Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-08
FOUR-ALARM fire
DESTROYS HANGAR
Parachute Building and Con-
tents Also Burn at Boiling
Field.

The Boiling Field parachute depart
ment building and repair shop and the
visiting plane hangar are piles of en-
berS and twisted metal today following
the fifth major fire which has occurred
at the field in less than 10 years. The
buildings were destroyed late yesterday
afternoon and the other buildings on
the post were endangered when fire broke
out in the parachute building and
leaped 80 feet to the hangar. Four
alarms were turned in for District fire
apparatus before the blaze was brought
under control. Damage Is estimated
at $4,000.
High winds, following the storm
earlier in the afternoon, made the blaze
difficult to control and grave fear was
felt for the remainder of the post
virtually all of the buildings being of
temporary World War construction
Many Of the barracks and other build
ingS are of frame construction and are
finder dry All of the hangers, though
of steel and sheet metal construction
are covered with a tarred waterproof
ing which is highly inflammable.
Parachutes Destroyed.
Between 20 and IS parachutes, valued
at approximately $255 each, were in
the parachute building and were de-
frame and stucco construction, was
burned to the ground. The hangar COL
lapsed in ruins after the hot fire from
the walls had twisted the columns
supporting the roof.
Two airplaneS in the hangar, q Sikor-
sky twin-engined amphibian recently
acquired by the Army Air Corps, and
Douglas 02-C observation plane, were
rolled out Of the hangar and saved.
The only contents Of the hangar lost
were working tools used On the field
and a few spare airplane parts.
The estimate Of damage was fixed at
spection by officers of the field and the
District Fire Department. The burned
hangar, known as mo. f." was used
for visiting planes and had housed such
famous aircraft as the Spirit of St.
Louis, Col. Charles A. Lindbergh's
transatlantic plane; the Question Mark,
Army endurance record holder; the
Southern Cross, used in the flight from
California to Australia, and others
which have figured in American rec
ords.
Four Alarms Sounded.
When the fire broke out in the para
chute structure at about 4:30 pm, off,
GERS on the field saw that the field fire
n8htlng apparatus would be unable to
cope with the situation because of the
high wind and turned in an alarm for
District apparatus. Two additional
alarms were sounded in rapid success
sion and finally fourth alarm was sent
in. After It was realized both burning
buildings were doomed, the fire-f1ghters
concentrated their efforts on saving adj
jacent buildings.
The first serious fire at Boiling Field
occurred october 16, 1920, when damage
estimated at nearly 100000 was
caused.
The Photographic laboratory and re-
pair hangar were destroyed on March
81, 1928. Four enlisted men were in
jured fighting this fire, which resulted
in damage estimated at $250,000.
Fire loss Of 100000 was caused by
fire which broke out on the field Janu-
airy 20, 1925.
On December ~, 1927, the quarter
master warehouse was destroyed, the
loss being 100000.
There have been other fires at the
field, resulting in minor losses.