Saint Francis Hotel Fire Causes Slight Damage
February 20, 1932
Combustion of Kodak films stored in a closet was the cause of a fire breaking out in the St. Francis Hotel about 8 o’clock Monday evening.
Little damage was done as the flames were quickly discovered and extinguished by the use of one of the hotel’s chemical fire fighting tanks.
Although an alarm was sent in, calling out the fire engine, its apparatus was not called into play, the fire being under control before its arrival.
Intense heat from the flue near where the films were stored caused them to ignite and flare up, burning the closet slightly.
Boarders at the hotel were quite unaware of a fire being in the building as two of them, upon hearing the alarm, rushed out and inquired as to the whereabouts of the fire. A bystander responded that they had just come out of the building in which the fire was located.
