Kingman on July 5th, anyone here there when the explosion happened?

[ricky e]

wondering if anyone on here was here when the Doxol explosion happened

 

[The Prisoner]

I was 9 and didn’t move here til 83. Someone would have to be around 70 years old or older to actually remember it.

 

[ricky e]

I was 9 and didn’t move here til 83. Someone would have to be around 70 years old or older to actually remember it.

Close...
I am 65 and was 15 when it blew...
was literally, across the street...

saw everything

is why I could never be a fireman... saw enough to last a lifetime...

just wondered if anyone else had been around Mohave Co then...

 

[94essex]

My dad was around for it he, was near enough to have a decent sized scar/burn on his back. Don't know all the details as to why we was close he was driving parts for an auto parts store as a high-school gig at the time

 

[ricky e]

My dad was around for it he, was near enough to have a decent sized scar/burn on his back. Don't know all the details as to why we was close he was driving parts for an auto parts store as a high-school gig at the time

wow...
hope he didnt have to many complications from it...


the tank was shooting a fire ball into the air for several minutes that could be seen from the whole town... sooo everyone went to the Whiting Bros. station across 66 from where the tanks were...
so when it blew, everyone ran, hence the burn on his back and arms

I couldn't find my friend but took numerous loads of way messed up people in the back of my truck to the hospital..

was tragic and horrifying all at once... the smell I can never forget...

 

[86403]

Sadly, remember that. My dad lost a friend. We lived in LH. 12 y/o.

 

[The Prisoner]

Here a wiki on it. Ricky, you been here way longer than me. I remember Stockton Hill being one lane past the old Safeway.

Kingman explosion - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[Willie B]

 

[Willie B]

 

[DLow]

So sad these guys lost their lives over something that was already gone.

Thanks for sharing guys. I discuss this incident every Haz Mat Technician class I teach. On the first day we review it and another fatal incident from 1984. Good way to get new techs to understand they are getting into on a whole new level of risk.

 

[WhatExit?]

Amazing and very tragic story

 

[Racey]

I Remember pepcon in Henderson as a kid, all the windows in our house were big 4x7 plate glass and they banged so hard, then looking over the hill was a giant mushroom cloud out of nowhere. Still vividly remember it.

 

[The Prisoner]

From the miner yesterday:



Many years have passed. Kingman has grown four-fold. But it has not forgotten the day 49 years ago when a railroad tank car filled with propane exploded, raining fire and death.

Of the 13 killed on July 5, 1973, 11 were volunteer Kingman firefighters. They had set up attack lines and were attempting to cool the burning tank car, prevent an explosion, and protect the community. At the time, it was the deadliest disaster ever experienced by an Arizona firefighting unit.

The tributes over the years have been many, and the heroism has not been forgotten.

There’s the park – Firemen’s Memorial Park – and its touching memorial, which features plaques commemorating the service of each of the deceased. It was constructed in 2010 and has been lovingly maintained, a tribute to those who gave all.

There’s also the high school and its mascot – the Lee Williams High School Volunteers – named after the principal/volunteer firefighter – one of the volunteer firefighters who perished that horrible day. They ring the bell during LWHS graduation ceremonies to honor Lee Williams and the others who died that day.

Their stories also live on in the online archives of the Kingman Miner. If you google Doxol on kdminer.com, you’ll find dozens of stories about the disaster dating back to the 1990s. And you’ll see numerous obituaries that show how the disaster impacted the lives of the survivors.

If you’re looking for a silver lining, there are several.

The Doxol explosion, named after the company where the propane was being offloaded into company tanks for distribution, changed the way firefighters everywhere respond to propane fires.

Also, according to Miner file stories, it is credited with sparking the creation of the Arizona state fire school.

Additionally, the fact that dozens of onlookers watching from several hundred yards away were seriously burned when the tank car exploded, stands as testament to the need to evacuate the area when similar fires occur.

That doesn’t lessen the tragedy. But it’s nice to know that these valiant men did not die in vain.

 

[ricky e]

From the miner yesterday:



Many years have passed. Kingman has grown four-fold. But it has not forgotten the day 49 years ago when a railroad tank car filled with propane exploded, raining fire and death.

Of the 13 killed on July 5, 1973, 11 were volunteer Kingman firefighters. They had set up attack lines and were attempting to cool the burning tank car, prevent an explosion, and protect the community. At the time, it was the deadliest disaster ever experienced by an Arizona firefighting unit.

The tributes over the years have been many, and the heroism has not been forgotten.

There’s the park – Firemen’s Memorial Park – and its touching memorial, which features plaques commemorating the service of each of the deceased. It was constructed in 2010 and has been lovingly maintained, a tribute to those who gave all.

There’s also the high school and its mascot – the Lee Williams High School Volunteers – named after the principal/volunteer firefighter – one of the volunteer firefighters who perished that horrible day. They ring the bell during LWHS graduation ceremonies to honor Lee Williams and the others who died that day.

Their stories also live on in the online archives of the Kingman Miner. If you google Doxol on kdminer.com, you’ll find dozens of stories about the disaster dating back to the 1990s. And you’ll see numerous obituaries that show how the disaster impacted the lives of the survivors.

If you’re looking for a silver lining, there are several.

The Doxol explosion, named after the company where the propane was being offloaded into company tanks for distribution, changed the way firefighters everywhere respond to propane fires.

Also, according to Miner file stories, it is credited with sparking the creation of the Arizona state fire school.

Additionally, the fact that dozens of onlookers watching from several hundred yards away were seriously burned when the tank car exploded, stands as testament to the need to evacuate the area when similar fires occur.

That doesn’t lessen the tragedy. But it’s nice to know that these valiant men did not die in vain.

nicely said my friend...

 

[94essex]

wow...
hope he didnt have to many complications from it...


the tank was shooting a fire ball into the air for several minutes that could be seen from the whole town... sooo everyone went to the Whiting Bros. station across 66 from where the tanks were...
so when it blew, everyone ran, hence the burn on his back and arms

I couldn't find my friend but took numerous loads of way messed up people in the back of my truck to the hospital..

was tragic and horrifying all at once... the smell I can never forget...

He was alright he actually ended up joining the fire department and retired a few years back. A handful of the guys that lost their lives had sons that also became firefighters in town and retired alsom

 

[mash on it]

I remember this as a training film for first responders/ hazmat course I had in community college some 30 years ago.

Been to firefighter park a few times. A sombering experience.

Dan'l

 

[ricky e]

He was alright he actually ended up joining the fire department and retired a few years back. A handful of the guys that lost their lives had sons that also became firefighters in town and retired alsom

that is great!
Thank you for sharing that with me...

cant ever get past the 5th of July without a big lump in my throat for hours...

hope to see you on the water one day!
Rick