THREE GLEN BURNIE BUSINESSES HIT BY FIRE, 5-21-59 - TWO ALARMS

THREE GLEN BURNIE BUSINESSES HIT BY FIRE, 5-21-59 - TWO ALARMS

ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 1959, a two-alarm fire struck three businesses located on and adjacent to the southwest corner of Crain Highway and B&A Blvd., Glen Burnie, Anne Arundel County, Maryland.

A fire which started in the rear of the Western Auto store on Crain Highway, spread to the W.B.&A. Restaurant (Located on the corner), next door and caused smoke damage to the Glen Theater on B&A Blvd. Company 33 (Glen Burnie) was notified of the fire at approximately 10:30 A.M.

When Company 33 arrived on the scene, Engineman Forrest (Bunky) Warren reported seeing flames shooting upward from two barrels in the rear of Western Auto. Apparently, the fire extended into both the Western Auto store and the restaurant causing up to $18,000 damage. 

There was little information on fire spread, but the Fire Prevention Bureau requested the business owners to erect fire walls between the establishments to prevent a recurrence of the fast-spreading blaze.

Twelve companies, with 20-pieces of equipment along with 100 firefighters responded to the fire. 

Company 32 (Linthicum) responded on lst Alarm with the ’56 Mack, Engine 322. Engineman Donald Amrhein responded driver only.

Photos – Company 31’s (Brooklyn) Salvage wagon in front of W.B.& A. Restaurant was taken by Earl Joyner of Glen Burnie (Courtesy of Doegen and Helfrich Collection)

Same intersection with Company 33’s WLF engine taken years earlier (possibly the late 40s) (Courtesy of Harry Zlotowski) Credit to the photographer.

Company 32’s Engine 322 (Courtesy of Joseph MacDonald)

Company 31’s Salvage Unit – Photo taken by Lester Helfrich

Article (below) by Robert J. Smith (Senior Instructor-UofMD Fire Ext-Now MFRI) “BOBservations,” was published in the University of Maryland Fire Service Bulletin, March 15, 1958, Volume 1, Number 16.

 

 


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