CHARLESTON, W.Va. — One of the largest tragedies in the history of downtown Charleston was marked Wednesday when the names were read and bell rung for the seven Charleston firefighters who lost their lives in the Woolworth building fire on March 4, 1949.
It’s important to remember, Charleston Fire Captain Austin Smith said.
“The loss of the lives just doesn’t affect firefighters,” Smith said. “It affects the entire community, it affects their families, their friends for generations, 77 years later we are still thinking about it.”
Their sacrifice does not go unnoticed, Smith said.
“It’s our responsibility to honor those firefighters,” Smith said.
Firefighters responded to the blaze in the basement of the former Woolworth building. As they worked to extinguish the flames, the first floor of the building collapsed on top of them. Some were able to escape, but the seven could not. There were 13 firefighters who were injured.
Smith said firefighter is still as dangerous today.
“The men and women who respond as the Charleston Fire Department put their lives on the line on a daily basis,” Smith said. “We always want to make sure we are prepared and doing our jobs at the best of our abilities.”
The seven firefighters who lost their lives in 1949 were George Coates, James Paul “Jiggs” Little, Frank Miller, Richard McCormick, Emory Pauley, T. Frank Sharp, and Freddie Summers.
Smith credited the administration of Charleston Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin has working well with firefighters today.
“The city has stepped up over and over again to provide us with everything we need to help us do our job 100 percent,” Smith said.
There’s currently construction underway to improve the city’s fire stations.
MetroNews Reporter Daniel Woods contributed to this story.