The incident

At 8:39 a.m. on August 2, 1978 four FDNY companies and 1 battalion chief was dispatched to the Waldbaum's Supermarket on 2892 Ocean Avenue and Avenue Y in the Sheepshead Bay section of Brooklyn for a reported fire. Engine 254 entered through the front door and began advancing hose to the mezzanine section of store while additional firefighters were sent to the roof to for ventilation.  At this time, only light smoke was in the building. Within 10 minutes at 8:49 a.m. an "all hands" signal was sent out as Engine 276 arrived and reported fire in the walls of the second-story extension that was still under construction. The initial engine on scene (E254), began fire suppression in the mezzanine ceiling where they reported high heat and little smoke.

Shortly thereafter, a second alarm was sent out and three ladder companies (169, 153 and 156) were on the roof making cuts through the bowed rain roof which sat near the center of the building. These companies found very little smoke and did not realize the fire was under the main roof of the structure. Ladder companies 169, 153 and 156 then began to make cuts near the edges of the building which was found to  vent great deals of smoke. Interior firefighters at this time were working to pull the drop ceiling to gain access for the roof firefighters to put water onto the fire they could see from the roof.

At 9:16 a.m. a loud noise from inside the structure rang out and a wooden roof strut had collapsed. With 24 firefighters on the roof, it was reported the roof collapsed without a sound. Six of the firefighters fell onto the tin ceiling and managed to escape the structure. All of the firefighters survived although some with serious injuries.

With more smoke inside and outside of the structure, a third alarm was sent out. Firefighters were still working on the roof, rushed to the edges of the building for safety. As conditions began to worsen inside, firefighters were now searching for survivors of the roof collapse and by this point Chief James O'Malley had ordered all firefighters to evacuate the structure. A few moments later, the entire roof collapsed. Two firefighters were found on the floor of the structure and four others trapped under the roof.  

The Building

The Waldbaum's Supermarket was a 15,000 square foot facility that appears to be a one-story building from the exterior. Inside there was a mezzanine used for offices. The building itself was constructed of masonry bearing walls and a wood-truss roof system. An additional one-story structure was being built as part of the renovation project. The ceiling was a complex structure all to itself of several layers with an interior drop ceiling installed to conceal the original tin ceiling followed by a flat roof supported by timber trusses and an exterior 'rain roof" to assist with drainage and water runoff.

Let us remember

Lt. James E. Cutillo of Battalion 33

Firefighter Charles S. Bouton of Ladder 156

Firefighter Harold F. Hastings of Battalion 42

Firefighter James P. McManus of Ladder 153

Firefighter William O’Connor of Ladder 156

Firefighter George S. Rice of Ladder 153