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Episode Twenty Three | The Worcester 6: The Cold Storage Warehouse Fire, Worcester, Mass (part two)



 

The Worcester warehouse fire was a massive disaster for the city. Six men were killed and 17 children left fatherless. Once it was learned what happened, it raised a lot of questions. How could this happen? Should the people who started the fire be charged? Can they be held responsible?

No event has impacted the city of Worcester more in the last 21 years than the Worcester Cold Storage Warehouse Fire. It showed what the city and its people are made of. On December 3, 1999, a fire broke out at an abandoned warehouse at 266 Franklin Street in Worcester, Massachusetts - a massive, six story windowless concrete box of a structure. Its maze-like design proved to be deadly. The fire raged undetected for nearly two hours. More than 25 firefighters went in to fight it back. Six of those men didn't make it out. The Worcester Six: Paul Brotherton, Jeremiah Lucey, Thomas Spencer, Timothy Jackson, James Lyons, and Joseph McGuirk.


Photo Gallery Thank you to the Leary Firefighters Foundation learyfirefighters.org


Source Links | Part Two


Worcesterma.gov - The Memorial

http://www.worcesterma.gov/fire/about-us/firefighters-memorial


MassLive.com - The Sons Carry On

https://www.masslive.com/worcester/2019/12/the-worcester-6-twenty-years-ago-six-firefighters-died-fighting-the-cold-storage-fire-now-several-of-their-sons-carry-on-the-firefighting-tradition.html


Worcester Telegram - Band of Brothers https://www.telegram.com/news/20191128/band-of-brothers-sons-of-late-firefighter-brotherton-carry-on-call-to-service

Worc Telegram - Danny Spencer Reflects On Life After His Dad’s Death in 1999

https://www.telegram.com/news/20191130/danny-spencer-son-of-fire-lt-thomas-spencer-reflects-on-life-after-his-fathers-death-in-1999-warehouse-blaze


Worc Telegram - Worcester Firefighter Jerry Lucey relies on brotherhood as he navigates his father’s past

https://www.telegram.com/news/20191201/worcester-firefighter-jerry-lucey-relies-on-brotherhood-as-he-navigates-his-fathers-past


Worc Telegram - Ding On Tony Kwan

https://www.telegram.com/article/20091130/NEWS/911300360


Seacoast Online - Firefighters To Blame for their own death said warehouse owner

https://www.seacoastonline.com/article/20000605/news/306059989

Metrowest Daily News - Warehouse owner still prays for victims, families https://www.metrowestdailynews.com/article/20091204/NEWS/312049892


Cape Cod Times - Wrongful Death Case and Settlement in deadly fire

https://www.capecodtimes.com/article/20020930/NEWS01/309309955

CNN - Couple Charged

http://archives.cnn.com/1999/US/12/08/firefighters.killed.01


CBS NEWS - Trial After Fire https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trial-after-fire


Court Records


Julie Ann Barnes

https://casetext.com/case/commonwealth-v-barnes-5

Thomas Levesque https://caselaw.findlaw.com/ma-supreme-judicial-court/1013791.html


Worcester Telegram - The Accused Fire Suspects https://www.telegram.com/article/20100122/NEWS/911119947?template=ampart


SeaCoast Online - Worcester fire suspect has long-lost sister

https://www.seacoastonline.com/article/20000515/News/305159990


Worcester Telegram - Julie Barnes Get On With Her Life https://www.telegram.com/article/20100122/NEWS/911209967


ABC News - Manslaughter Charges Dismissed https://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=95698&page=1


Hartford Courant - Tragedy In Worcester: Childlike, Homeless And Accused, by Janice D'arcy

https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-1999-12-09-9912090045-story.html


South Coast Today - Couple Makes a deal https://www.southcoasttoday.com/article/20020531/News/305319960


Firehouse.com - Developer settles with families

https://www.firehouse.com/historical-incidents/news/10527020/developer-settles-with-worcester-fire-widows


Archives

Boston Globe - In Worcester, Muted Support For Court's Warehouse Fire Ruling Relatives, Firefighters Back SJC Ruling On Fatal Worcester Fire, by Jenna Russell, Mar 31, 2002 https://www-proquest-com.ezproxy.bpl.org/bostonglobe/docview/405440892/53FE640BE471423APQ/9?accountid=9675


Boston Globe - A Trial For What? By Adrian Walker, April 1 2002

https://www-proquest-com.ezproxy.bpl.org/bostonglobe/docview/405463372/F10667AEAA55488BPQ/1?accountid=9675


Boston Globe - A Path To Tragedy They Were Fixtures In Downtown Worcester, But Often Barely Noticed. That Changed After Their Arrest In The Deadly Warehouse Fire, by Joanna Weiss, Dec 19, 1999

https://www-proquest-com.ezproxy.bpl.org/bostonglobe/docview/405321595/f10667aeaa55488bpq/3?accountid=9675






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