STORY

On a warm, dry, windy spring day, May 22, 1964, the "Bellflower Street Conflagration" occurred and ultimately destroyed or damaged 35 multi-family dwellings. This conflagration would greatly tax the resources of the Boston Fire Department and the Greater Boston mutual-aid network before being brought under control. Although many firefighters and citizens were injured, no fatalities were recorded.

The fire started on the rear porch of 26 Bellflower Street, located mid-block on street lined with 'three-deckers', a type of wooden multi-family housing unit which exist in large numbers throughout Boston. The fire spread quickly to ajoining structures and before long a conflagration was in progress. Dry, southwest winds of twenty miles per hour, and a temperature of 79 degrees helped to advance the fire. At the height of the fire, a large plume of smoke was visible from as far away as 15 miles.

The first notification to the fire department was the activation, at 1338 hours, of the fire box, Box 7251, located at Dorchester Avenue and Dorset Street, one and one-half blocks from the fire. The Fire Alarm Office (FAO) transmitted the alarm to the firehouses, meanwhile the FAO began receiving many telephone calls reporting the fire. The FAO reported to the responding fire companies that it was "receiving many calls" for the Bellflower Street location.

Ladder Company 20 arrived first on the scene and Lieutenant Kennedy and ordered a 2nd Alarm. District 6 Chief John Greene arrived shortly thereafter and radioed, "Strike the 3rd and 4th Alarms." Deputy Chief Frederick Clauss arrived shortly thereafter and ordered the 5th Alarm. One minute later he radioed "Give me all the help you can get."

An "L-shaped" attack plan was devised in order to fight the rapidly advancing fire. This was implemented at the corner of Dorchester Avenue and Howell Street, on the northeast side of the fire. Due to the strong southwest winds, a water curtain was established in order to prevent the advance of the fire in the direction of Andrew Square and South Boston.

Over 250 roof fires were reported during the fire, requiring the response of many fire companies to extinguish.

The following buildings were destroyed:

• Bellflower Street: 26, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 18, 27, 28, 29, 30
• Dorset Street: 25, 29, 31, 33, 37, 41

The following buildings were damaged:

• Bellflower Street: 7, 14, 16, 31
• Dorset Street: 21
• Howell Street: 22, 24, 26
• Boston Street: 140, 142

The following were reported injured and held at Boston City Hospital:

• Fireman Henry Kane, Engine 17, smoke inhalation
• Fireman Frederick Finn, Engine 21, smoke inhalation
• Fire Lt. William Coakley, Ladder 10, smoke inhalation
• Fireman Francis Murphy, Engine 24, smoke inhalation
• Fireman James Sheedy, Ladder 4, smoke inhalation
• Fireman Paul Flynn, Ladder 2, smoke inhalation
• Mrs. Mildred Reutinger, resident

The following were reported injured and released from Boston City Hospital:

• Acting Fire Chief John E. Clougherty, Headquarters, eye injury
• Fire Lt. George Graney, Engine 1, throat burns
• Fireman Edward Connolly, Headquarters, eye injury
• Fireman Paul Lambrecht, Ladder 26, eye injury, smoke inhalation
• Fireman Joseph Russell, Engine 50, hip injury
• Fireman William Cunningham, Engine 37, eye injury
• Fireman William Brown, Ladder 13, neck burns
• Fireman John Gaddis, Ladder 4, smoke inhalation
• Fireman Joseph Pishkin, Ladder 29, eye injury
• Fireman Richard Pare, Engine 31, facial cuts
• Fireman Howard Clinkscale, Ladder 13, back injury
• Fireman Paul Callahan, Engine 37, eye injury, smoke inhalation
• Fireman David McKinnon, Engine 43, burned hands
• Fireman John McGinnis, Engine 37, eye injury
• Fireman Thomas Gorman, Engine 21, cut hand
• Patrolman Robert Stone, Division 6, smoke inhalation
• MDC Patrolman Frank Luppi, cut hand (at Mass. General Hospital)
• John DiPetro, City Hospital volunteer, smoke inhalation
• Timothy Karpetski, cut hand
• Kevin Mooney, smoke inhalation
• William Kelley, burned hand
• Sara Nolan, resident, collapsed at scene
• Frances Szpakowski, resident, arm burns
• Margaret Barry, resident, burns and exhaustion
• Judy Peterson, resident, smoke inhalation
• Nora McCarthy, resident, exhaustion
• Dennis Coffey, collapsed at scene

The response to the fire was as follows:

The following out-of-town Mutual Aid fire companies responded on the 4th Alarm at 1344 hours to cover Boston firehouses:

• Brookline Engine 2 to Boston Engine 37.
• Cambridge Engine 2 to Boston Engine 10.
• Newton Engine 8 to Boston Engine 51.
• Quincy Engine 2 to Boston Engine 20.
• Somerville Engine 2 to Boston Engine 32.
• Winthrop Engine 2 to Boston Engine 56.

The following out-of-town Mutual Aid fire companies responded on the 5th Alarm at 1346 hours to cover Boston firehouses:

• Brookline Engine 7 to Boston Engine 42.
• Chelsea Engine 1 to Boston Engine 5.
• Dedham Engine 1 to Boston Engine 55.
• Everett Engine 3 to Boston Engine 50.
• Milton Engine 1 to Boston Engine 16.

The following Mutual Aid fire companies responded at 1402 hours to the scene of the fire on Signal 8112 (Mutual Aid to Boston) and provided the services listed:

• Arlington Engine 2, operated two 2 1/2" handlines near #18 Bellflower Street.
• Arlington Ladder 2, assisted Arlington Engine 2.
• Belmont Engine 2, supplemented pumping to Milton Engine 4.
• Cambridge Engine 1, operated two 2 1/2" handlines in backyards of Howell St.
• Cambridge Engine 5, assisted operating handlines on Dorset Street.
• Cambridge Ladder 1, assisted Cambridge Engine 5.
• Chelsea Engine 2, operated a handline in the backyards of Howell St.
• Everett Engine 5, assisted with handlines near #18 Bellflower Street.
• Holbrook Engine 1, supplemented pumping to Arlington Engine 2.
• Holbrook Ladder 1, assisted with handlines on Dorset Street.
• Lawrence Rescue Company, assisted on handlines.
• Lynn Engine 4, relieved handlines in the backyards of Howell Street.
• Medford Engine 1, operated a 2 1/2" line in the backyards of Howell Street.
• Needham Engine 3, patrolled Dorchester Avenue, assisted on Bellflower St.
• Quincy Engine 1, operated a 2 1/2" handline in the backyards of Howell Street.
• Quincy Engine 2, operated a 2 1/2" handline near #18 Bellflower Street.
• Revere Engine 1, assisted with Boston Engine 26's deckgun on Dorset St.
• Waltham Engine 2, operated a 2 1/2" handline in backyards of Howell St.
• Watertown Ladder 1, relieved on handlines.
• Wellesley Engine 3, operated a 2 1/2" handline near #18 Bellflower Street.
• Weymouth Engine 2, supplemented pumping to Boston Engine 53.
• Winchester Engine 3, operated a 2 1/2" line on Bellflower St. near Boston St.
• Winthrop Engine 2, operated a 2 1/2" handline in backyards of Howell St.
• Woburn Engine 4, operated a 2 1/2" handline near #30 Bellflower Street.

The following Mutual Aid fire companies responded at 1402 hours to cover Boston firehouses on Signal 8112 (Mutual Aid to Boston), as listed:

• Belmont Engine 3 to Boston Engine 34
• Cambridge Engine 3 to Boston Engine 26
• Chelsea Engine 1 to Boston Engine 9
• Hingham Engine 2 to Boston Engine 20
• Lexington Engine 1 to Boston Engine 25
• Melrose Engine 3 to Boston Engine 8
• Navy Yard (Charlestown) Engine to Boston Engine 39
• Newton Engine 1 to Boston Engine 28
• Norwood Engine 2 to Boston Engine 30
• Quincy Engine 5 to Boston Engine 17
• Quincy Engine 7 to Boston Engine 52
• Quincy Ladder 5 to Boston Ladder 29
• Reading Engine 2 to Boston Engine 7
• Watertown Engine 2 to Boston Engine 41
• Watertown Engine 3 to Boston Engine 33
• South Weymouth Naval Air Station Engine to Boston Engine 18
• Winthrop Engine 3 to Boston Engine 56

In the aftermath of the fire, evacuees were sheltered at the Russell School on Columbia Road. Initially, the Roger Clapp School on Harvest Street was opened, but had to be evacuated as the fire advanced. The National Guard Armory on Victory Road in Dorchester was opened as well. Over 300 persons were left homeless as result of the fire.

The area was rebuilt in the years after the fire, with more modern-style multi-family residences and a elderly-housing residence building. The new buildings did not recreate the size and design of the Boston-style "three-deckers". The area continues to be a popular neighborhood for individuals and families to live.