By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• New York City firefighters remembered a 1939 blaze in Queens that killed nine members of the FDNY outside Engine 30/Ladder 23 in Astoria.
• A ceremony was held with FDNY leaders, officials and family members marking the 87th anniversary of the tragedy.
• The fatal fire occurred March 2, 1939, at a four-alarm commercial fire on 36th Street.
• The department said the annual observance honors their sacrifice and legacy.
ASTORIA, NY — The New York City Fire Department and local officials gathered Sunday to honor nine firefighters killed in a 1939 commercial fire in Queens, marking the 87th anniversary of the tragedy.
The ceremony took place outside the FDNY Engine 30/Ladder 23 firehouse on 36th Street in Astoria, where members of the department, family members and city leaders participated in wreath laying and moment-of-silence observances.
On March 2, 1939, a four-alarm fire in a commercial building in Queens claimed the lives of nine FDNY firefighters and injured many others, prompting changes in department operations and safety practices.
FDNY officials said the annual event preserves the memory of the fallen and honors their sacrifice in service to the city, drawing current and retired members to reflect on the legacy of those lost.
Speakers at the memorial included department leaders and relatives of the firefighters who perished, who shared remarks about courage and the importance of remembering history.