"Just before 4 A.M. on Sunday, August 29, 1943, nearby residents
heard a 'thunderous noise' from the vicinity of
the State Normal School on Windham St. Shortly
thereafter, a
telephone alarm followed by box
alarm from Box 19 alerted firefighters of the
fire which would consume the 48 year old school
in an inferno estimated at $200,000..
All quotes from "Firefighting in
Willimantic" ©
by Michael E. Tirone and Peter J.
Zizka
 |
"The first firefighters on the scene encountered a mass of flames
shooting as high as fifty feet in the air and so
found it impossible to save any of the
furnishings or books in the library which
contained 60,000 volumes.
 |
"Embers from the blaze were blown as far as five blocks away. Even
though a recall was sounded about four hours
after the fire began, firefighters were still
pouring water on the ruins until late Sunday
afternoon. All that remained were the structures
exterior walls.
 |
"Willimantic Engine 1,
a 1927 Bulldog Mack Chain Drive
operates at the
Normal School fire as firefighters continue to
pour water on the smoldering remains of the
building
 |
"Late Sunday afternoon,
Willimantic auxiliary firefighter
“Pop” Miller operates another of the V-8 pumps
supplying water to the firefighters at the
Normal School"
All quotes from "Firefighting in
Willimantic" ©
by Michael E. Tirone and Peter J.
Zizka
|
This photograph shows the WFD Auxiliaries'
truck. The auxiliary members
had their own vehicle, and even a
portable pump, purchased with CD money.
|
Fire Chief Michael
English on the front lawn inspecting the fire
scene.
 |
Firefighters William
Smith, Ambrose "Sam" Roy and one other on the
hose line.
 |
