| Name |
Matthew Colpoys |
| Census |
1935 [1] |
| Born |
25 Sep 1936 |
New York State  [2, 3, 4, 5] |
| Gender |
Male |
 Census |
1940 |
Buffalo, Erie Co., New York [1] |
- Marital Status: Single; Relation to Head of Household: Son
|
| Died |
Dec 1983 |
Buffalo, Erie Co., New York [2, 3, 4, 5] |
| Buried |
Lackawanna, Erie Co., New York [4] |
| Notes |
- He was a fireman in the Buffalo Fire Dept., and was killed in the propane explosion on Division St. on Dec. 26, 1983. It was the worst Fire Dept. accident in Buffalo history.
From firehouse.com: “As firefighters arrived at the scene of a reported propane leak in a three-story radiator warehouse, a massive explosion occurred, killing five firefighters instantly and injuring nine others, three of them critically. The force of the blast blew Ladder 5's tillered aerial 35 feet across the street into the front yard of a dwelling. Engine 1's pumper was also blown across the street with the captain and driver pinned in the cab with burning debris all around them. Engine 32's engine was blown up against a warehouse across a side street and covered with rubble. Two civilians were also killed and another 60 to 70 were injured. While operating at the rescue effort, another 19 firefighters were injured. The blast and ensuing fire ignited 14 residences and damaged as many as 130 buildings over a four-block area. The explosion occurred when an employee was moving an illegal 500-lb. propane tank with a forklift truck and dropped it, breaking off a valve. The gas leaked out, found an ignition source, and the explosion occurred.”
|
| Person ID |
I785 |
BisantzCaldiero |
| Last Modified |
20 Mar 2022 |
Pitard.net - Buffalo Family
1936 - 1983 (47 years)
1916 - 1968 (51 years)
