fell asleep and his newspaper caught fire.

1928
Park bought a new red and yellow pumper truck named "Molly" for from American LaFrance for $13,500.  The truck was made in Elmira, New York. Before the Village took delivery in 1930, the truck was exhibited at the 1929 Chicago World's Fair and in various places in Canada.  The truck had six cylinders, triple ignition, an 855 cubic engine, and could pump 1,000 gallons of water per minute.  Designated Number 212, it was the first quad pumper in the area.  It was shipped to St. Louis Park by boxcar.  The City still owns the truck, although it is not working.  

1930

On February 14, the vacant Moline Plow Company burned down under what some say were suspicious circumstances. The fire was started by a watchman's stove and did 290,000 damage, all covered by insurance.

A paid fire department was established, with Joe S. Williams appointed Chief and Axel Carlstrom Assistant Chief. At first only Joe Williams was paid; Lars Johnson, a volunteer since 1918, was added to the rolls in 1932, Kurt Scheibe in 1937 or 38, and Pete Williams and Harold Hoffstrand in about 1941.

Williams was also Superintendent of the water system, which had just been established with the first 28 miles of water mains. This allowed the fire department to purchase its first pumper truck.

1930's

Firefighters put out hundreds of grass fires, especially in the north side, which was just fields and swamps. They once put out 49 grass fires in one day.

Firefighters were heroes in town, and there was a waiting list to join the Volunteers, as the roster was kept to 25 at a time. The Volunteers elected their own Fire Chief, but it was always Joe Williams.

"Fumes From Mattress Fire Cause Death" was an undated headline about the death of George McNally, 34, who had the habit of smoking in bed. 

1933

Park's first phone directory cites Ed Werner and Lars Johnson as Chief Williams' assistants, and says that the department was staffed with 40 volunteers.

1933 was also the year of a small fire at the Post Office, then located at Dakota and Walker.

1935

The Department was put under Civil Service and out of politics (1938).

Mrs. Nina Rebmann died of her injuries from a fire in her home that started when paraffin she was melting to seal fruit jars ignited.  Mrs. Rebmann lived at 2930 Natchez.

1936

George Gibson joined the Volunteer rolls in December, and lived at the station until he got married in 1938. He became a paid firefighter in 1942.

The summer of 1936 was the time of the great North Side peat swamp fire.  See a first hand account by John Yngve.

1938

A new Fire Department building was erected at 5921 W. 37th, next to the Lincoln School/City Hall. The building cost $6,433 and provided space for five engines and sleeping quarters for 5 men. There was also a two-story section, used to dry hoses. The siren atop the Fire Barn was eventually given to the Fifty Lakes Fire Department.

A roster from September 1, 1938 lists each current volunteer fireman and his tenure. An excerpt is included at the end of this chronology.

1939

A fire in April at the Creosote Plant brought between 2,000 and 3,000 onlookers to Highway 7. The blaze was started by boys burning grass along a 20-acre swamp where the plant drained its byproducts. The fire swept over the 20 acres of grassland and then ignited a 20-year accumulation of oils and greases in the marshy bottoms. Firemen were powerless to stop it and concentrated on preventing it from spreading. The swamp was located between Highway 7, Lake Street, Quebec, and Louisiana.

1941

Zimmerman A. Pattison of 3100 Salem Ave. was convicted of third degree arson when he tried to burn his house down with turpentine. Firemen were suspicious when they discovered that the fire had started in two different places. Pattison had done it for the insurance money.

1944

Three firemen were arrested at the annual carnival for running a bingo game, including Kurt Scheibe and H.J. Bolmgren. The sentence was suspended, but it resulted in the Minnesota law allowing bingo games for charity, even though bingo games had been run without problem for the past 22 years. The bingo game was a major endeavor, with businessmen buying blocks of tickets and contributing prizes, and firemen going door to door selling tickets. The arrest severely curtailed the profits reaped from the carnival that year.

1946

Joe S. Williams retired as Fire Chief, and was succeeded by his son Charles M. "Pete" Williams (born 1905, died June 17, 1970). Other sons Howard and Willard also served for many years as volunteer firemen.

1947

In June, the Fire Department purchased six Janesville Raincoats for $14.48 each from the Minnesota Fire Equipment Co.

1948
Nine men joined the International Association of Fire Fighters on August 17, 1948.

1949

A fire at St. George’s church on February 7 demolished the parish house and gutted the Quonset hut. It reopened on May 13.

The house of Melvin W. Fisher, 3781 Kipling, exploded on November 18, 1949. Fisher tried to collect damages from the Village but was denied.

A Reciprocal Fire Service Agreement with Richfield, Edina, Hopkins, and Golden Valley was approved on August 1, 1949.

A water tank caught fire on February 7, 1949, causing $100 in damages.

1950

There was a fire at the Brookside Market (6007 Excelsior Blvd.), which prompted the owner to sell it to Nate Goldstone. The two buildings were combined to house an expanded Brookside Drug.

A fire at National Lead, 36th and Hampshire, caused $30,000 in damage. The fire was slow to be put out because it burned up the phone line, and the workman’s car used to make the alarm stalled.

On January 14, 1950, a Christmas tree bonfire was held at the athletic field. This was the second annual for this event.

1951

There were 11 men on the fire department payroll plus a volunteer force, operating three trucks.

The State gave the Department a rescue truck.

On June 13, Lambin Motors and auto body shop at 4825 Excelsior Blvd. sustained $7,000 - $10,000 damage in a two-alarm fire. The fire was first spotted by a German exchange student on a motorcycle who was looking for a house five blocks away. The fire started in a wastebasket, perhaps by a cigarette. 15 cars were damaged, including five new 1951 Mercurys. Paint was damaged, windshield broken, and a convertible top destroyed, but “strangely, the upholster in all the cars was undamaged. Naugahyde? The building, built in 1926, was the old St. Louis Park Garage. In 1951 it was owned by Fred L. Schroeder of Deephaven, who may have owned it as far back as 1930. In the aftermath of the fire, E.J. Lambin wrote a letter to the Council commending the fire department and sent $50 for the Firemen’s Relief Fund.

January 6, 1951 saw the third annual Christmas Tree Burning, held at Minikahda Vista Park, 39th and Ingelwood. It was reported that 3,000 trees were burned.

On March 19, a fire caused $250,000 damage to businesses at Minnetonka Blvd. and Dakota: Penney’s Supermarket (6312 Minnetonka), Brink’s Variety Store (6316), Atkinson Drug Store (6320), and the offices of dentist R.N. Nelson. It started when a 16-year-old Brink’s employee burned waste paper in an incinerator. The block had just been completed on July 1, 1950. Firefighters from Golden Valley, Hopkins, and Richfield responded to the call – the largest fire call met by the SW Fire League – a group of suburban firefighters.

In May, Mr. Edwin A. Carlson attempted to set fire to the Lakeland Door Company. I don’t know why.

1952

Park’s biggest fire of the year caused $20,000 damage to a half-dozen businesses at the corner of Excelsior and Joppa.

There was an explosion at the Metalloy Plant, Cedar Lake Road and Dakota, on April 22,
1952.

1954

On January 18, invalid Edward Fisher died in a fire at his home at 2936 Raleigh. The fire was caused by a cigarette.

On October 12, kids playing with matches set fire to the warming house at Dakota and the MNS railroad tracks.

The Park Fire Department assisted Golden Valley with a fire at The White House, 4900 Olson Highway, on April 4, 1954. GV thanked Park for its assistance with this “tragic” fire.

Fireman Willard Murphy injured his arm during a blast at Knollwood Plaza in November.

During the year, firemen answered a record 537 calls. Or 548.  Losses were held to $40,405.

Eight inactive members of the Volunteer Fire Department were told to "settle up before the Charter takes effect," per City Attorney Edmund Montgomery, at risk of losing their pensions.

The League of Women Voters found that firemen received no special training, although they participated in many drills.  At that time there were 18 firemen, 21 volunteers, and 4 engines.

1955

In conjunction with the establishment of St. Louis Park as a City, the City Fire Department was established on May 19. There were 16 paid firemen on the job for the new City.

A short in the control box caused a fire at the pumping station at 2946 Idaho on June 22, 1955.

The old Lake Street Community Center suffered fire damage. Insurance proceeds and $2,750 from developer Ecklund & Swedlund was used to dig a 75’ by 25’ basement.

In November there was a fire at the Market Basket (6012 Excelsior), blamed on the lack of windows in the basement.

The City acquired some land known as the Stageberg property on 28th Street, and on February 24, 1955, the fire department burned down a stable on the property for training and practice.

There was a fire at the Minneapolis Golf Club during the night of March 25-26, 1955.


1956

Fireman Willard Murphy organized Park's first Fire Prevention Week Program. Murphy visited each of the ten elementary schools five times, showing films and teaching fifth graders about fire prevention. Each student who passed a test, memorized the number of the fire department, and made a home inspection earned a silver Inspector badge. Each student also wrote an essay; the best boy and girl in the classroom were awarded Captain's badges, the best boy and girl in the school received bronze medals, and the best boy and girl in the City received Gold Chief's badges and rode on the fire engine in a twilight parade during Fire Prevention week in October. Murphy's son was one of the winners in 1962. (Program started in 1953?)

There was a serious fire that destroyed the Browndale Park shelter, costing the city $93.45.

Fire broke out at Lederle Labs, 7630 Excelsior Blvd. in July 1956.

The clubhouse of the Westwood Hills Golf Course suffered a fire that was put out but reignited, burning the building to the ground. The fire caused $100,000 in damage. The land that was once the golf course was later developed into houses and the Westwood Nature Center.



1957

The 37th consecutive Fireman’s Carnival featured Fire Chief Don Buelow, purveyor of the world’s best Wimpeyburgers. 15,000 people came to join in the fun. With the funds raised, for 16 days that winter St. Louis Park's Mobile Santa Claus made his annual tour, distributing food to needy families.

The old Lufkin house, built in 1892 on a 12 acre site by Oscar Bakke, was burned to the ground by the fire department for training purposes on April 14, 1957. The house, located on 37th between the Beltway and Wooddale, belonged to William Lufkin, custodian of Lincoln School. It had been owned by the City since 1945 and had been used for “welfare housing.” This may have been the house at 5627 W. 37th Street that had been rented by Cliff D. Odean from about 1945 to 1954. [There is also an item from January 1955 that the "Lofgren" house was vacated and faced three alternatives:  CD offices, torn down, rented out.  It was located on 37th St. near Highway 100.  Same house?]

The 18-man paid Fire Department was assisted by the 19-man Volunteer Fire Department.

1958

A reciprocal fire agreement was approved on February 3, 1958.

The Hamilton Building/Masonic Lodge, 6505-07 Walker Street, was destroyed by fire in a 9-hour blaze on December 25-26. First spotted by a passing motorist, the blaze appeared at first to be mostly smoke and easily doused; at one point Worshipful Brother Virgil C. Hall opened the door to retrieve lodge records. But he and the firefighters were repelled by smoke and hot air, and the fire, which had spread through the walls and false ceilings, suddenly burst into an inferno such that flames jumped 30 feet high. Lars Johnson led the firefighting effort, which required the assistance of the Golden Valley, Hopkins, and Edina Fire Departments. The building was owned at the time by the Paul Revere Masonic Lodge, which occupied the second floor. First floor tenants were Betty's Cafeteria and the Storybook Photography Studio, run by a Mr. Hines; photographic chemicals were said to have fed the flames. Hundreds of spectators on nearby Highway 7 crowded the area despite the bitterly cold weather. The cause of the fire was never conclusively determined, but bad wiring or the ignition of photographic negatives were two possible causes.

1959

A remarkable 35 grass fires, two house fires, one car fire, four first aid calls, and one school alarm occupied the fire crew in one day on March 26..

1960

Park Drug caught fire on March 24, causing $38,000 in damages.

November 2: Firemen Art Buelow and Bob Bolmgren helped deliver a baby.

1962
On January 20, 1962 (1960?) Mrs. Margaret DeReimer, 3310 Glenhurst Ave., died in a fire caused by a cigarette. It was the first fire casualty since 1954.

The Department bought a 1250 gallons per minute pumper from American LaFrance, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, for $23,990.  It was made in Elmira, New York and shipped by freight train.

In August, a fire at Lumber Store, Inc. on Highway 7 required five trucks from the Park, two from Edina, and two from Hopkins to extinguish. It resulted in $100,000 in damage. The yard was at the site of the current Nordic Ware tower.

1963

The Minneapolis and St. Louis Depot was struck by fire on February 11, 1963. Although it was across the street from the fire barn, lines had to be run under the tracks, slowing the dousing process. Damage was heavy, and the depot had to be demolished. An electric heater was said to be the culprit.

The Fireman's Carnival was discontinued after 42 years when the lot on which it was held was purchased by Minnesota Rubber. In its place was a "Grand Old Opry," chaired by Eugene McGary and Kenneth Birkholz.

In September, 400 people attended the dedication of the North Side Station - Station No. 2 at 2262 Louisiana Ave. Cost: $96,102. It was built by the Magney-Iverson Construction Co. More equipment was purchased, but no new men were hired to cover the two stations.

1964

On October 1, Kurt "Cord" Scheibe, a Park firefighter since 1922, died of a heart attack at age 61 while fighting a small fire in the "bag room" at the National Lead Company. Scheibe was born in 1903 in Germany and had come to the Park with his parents in 1907. He lived at 5825 Goodrich Avenue.

In December, fire caused at $250,000 loss to Magnetic Controls Company at 6405 Cambridge. Edina and Hopkins assisted. The company manufactured mostly military equipment.

The Kings’ Inn suffered a "disastrous" fire.

1965

Pete Mueller and Gerald Hines reportedly rescued a pregnant woman and her husband from a snowbank. This heroic event apparently failed to be noted in the press.

The department purchased the "Snorkel" - platform lift truck - for approximately $50,000.

1966

The South Side Station - Station No. 1 at 3750 Wooddale - was completed in June 1966 and dedicated on October 7, 1966 to Joseph S. Williams, who helped organize the fire department in 1892 and served as chief for 52 years. The station was equipped to sleep one captain and four firemen. It replaced the old fire barn on 37th Street. Cost: $150,000. Firemen completed some of the construction in an effort to cut costs.

A spectacular garage file was put out at 4344 Vernon Avenue on January 15, 1966. The door had been left open and it was suspected that kids got into the gas in the snow blower and lawn mower. The fire was contained in the garage, but the entire house was smoke damaged.

1967

On December 7, a small fire at 4250 Vernon Avenue was called in by two adorable, smart, young neighbors. The heroines got their picture in the paper with Fireman Willard Murphy, who had just taught fire safety at Brookside School. Much peer resentment ensued when they were awarded Gold Chief badges without winning the Essay Contest.

1968
On Jannuary 4, 1968, the Department took possession of a 1250 gallon per minute pumper, manufactured by Pirsch Co. of Kenosha, Wisconsin.  It cost $27,000 and replaced the 1938 American LaFrance pumper.

On March 11, fireman Robert Bolmgren was commended by the City Council for rescuing Mrs. Robert Krause from a burning house.

1969

A new ordinance banned the burning of leaves.

“Operation Fire Prevention” took place on October 8 – a surprise drill for the Mutual Aid Association of 17 fire departments in the southwest and lakes area. 350 firemen and 70 rigs showed up.

Chief Pete Williams resigned on December 12, 1969. He had been a volunteer firefighter since 1933 and on the paid staff since 1939. He died on June 17, 1970, six months after his retirement. Omar McGary served as Chief from 1969 until he retired in 1979.

1971

The burning of the Pizza House at 4532 Excelsior Blvd. on October 8 was one of the most tragic in the history of the St. Louis Park Fire Department.

Firefighters Arnold "Arnie" Johnson of 4124 Brookside, a professional, and Robert "Bob" McElmurry, a volunteer from Goodrich Avenue who was the son-in-law of Pete Williams, perished in the blaze.

The fire started in packing boxes in the back hall about 1:30 a.m., discovered by the cook and waitress. They evacuated the building, but they (or owner Tom Thielges) had to call the fire department from across the street, as the fire had already burned through the phone lines. Assistance in fighting the fire was provided by Hopkins and Edina.

Don Glassing was in charge.  Johnson and McElmurry entered the building when it appeared to be under control, but the fire was smoldering between the ceiling and the roof, and the ceiling collapsed on top of them. After an unsuccessful attempt to get the men out by Fire Captain Donald Glassing, who had been with them but went out to replenish his oxygen supply, the roof itself caved in. Fire Chief Omar McGary speculated in an article in the Sun that:

"the restaurant's huge ventilation system drew flame, heat, and smoke up through the ceiling. 'When the wires on the ventilation system burned, the suction stopped and then everything broke loose. There was a quick flash and the fire was everywhere. The flames spread quickly. No one had time to do anything.'"

Approximately $25,000 was raised for the families of the fallen men.

There was some internal criticism of the Department after the Pizza House fire.  Volunteers were paid a nominal fee ($2 or $3) per fire, and to save money, a policy was instituted whereby each fireman would be given a number, and those with odd numbers would respond to calls on odd days and vice versa.  It was charged that there were not enough men at the fire, and that equipment was set up but there was nobody to man it.  This sentiment was repeated in 1975, when one Department historian said that although there was a sufficient amount of sophisticated equipment, the availability of sufficient numbers of fire fighters was in question.  At that time there were 26 firemen stretched out over three shifts, covering two stations.

Three days later there was a fire at Gerlach Roofing at Gorham and Louisiana. 

1972

The American Legion Hall burned down in June, started by ashes in a trash can. The gas station next door called in the alarm. The fire took two hours to subdue, and created $30,000 in damage, including several rare flags. The building was replaced by a new two-story building in 1973.

1973

The Red Owl store in Miracle Mile burned down on October 26. The fire started in the suspended ceiling above the produce room and spread quickly between the roof and the false ceiling. A worker in the meat department discovered it at 2:10 p.m. and evacuated the building; one shopper noticed flames over her head. Heavy black smoke poured out the back door and through the mall's internal ventilation system.  The roof collapsed, seriously hindering firefighting efforts by the St. Louis Park, Edina, Bloomington, Richfield, Eden Prairie, and Hopkins fire departments (aided by local teenagers who held down hoses). By the time the firefighters broke through the front glass, the fire had spread across the entire ceiling. It broke over the firewall to Warner Hardware; although pain cans were exploding, the fire department successfully prevented a worse inferno. Fifteen other stores suffered smoke damage. The Minneapolis Star reported that Red Owl Manager Gary McCulloch was seen wading through the water, rescuing the "soggy but safe" money from the cash registers. Red Owl did not rebuild: Warner Hardware replaced it as the anchor of Miracle Mile.

In 1973, retired firefighters started meeting at Fire Station #1 (Louisiana) on the first or second Friday in May of each year.  The men bought the groceries and the women cooked.   

1974

In January, an elderly woman lost her life when her home at 2732 Alabama Ave. burned.

In May, a grass fire along the Great Northern tracks was caused by sparks from a faulty mechanism on a passing diesel train.  Gusty winds spread the fire between the Jewish Community Center to Texas Ave.  Four Park engine companies fought the rapidly-spreading flames while men and engines from Golden Valley and Edina manned the St. Louis Park fire stations. 

In November, a 55-gallon drum of duplicating fluid ignited at Benilde-St. Margaret’s, killing two boys and seriously injuring another.

The Department purchased two trucks:   a 1250 gallons per minute GMP Pierce for $41,490 and a Ford 300 gallons per minute mini pumper for $13,000.  

The City Council was split on whether fire engines should be red or yellow.  Evidence of increased safety was cited, but Councilman Seymour Druskin pushed to keep firetrucks the traditional red.

1975

A fire ripped through the Shelard Plaza movie theater, causing $100,000 in damage. Fire departments from Golden Valley and Edina were called in to fight the fire.

1976

In November 1976, the Westwood Hill Nature Center caught fire, and was battled by the St. Louis Park, Golden Valley, Hopkins, and Minnetonka Fire Departments.

1977

Belco (aka Burdick) Elevators 1 and 2 at 31st and Glenhurst burned down in a spectacular inferno on May 11. At about 5:30 p.m., 28-year-old David Berscheit was cleaning corn in #1 when a small fire started. He tried to put it out with a blanket, but the 500,000 bushels of corn in the wooden structure exploded, throwing Berscheit and leaving him with burns over 60 percent of his body. The fire spread to the #2 elevator, which held 1 million bushels of barley. Flames shot 100 feet in the air, and the smoke was visible 30 miles away. Thousands of spectators converged on the site.

The fire raged for five hours, exacerbated by winds of 12-15 mph. Some fire fighters worked up to to 26 hours in a row.  Backup crews came from over a dozen neighboring jurisdictions, including Minneapolis, St. Paul, Minnetonka, Hopkins, Golden Valley, Richfield, Eden Prairie, West Champlin, Bloomington, Edina, Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, Shakopee, and Chaska. Part of the property was in the Park and the other in Minneapolis, and it turned out that the two departments could not fit each other's hoses into the two kinds of hydrants, a situation that was immediately fixed afterwards.

The 4000 block of 31st Street was evacuated, displacing 200 residents as a precaution against flying ash that landed on rooftops. Neighbors had expressed concern about the structures, citing several small fires in the past.

The elevators had been owned by the Burdick Grain Co. of Minneapolis since 1950. Allan L. Burdick was the Chairman of the Board, and Vernon Geiger was the President of the Company. The insurance company hired the Gregerson Salvage Company, which managed to save 70-90 percent of the grain for used as feed. The Burdick Grain Co. paid the City $1,412 for damage to their equipment. That July, remaining grain, hit by water, had begun to ferment, raising complaints in the neighborhood.

On November 30, fire raged through the home of Monroe Hartley Severson, 78, and his wife Charlotte S. Severson, 77 at 4371 Dart Ave. Both died in the fire, which was electrical in nature. Two young men from Minneapolis were driving nearby and saw the smoke. They got both occupants out of the house, but it was too late. The house, which was built in 1920, still stands today.

1978

The Lilac Lanes Bowling Alley caught fire on August 22, and it took the help of the Edina and Golden Valley fire departments to put it out.

The Volunteer Department, down to three men, was disbanded.

1979

The Foo Chu Cafe at 4215 Excelsior Blvd. burned down on New Year's Eve. Owner Bob Fleming lived on the second floor and was almost killed.

Chief Omar McGary retired from the Fire Department on October 19, 1979 after 33 years, the last 10 as chief. At the time, the force had 24 men. John M. Kersey was named acting chief.

See also the Williams Family chapter in Something in the Water.

1983

A February fire at the McBee Building (4300 W. 36-1/2 Street at Excelsior Blvd.) caused damage estimated at $300,000. B&R Drapery and Home Furnishings and the International School of Bartending were destroyed. The fire may have been electrical, and carbon monoxide may have had something to do with it. The Edina Fire Department assisted and Golden Valley stood by to cover any other calls.

Fire broke out at Scherling-Pletsch Studio, 6610 W. Lake Street, on the morning of November 10. The studio had been in the Park since William Pletsch bought it in 1957. The company photographed school activities and events for yearbooks for 21 local high schools, and took about 7,000 graduation pictures a year. Only about 100 negatives were lost in the fire, but 1,500 sets of portraits for graduating seniors had to be redone. The fire started in the darkroom, blamed on faulty wiring.

A fire on November 5 at Ty’s New Park Market at 6312 Minnetonka Blvd. required that the entire contents of the store be destroyed.

1985

Another suspicious fire happened at the offices of Marsh Productions, 6415 Walker Street, on January 4, 1985. Owner Jerry Shoberg said the back door had been kicked in and all the files had been gone through before the fire was set. He lost video tape decks, two TVs, two cassette players, desks, a copy machine, file cabinets, and – worst of all – phone numbers of contacts in the entertainment industry. Shoberg, who was confined to a wheelchair after breaking his neck 15 years before, had been in the entertainment booking business for 25 years. The shop next door, Norma’s Beauty Nook, was also damaged in the fire.

A blaze at a vacant warehouse required 109 personnel/54 firefighters to subdue on July 17, 1985. The warehouse was at 7400 Walker Street. It was owned by the Dominion Group Inc. of Minneapolis. and scheduled for demolition. Park police and fire had planned to conduct a training session at the site, but the fire was not a drill. Arson was suspected, as there was no electricity or gas hooked up and the fire spread exceedingly fast. Young people were seen leaving the site when the fire started.

In an ironic twist, an electrical fire caused more than $250,000 in damage to a butane torch factory. The fire happened on November 8, 1985 at Microflame, Inc. at 3724 Oregon Ave. Neighbors had to be evacuated but were returned quickly. General Manager Rick Kurzeka had been in business for 17 years. Fortunately, the fire did not reach the butane storage tanks, although a small tank in a torch kit exploded with a noise like a shotgun. The manufacturing machines and the company files were not damaged by the fire.

1989

A three-year-old with a cigarette lighter was the cause of a fire at Oak Park Village on October 3, 1989. The fire was contained within 30 minutes, but destroyed 22 units, causing $500,000 in damage.

1993
A fire broke out at Ty's New Park Market, 6312 Minnetonka Blvd. at 12:01 AM on Friday, November 12, 1993.  The fire started in the basement in the rear of the store.  The entire contents of the store was embargoed by the City Health Inspector and destroyed.

ST. LOUIS PARK FIRE CHIEFS

1901: Charles (Butch) Miller left after 6 months to find gold in Alaska.
 

1903-1946: Joe S. Williams started as a volunteer in 1891 and became Chief of that organization in 1903. When the Fire Department became a paying proposition in 1930, Joe was again Chief until he retired.

1946: “Larson was appointed temporary chief, holding this job close to a year. Then exams were given, and Pete became chief.”

1946-1969: Charles M. (Pete) Williams

1969-1979: Omar McGary (Volunteer since 1946)

1979-87: John M. Kersey - Assistant Chief 1972-79, acting Chief from 1979-80, Chief from 1980-87.

1989-92: David Robertson, from Salina, Kansas, January 26, 1988 to March 20, 1992

1992-2001: Robert Gill, a 19-year veteran of the Fire Department, became Chief on July 27, 1992 (firefighter since 1973, assistant chief since 1991).

2001: Luke L. Stemmer, in the Department since 1976, became Chief on November 20, 2001.

SERVICE RECORD OF VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT UP TO SEPTEMBER 1, 1938

The following excerpts a document dated December 9, 1938, found in the files of the Park Fire Department:

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This information comes from a variety of sources: newspapers, books, yearbooks, phone directories, interviews, etc. Given the varied sources, we cannot guarantee that all of this information is correct, and welcome any additions and corrections. Please contact us with your contributions and comments.