Strand Theatre fire
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| Date | March 10, 1941 |
|---|---|
| Time | Around 12:45 AM |
| Location | Strand Theatre 15 School Street Brockton, Massachusetts |
| Coordinates | 42°04′59″N 71°01′10″W / 42.08306°N 71.01944°W |
| Cause | Undetermined |
| Deaths | 13[1] |
| Non-fatal injuries | 20[1] |
The Strand Theatre fire occurred in Brockton, Massachusetts on March 10, 1941. Thirteen firefighters were killed when the roof collapsed, making it the deadliest firefighter disaster in Massachusetts.[2]
At around 11:45 p.m. on March 9, 1941, theater manager Frank Clements locked up the building. Around 12:45 a.m., members of the Shoe City Club noticed smoke coming from the building and notified its caretaker, Horace Spencer. Spencer sounded the first alarm at 12:45 a.m. and the second was sounded five minutes later. The fire started in the basement, but at around 1:20 a.m. it spread into the balcony, which led Chief Frank F. Dickinson to order a general alarm.[3] According to investigators, the heat of the fire distorted steel trusses above the ceiling, which pushed the brick walls of the theater back and caused the roof to collapse.[1] The collapse occurred around 1:50 a.m. while four crews were inside fighting the fire.[3] 12 firefighters were killed in the collapse and a thirteenth died at Brockton Hospital two days later.[4] The cause of the fire was never determined.