Firefighter Record
Firefighter Details
| Name | Howard Mitchell |
| Agency | Chicago Fire Department |
| Rank | Firefighter |
| Type of Firefighter | Career |
| Age Range | 41 to 45 |
| Sex | Male |
| Date of Birth | 0/0/0 |
| Date of Death | 3/23/1954 |
| Cause of Death | Struck by object |
| Nature of Death | Trauma |
| Attribute of Death | [not applicable] |
| Type of Duty | [Unknown] |
Incident Details
| Incident Name | N/A |
| Incident City | Chicago |
| Incident State | IL |
| Incident Date | 3/23/1954 7:0 |
| Incident Location | Industry/ Manufacturing |
| Incident Attribute | Basement fires , Structural collapses , Explosions , Fires |
Incident Summary
On March 23, 1954, a fire erupted at Rocco Rizzo & Son, a paper company on Taylor Street in Chicago. The fire was started around 7 A.M. when Michael Rizzo, owner of the company, added refuse to the fire in the company’s basement boiler. The fire flared, spreading sparks around the room and igniting piles of rags and papers. The Chicago Fire Department quickly responded to the alarm and firefighters were beginning to attack the blaze when a large blast caused by the heat and smoke inside the building brought down one of the structure’s walls. Twelve firefighters who had been spraying hoses through the basement windows or operating on ladders were buried by the debris, and Firefighters Frank Catalano and Howard Mitchell died from their injuries.
Citations:
“2 Firemen Die, 12 are Injured as Wall Falls,” Chicago Daily Tribune, March 24, 1954.
“Start Inquest in Fire Deaths,” Chicago Daily Tribune, March 25, 1954.
“Inquest into 2 Fire Deaths is Continued,” Chicago Daily Tribune, April 6, 1954.
Firefighter and Incident Images
