Houston Oil Fire
It required eighteen hours hard fight for firemen to gain control over one of the city’s worst oil fires which wrecked three large oil storage tanks, threatening the entire Manchester residential and business section. Twenty-six persons were hospitalized.
Fire started when lightning struck a 55,000-barrel crude oil storage tank. Exploding oil and intense heat drove firemen back but they were able to hold the fire in check until two 15,000-gallon high octane gas tanks exploded. A second blast spread flames shoulder-high for several blocks around the Eastern States refinery, injuring firemen and spectators. At this point the evacuation of Manchester residents was ordered by Fire Chief Homer Lyles.
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