The Hotel Vendome Fire and Collapse

JUNE 17, 1972

160 COMMONWEALTH AVENUE, BACK BAY

This page tells the tragic story of the Hotel Vendome Fire & Collapse, which occurred during the mid to late-afternoon hours of Saturday, June 17, 1972. As the fire in the upper floors of the former 7-story hotel (including penthouse) was being extinguished, a collapse of the southeast corner of the building occurred. Many firefighters operating in the upper floors were trapped in the pile of rubble that ensued. After extensive rescue operations had concluded, at 0245 hours the next day, nine firefighters had lost their lives.

This fire/collapse remains the largest Line-Of-Duty Death (LODD) incident in the history of the Boston Fire Department.

The Hotel Vendome, Commonwealth Av. & Dartmouth St., c. 1920.

The Hotel Vendome was built in stages, first in 1872 at the corner of Commonwealth Avenue and Dartmouth Street. In 1881, an addition was built along Commonwealth Avenue, which featured a new main entryway, and was constructed using steel beams supported by masonry bearing walls, with a cut-stone facade to the sixth floor and slate-covered mansard roof and tower above. Around 1890, major renovations to the first floor of the 1872 section were made. A load-bearing wall was removed and was replaced by several wrought-iron beams framed onto a 7 inch diameter cast-iron column resting on a 12″ square by 2″ thick metal plate. The column/plate were directly above a load-bearing wall in the basement. The cast-iron column was the main support for the second floor and above in the old (1872) section. In 1911, a sun parlor was built above the roof in the old section, and a sun deck built of quarry tile was built above the roof in the new (1881) section.

Location of the Hotel Vendome, 1928 map.

Through the years, the Hotel Vendome maintained its popularity as a function facility for wedding receptions, proms, parties and social gatherings, as well as a hotel. Guests greatly valued is blend of Parisian elegance, stately decor and location fronting the Commonwealth Avenue mall. In the early 1960’s, however, the Hotel Vendome began to lose its popularity. The decline continued through the late-1960’s until several fires, in January 1968, April 1968, June 1969 (3-alarms), and December 1969 (2 alarms) brought about its decertification as a hotel.

In March, 1971, the Hotel Vendome was purchased for the purpose of converting it to luxury apartments, with an indoor shopping mall located in the first floor and basement. Over the ensuing months, a contractor submitted several building permit requests on behalf of the owners, due to changes made by architects and structural engineers. Renovation plans were filed on June 30,1971, one day before major changes in the Boston Building Code were to take effect. Contained in the plans submitted was the installation of heating/air conditioning duct-work in the basement. On August 6, 1971, the services of the architect and structural engineer on the project were suspended.

Sometime after August 6, holes were created in the basement walls for the duct-work. The work to create the holes and other work activities had not been reviewed by the Building Department. In due course, the ductwork was installed through holes in the walls in the basement. One of the walls, however, was the load-bearing wall upon which the cast-iron column on the first floor rested. In fact, the hole in the basement wall was directly beneath the cast-iron column. Finally, on December 6, 1971, the owner received a license to renovate the Vendome into 124 residential apartments and a shopping mall. The next day, the Cafe Vendome opened for business. Renovation work continued on the upper floors into 1972. An inspector from the Building Department visited the Vendome on June 13, 1972.

Dartmouth St. side of Hotel Vendome, before the fire, 5/1972.

On Saturday, June 17, 1972, several workers began a brick sandblasting project on the seventh floor of the new (1881) portion of the Vendome. In the basement, the Cafe Vendome opened for business. Later in the day, two of the workers were on the first floor when they noticed yellowish-brown smoke drifting down from the upper floors. A worker went to the fourth floor to investigate, heard cracking noises and saw smoke overhead. He told another worker to send in an alarm, while he alerted the manager of the Cafe Vendome. The approximately 100 patrons in the Cafe were evacuated immediately. The other worker ran to the corner of Dartmouth & Newbury Streets and pulled Box 1571.

The Hotel Vendome, during the fire, before the collapse.

The Fire Alarm Office (FAO) transmitted Box 1571 at 1435 hours. Responding are Engines 33, 22, 7; Ladders 15, 13; District Chief 4. Engine 33 was the first to arrive, reporting light smoke showing from the fourth floor and proceeded to the front of the building and ran a hoseline in the front door. Ladder 15 positioned in the alleyway at the rear of the building and raised the aerial ladder to the fourth floor. Engine 33 found their access to the upper floors blocked by construction equipment and building supplies, so they exited and ran a line over Ladder 13’s aerial at the front of the building to the fourth floor. Engines 22 & 7 ran lines over Ladder 15’s aerial at the rear of the building. At this point, all companies were working.

Dartmouth St. side, during the fire, before the collapse.

Car 4, District Fire Chief William Doherty, ordered a ‘Working Fire’, which was transmitted at 1444 hours. Engine 26, Ladder 17, Rescue Co., and the Deputy Chief of Division 1 (call sign C-6), responded. This was quickly followed by a Second Alarm, transmitted at 1446 hours. Engines 10, 3, 37, 21, Ladder 8, Aerial Towers 1 & 2 responded. Conditions continued to deteriorate rapidly. Heavy smoke was showing from the upper floors on the west-side (toward Exeter Street) and the fire had extended into an airshaft. C-6, Deputy Fire Chief John O’Mara, ordered a Third Alarm at 1502 hours. Responding were Engines 24, 53, 25, 34, and Ladder 1, plus an extra ladder company, Ladder 4. A Fourth Alarm was
transmitted at 1506 hours, with Engines 11, 42, 40, 43 responding, along with the acting Chief of Department, Deputy Fire Chief Joseph Dolan.

The upper floors crashing down during the collapse.

Conditions in the upper floors, especially the fifth floor, made firefighting very difficult. Axe and rake duty, opening-up and ventilating operations continued in support of handlines being operated by the engine companies. Two extra engine companies were ordered at 1552 hours, and Engines 32 & 50 responded. During the next half-hour, the relieving evening-tour crews began to arrive at the scene to relieve the day-tour crews. Engine 32 advanced a handline to the fifth floor to assist members of Engine 22 & Ladder 13 operating in the southeast corner of the building, on the Dartmouth Street side. By 1700 hours, overhauling operations were underway throughout the building.

At 1728 hours, without warning, the southeast corner of the building, along Dartmouth Street and the rear alley, collapsed. The collapse crushed the aerial ladder truck of Ladder 15 in the rear alley. Immediately, rescue operations began. Fire Commissioner James H. Kelly and Chief of Department George Paul were notified. The Rescue-Pumper Unit (RPU) and the Cambridge Rescue Company were special-called and area hospitals were notified to expect trauma patients. Chief Chaplain Msgr. James Keating administered the Last Rites of the Roman Catholic Church to all members upon removal.

A member being removed on a stretcher.

Ladder 15’s 1971 Maxim ladder truck crushed in the collapse.

Firefighters injured were:

• Fire Fighter Henry Hudson, Engine Co. 21, Mass. General Hospital (admitted).
• Fire Lieutenant David Shubert, Engine Co. 40, Mass. General Hospital (released).
• Fire Lieutenant James McCabe, Engine Co. 33, Boston City Hospital (admitted).
• Fire Fighter John Feeney, Engine Co. 22, Boston City Hospital (released).
• Fire Fighter Frederick Howell, Ladder Co. 13, Boston City Hospital (released).
• Fire Fighter Francis O’Connor, Engine Co. 21, Boston City Hospital (released).
• Fire Fighter Robert MacKinnon, Engine Co. 3, Boston City Hospital (released).
• Fire Lieutenant John Nicholas, Engine Co. 7, Boston City Hospital (released).
• Fire Fighter John Heaney, Engine Co. 7, Boston City Hospital (released).

The last member was removed at 0245 hours on Sunday, June 18, Father’s Day.

Last Alarm Card for 9 Department members.

Special Signal 10-15 was transmitted at 0745 hours announcing the Line-Of-Duty Deaths of nine members of the Boston Fire Department at Box 1571, 4 Alarms: Fire Lieutenant Thomas J. Carroll Fire Lieutenant John E. Hanbury Fire Fighter Charles E. Dolan Fire Fighter Joseph P. Saniuk Fire Fighter John E. Jameson Fire Fighter Thomas W. Beckwith Fire Fighter Paul J. Murphy Fire Fighter Richard B. Magee Fire Fighter Joseph F. Boucher, Jr. On Thursday, June 22, 1972, a Funeral Mass was celebrated at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, 1400 Washington Street, South End, for the nine firefighters. Archbishop Humberto Medeiros was the celebrant.

Fire Lieutenant Thomas J. Carroll	Fire Lieutenant Carroll was born May 18, 1920. He was was appointed to the Department on October 31, 1945 and assigned to Engine Company 42. He was promoted to Fire Lieutenant on September 15, 1971.
Fire Lieutenant John E. Hanbury	Fire Lieutenant Hanbury was born May 20, 1926. He was appointed to the Department April 27, 1949 and assigned to Ladder Company 16. He was promoted to Fire Lieutenant on June 29, 1960.
Fire Fighter Charles E. Dolan	Fire Fighter Dolan was born September 6, 1924. He was appointed to the Department on February 3, 1947 and assigned to Ladder Company 29.
Fire Fighter Joseph P. Saniuk	Fire Fighter Saniuk was born on August 8, 1924. He was appointed to the Department on February 18, 1948 and assigned to Ladder Company 19.
Fire Fighter John E. Jameson	Fire Fighter Jameson was born on March 29, 1920. He was appointed to the Department on May 2, 1951 and assigned to Engine Company 56.
Fire Fighter Thomas W. Beckwith	Fire Fighter Beckwith was born on March 22, 1937. He was appointed to the Department on July 27, 1966 and assigned to Ladder Company 2.
Fire Fighter Paul J. Murphy	Fire Fighter Murphy was born on March 5, 1936. He was appointed to the Department on January 18, 1967 and assigned to Engine Company 34.
Fire Fighter Richard B. Magee	Fire Fighter Magee was born on September 17, 1932. He was appointed to the Department on January 17, 1968 and assigned to Engine Company 33.
Fire Fighter Joseph F. Boucher, Jr.	Fire Fighter Boucher was born on January 10, 1944. He was appointed to the Department on November 11, 1970 and assigned to Engine Company 51.

Running Card for Box 1571, Dartmouth & Newbury Streets.

A Board of Inquiry was established to determine the cause of the collapse that resulted in the death of nine firefighters. The conclusion of the Board of Inquiry was, “The loss of support at the base of the circular cast-iron column was sufficient to trigger the collapse of the entire building starting at the second floor and proceeding upward. It is apparent that the cutting of the opening in the twelve inch bearing wall directly below the base of the column weakened the wall to an extent that any additional weight put on the upper floors, such as firefighters and their equipment moving about was enough to initiate the collapse. While there was some water on the floors, it appears that it was draining out quickly through construction holes cut by firefighters and added very little weight to the floors.”

The cause of the fire remains unknown.

On Tuesday, June 17, 1997, the 25th anniversary of the Fire, a memorial was dedicated on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall, diagonally across from the Vendome, at Commonwealth Avenue & Dartmouth Street. The memorial was designed by artist Ted Clausen and landscape architect Peter White.

SOURCES / REFERENCES