Darkest day of firefighting in Buffalo

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - The darkest day in Buffalo's firefighting history was December 27, 1983, the day a powerful explosion killed five firefighters and two civilians.

A leaking propane take in a warehouse at the intersection of North Division and Grosvenor Streets fueled the blast. The building contained an illegal 500-gallon propane tank whose valve was broken off while it was being moved and the building was evacuated.

The propane started to leak and eventually reached an open flame. The tank exploded, killing all five firefighters assigned to Ladder 5 and two civilians; and damaging a dozen city blocks and causing millions of dollars of damage in fire equipment.