Cabrini Shoe Factory Fire – March 27, 1972

Monday March 27, 1972 – B Platoon Six alarms at the vacant Cabrini Shoe Factory 2110 E. Wishart Street Local Alarm at 1524 hours for Engine 28, Ladder 16, and Battalion 10 Box at 1525 hours Fire Under Control at 1651 hours The fire extended to 18 two story dwellings on Wishart Street, Lippincott Street and Alleghany Avenue along with two nearby mill buildings. This was extra alarm number 33 of 92 for 1972.

While this fire was raging a local alarm at 1636 hours sent Engine 16-6, Ladder 12-16, and Battalion 401 to 2466 Amber Street for a dwelling. Engine 16-6 requested the box at 1640 hours and the second alarm was struck at 1646 hours. The fire was placed under control at 1503 hours. There were extensions to three dwellings on Amber Street and a commercial building on Cumberland Street. This was extra alarm number 34 of 92 for 1972.

There were a total of four extra alarm fires on March 27, 1972. The two fires listed above, a second alarm at 6235 Chestnut Street and a fourth alarm at 1625-35 S. 58th Street.

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About the Author: Jack Wright

Jack Wright (April 11, 1963-April 6, 2021) was a lifelong resident of Philadelphia, PA. As a child he was fascinated with fire engines in general and those of the Philadelphia Fire Department in particular. He chased them his entire life. From his early days of grammar school, he watched Engine 53 and Ladder 27 responding to alarms in his South Philadelphia neighborhood. Those scenes made an indelible impression on him. It was at that time that he began collecting photographs relating to the Philadelphia Fire Department. With his interest in the Philadelphia Fire Department and its history, it was only natural that he found himself at the Fireman’s Hall Museum. In May of 1988 he began working as a museum volunteer. While working there he became involved in researching the department’s history, as well as documenting it. Some of his research has been used by the Philadelphia Fire Department to evaluate their operations and procedures and make changes where necessary. On October 14, 2007 Jack was named the official Philadelphia Fire Department Historian by Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers. Jack served on the Board of Directors of Fireman’s Hall. He also was a contributing editor for Fire Apparatus Journal. Jack co-authored Hike Out, the only written history of the Philadelphia Fire department ever published. In addition, he published Philadelphia Fire Apparatus Volume 4. He wrote a number of articles relating to the department’s history that have been published in various magazines and newsletters and posts a history blog on the internet. Jack provided presentations to various historical societies in the Philadelphia area regarding the Philadelphia Fire Department.