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The Pioneer Hotel Fire
🕑 Added 2022-05-17 10:15:01 +0000 UTCIn this video I note that the fire had a lasting impact on the operations of the Tucson Fire Department... a positive impact. It's only because of this fire that the Department has access to the resources and training it does today.
But this positive impact came at a cost. Right after the fire, the Tucson Fire Department was devastated. To begin with, several firefighters suffered serious in the process of fighting the fire. In fact, if you look closely at this photograph you can see one firefighter hanging upside-down from a ladder after nearly falling while attempting a rescue. He survived, but was left with leg injuries.
In addition to that, the disaster took a heavy psychological toll. Even though it was found that the Fire Department did everything it could under the circumstances, many firefighters struggled for years with the feeling that they could have saved more people - some of them even retired early because of this.
The people who are traumatised by a disaster aren't often counted amongst the casualties... but perhaps they should be.
Comments
Fascinating Horror
It really is phenomenal that he remained in prison so long when there was so little hard evidence, and so many people thought he was innocent. The legal system moves slowly... but sometimes at the cost of people's lives.
Fascinating Horror
Thanks for sharing! And that really is amazing. Recent history like this is fascinating because people often actually remember it happening - this is a great example of that. Glad it was well-received. I recall reading that there was a lot of sympathy for Taylor - even the judge who sentenced him later came to believe that he was innocent.
Rhonda Jockisch Tisdale
That poor kid, nearly 50 years in prison for a crime he was likely innocent of. Even the motive, it doesn't make sense that someone would start a fire in 2 different places (a fire which they could easily get caught up in)rob people. But a 16 year old sneaking in to a party to get free alcohol? That sounds far more likely. In most states drinking age at that time was 18, so a 16 year old could easily pass at a party.
I live in Tucson and shared this video with a FB group I belong to, Remembering Tucson. You would not believe the responses this got! One identified the fireman leaning against a tire at the 5:44 mark as Bud Wray, a colleague of her father, who was also a firefighter at the scene. This was a huge event in Tucson history, and this video has really touched some peoples' hearts here. Apparently, even the firefighters did not believe the man convicted was responsible.
