PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — It’s been 35 years since three Philadelphia firefighters died while battling a 12-alarm fire inside the Meridian Bank building in Center City, across the street from City Hall.
The fire ignited around 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 23, 1991, caused by a pile of oil-soaked rags.
“They were doing renovations in the building and they were using a certain type of oil to wipe down the baseboards. … [The rags] were able to incinerate without any heap or spark because of the chemical that was used,” said Brian Anderson, a long-time firefighter and curator for the Fireman’s Hall Museum in Old City…