February 23, 1991
Three Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, fire fighters die while battling a 12-alarm blaze that raged for 19 hours and consumed nine floors of a 38-story skyscraper. The fire began on the 23rd floor of One Meridian Plaza. The effort to control the blaze was hampered by several setbacks, including problems in the building’s standpipe system that prevented water from reaching the upper floors, failure of the building’s backup electrical system, low water pressure in the downtown area and a malfunctioning air conditioning system. The three fire fighters had trouble finding the exit from the floor, which was enveloped in heavy smoke as their air ran out. Rescuers found their fallen brothers on the 28th floor near an open window. The three men had died of asphyxiation.
