Our fallen hero

On Sunday, May 16, 1976 at 12:06 PM, Box 1656, Bustleton and Castor Avenues, was struck for a fire in Barson’s Overbrook Restaurant and Delicatessen in the Bells Corner Shopping Center on Bustleton Avenue, near Bergen Street. This was a one-story building owned by Samuel Barson, with an address listed at 8354 Bustleton Avenue.

The second alarm was sounded at 12:19 PM. At approximately 12:40 PM, as the companies were searching the smoke-filled building approximately 30 feet inside, the heavy terrazzo floor suddenly collapsed, sending Fireman David Stewart of Ladder 20, Fireman Bernard McSloy of Ladder 28, Fireman Aloysius Welsh of Ladder 28, and Fireman Richard Iannacone of Ladder 34 into the basement. Rescue efforts began immediately. The third alarm was struck at 12:59 PM and the fourth alarm at 1:14 PM. As rescue operations progressed, the roof suddenly collapsed. All of the rescuers were able to escape. Battalion Chief Harry Walsh of Battalion 12 was taken to Nazareth Hospital suffering from smoke inhalation and a hand injury.

Sometime after the fourth alarm, the bodies of Fireman Stewart and Fireman McSloy were pulled from the debris. The fire was placed under control at approximately 2:22 pm. At approximately 6:20 pm the bodies of Fireman Welsh and Fireman Iannacone were removed from the basement.

In an article written on June 8, 1976, in a local newspaper, we found the following information:

“According to investigators, the basement fire of May 16, raged for a half hour or perhaps three-quarters of an hour undetected. It burned through the joists until the floor collapsed, plunging the four firemen to their deaths. There was no warning. The concrete-terrazzo floor which was approximately 2 ¾ inches thick had insulated the customers, employees and finally the fireman above from the heat approaching 1,000 degrees, enough to melt steel wound cables and copper pipe.”