The fire was so hot that it melted a fire hose right off the hydrant.
Paint and lights on fire trucks blistered, melting in the intense heat that night 35 years ago.
The inferno on April 13, 1985, still stands as the city’s biggest, engulfing the 300 block of South Davie Street. A 35-year old homeless man, Rozelle Bryant, died in the fire. It’s believed he started the blaze unintentionally with a carelessly discarded cigarette.
Several firefighters suffered injuries, but none were considered serious, and no civilians were hurt.
Eight buildings were severely damaged or destroyed and the economic cost to some was in the millions. None of that was apparent when firefighter Paul Minor, Capt. Bob Bost and driver Craig Lewis hopped on Engine 4 shortly before 11 p.m., the first to respond to a report of smoke coming from a building in the turn-of-the-century warehouse district.