Spectacular $200,000 Fire Razes Building at Bowman

Flames shoot skyward from Army building at Bowman Field.." Courier-Journal Photo by Jim Harlan. Courtesy Courier Journal February 14, 1957. Courtesy John Trowbridge

Courtesy John Trowbridge

The Courier Journal reported on February 14, 1957 that "A spectacular fire that broke out in a National Guard property and fiscal building at Bowman Field last night destroyed the building and a private plane parked nearby.

The blaze, discovered shortly before 10:30, endangered for some time the quarters of Kentucky Flying Service and adjacent buildings on the northeastern side of the field.

Firemen and hoses were stationed on the roof of the K. F. S. to put out “Fireballs” rolling off the burning one-story frame National Guard building.

SET GRASS ABLAZE

The balls of fire, however, set grass ablaze at the edge of a runway and spread to destroy an Aeronca single-engine monoplane owned by V. B. Keene of 1620 Ellwood Avenue.

Damage to the building and its contents was estimated at $200,000 by Lt. Col. Jackson a. Smith, United States property and fiscal officer for the Kentucky Air National Guard.

Keene’s plane, valued at $1,200, was outside the K.F.S. hangar in a line of about 15 planes. The cab of a second plane also was damaged, but the others were towed away from the vicinity of the fire.

GUARD DISCOVERS FIRE

The burned building contained mostly uniforms, Colonel Smith said. It also housed his office and records of all equipment sent from the Federal Government to the guard in Kentucky.

By midnight the blaze was under control.

A guardsman, Specialist Third Class Donald Tyson, who lives in a nearby building, discovered the fire about 10:25 p.m. He noticed smoke coming from the corner of the building where a coal furnace is located.

Bowman Field was closed down by the Louisville and Jefferson County Air Board after the second alarm was sounded on the heels of the first alarm at 10:32 p.m. A third alarm went off at 10:53 p.m.

22 TANKS ENDANGERED

Low water pressure in the area hampered the fire fighters. The situation was aggravated by the large number of lines being used.

For a time the flames endangered 22M-47 Patton tanks of the National Guard parked nearby and valued at a total of $10,000,000.

All the tanks were without batteries. One foremost in the line was towed away by truck but none of them were damaged.

A yard full of trailers and small trucks in the direct line of the fire also escaped damage."

Fireman goes to aid of mates fighting Army building blaze." Courier-Journal Photo by Warren Klosterman. Courtesy Courier Journal February 14, 1957. Courtesy John Trowbridge

The Courier Journal story continued "Fire Chief John Krusenklaus described the blaze as “one big bonfire.” He said he was unable to determine immediately the cause.

Tremendous billows of smoke obliterated the area after the main flame had been put out, but no one was overcome by smoke. One fireman earlier was taken to General Hospital for unspecified treatment.

Colonel Smith said the fire apparently had been burning for some time before it was detected. He had closed his office in the building, employing some 30 persons, at 4:30 p.m.

TRAFFIC IS JAMMED

The loss of the building’s records, he said: will mean an inventory must be taken of at least 14,000 guard items stored in other building throughout the state.

Smith said equipment lost in the building will never be determined because of the loss of the records.

Traffic jams on Taylorville Road, Dutchmans Lane and even on Seneca Park roads resulted from the blaze. The park roads were cluttered with persons who had come to watch the flames from a distance."