The Worst Fire In Dallas History

11/30/2022 (Permalink)

Lives Were Lost, On This Tragic Day in Dallas History

50 Years Ago, The Worst Fire In Dallas History Occured

Dallas at the time was still reeling from the Kennedy assassination and was still abuzz with the fallout when the fire stole the headlines. News coverage from the time stated that the fire started in the basement of the restaurant and was eventually ruled  arson. One person would go on trial but was ultimately acquitted.

According to a 2015 synopsis of the fire on the City of Dallas’s news website, more than 750 firefighters fought through the early morning hours to put out the flames, including firefighters from Station 18 and Gaylord’s father, Jerry Henderson. Henderson was one of the firefighters inside when the floor of the building finally collapsed, sending him and several others into a fiery fall.

Gaylord said as the morning progressed, her mother and her family got the news that they always feared.

“Later on, of course, there was a knock on the door,” she said, saying her mom opened it to see a Dallas Fire captain and several of her father’s good friends. “They came in to tell her that it was confirmed, the four firemen were lost.”