Today in fire history: a fire occured in a 85-year-old warehouse undergoing demolition

On Tuesday, January 15, 1985, a fire occurred in a 102,900-sq ft, 85-year-old warehouse built of mill construction undergoing demolition in the light manufacturing section of Hoboken, New Jersey. At the time of the fire, the roof and top floor of the four-story warehouse had been dismantled. The automatic sprinkler system that once protected the warehouse complex had been taken out of service two weeks prior to the fire. In an effort to keep warm while working inside the building, demolition crews lit small fires in metal containers. It is believed that the fire was caused when burning materials from...