In New York City history it is known simply as the Father’s Day Fire.
The blaze on June 17, 2001 at Long Island General Supply Hardware in Astoria would claim the lives of firefighters Harry Ford, 50, Brian Fahey, 46, and John Downing, 40, who left behind widows and eight children.
Their families were welcomed and supported by hundreds last week as the FDNY marked the 25th anniversary with a wreath laying on the corner of 14th Street and Astoria Boulevard. The department also rededicated a plaque honoring all three men that was removed from the original building on the site five years ago before it was torn down…