WORCESTER – The City of Worcester will host a memorial ceremony on the 25th anniversary of the Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse fire on Tuesday, Dec. 3.
On Dec. 3, 1999, six Worcester firefighters died in the line of duty during a five-alarm fire at 266 Franklin St. Two individuals were known to be squatting in the abandoned building at the time of the fire. The possibility they remained inside the building prompted a rescue operation,
After the demolition of the building, a memorial to the fallen firefighters stood in its place. The Franklin Street Fire Station opened at the site in 2008.
The memorial on Tuesday, Dec. 3, will take place at the Franklin Street Fire Station, at 6 PM. The event will memorialize:
- Lt. Thomas Spencer;
- Lt. Timothy Jackson;
- Lt. James Lyons;
- Firefighter Paul Brotherton;
- Firefighter Jeremiah Lucey; and
- Firefighter Joseph McGuirk.
A pop-up exhibit, on display at Union Station, at 2 Washington Sq., tells the story of the fire and honors the men who lost their lives while fighting it. The exhibit will be available for viewing during the following times:
- Monday, Dec. 2, 10 AM to 6 PM
- Tuesday, Dec. 3, 10 AM to 5 PM
- Wednesday, Dec. 4, 9 AM to 2 PM
Image Credit: “Fire Station & Memorial” by Fran Trudeau is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
