Firehouse Talk: Tales from the Fire Service

A fatal fire in 1981 left two Dallas firefighters dead.  In this episode (part 2), we look at the immediate aftermath, developments and long term consequences and also learn the cause of the fire.

On August 21, 1981,  an early morning fire breaks out in a large Dallas home.  This is the story of the men who fought the fire and the tragic consequences of that incident.This episode takes us through the day before and the day of the fire.  A future episode will delve into the aftermath of the fire, lessons learned, and changes that have been made since that time. 

Following their long careers as firefighters  with the Dallas Fire Department, Byron Temple and Creston Whitaker join me, Mike Otto and Rett Blankenship to talk about their experiences.

Pat Murphy worked for the Dallas Fire Department for 40 years before retiring as a Captain.  A gregarious character, he is well known and loved by all.  My co-host Mike Otto, museum docent Mike Hoskins and I sat down with Pat to discuss his career over a cup of coffee at the Dallas Firefighters Museum.  Pat mentions many firefighters in this episode, one of whom passed away recently, Mike Hyles, and this episode is dedicated to his memory.

Chief Steve Abraira cut his teeth in Miami, Florida where he rose through the ranks to be the Assistant Chief of Operations. He then served as Chief of the Department in three different cities including Dallas Texas, Palm Bay Florida and Boston Massachusetts.  This is his story.

A brief history of the Dallas Chapter of the Knife and Gun Club.  The story begins with historical 19th century shootings, then skips forward to a few more recent incidents. 

The year is 1963. Bud Massie and Joe Jones are both Dallas firefighters and both they, and their wives Marsha and Betty, are close friends. On Monday, August 26, Bud and Joe are riding Truck 15 in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas, Texas while Marsha and Betty are spending the day together.  This is a story of tragedy told from a different perspective, not a firefighter perspective, but a family member perspective, because a line of duty death does not occur in a vacuum. Like a stone cast in a pond, the ripples expand outward. 

The Burris brothers travel to Dallas and join the fire department, but this choice leads  to a date with destiny years later at the Texas Wheel and Body Company fire in 1923.  We talk to a surviving relative about the brothers and the fire.  We also learn about Assistant Chief E.O. "Charlie" Jones and unravel a photographic mystery in the Dallas Firefighters Museum archives.

In this episode we speak with Lieutenant Mike Otto, Dallas Fire Department, Retired.  We discuss his fire department career before delving into his near death experience in a house fire in 2006.Music by Scott Buckley - www.scottbuckley.com.au

A while back I was looking through some of our items at the Dallas Firefighter’s Museum and came across what appeared to be a strap of some sort mounted on red velvet in a beautiful wooden shadow box.  In this episode we learn the backstory behind this important piece of history at the museum.After the episode, visit the firefightinglegends.com website to see accompanying photographs and  learn more about the incidentMusic by Scott Buckley - www.scottbuckley.com.au

A podcast  dedicated to preserving the stories of firefighters and the fire service.  Episodes available wherever you get your podcast, and also on the website firefightinglegends.comMusic by Scott Buckley - scottbuckley.com/au