HUDDERSFIELD - 1941

Photos: ITV, Examiner

On Oct. 31, 1941, fire swept H. Booth & Son clothing factory in Huddersfield, England, claiming 49 lives. Recalling the fire, The Huddersfield Daily Examiner said:  "The five-story clothing factory had only one staircase, no evacuation drill and a buzzer system which failed." The cause was deemed to be "a smoker’s pipe left alight inside a raincoat pocket," Wikipedia said.

COVENT GARDEN - 1949

On Dec. 21, 1949, fire broke out in stacks of Christmas trees stored in catacombs beneath London's Covent Garden flower market, killing a fireman. Armed with pneumatic drills, the fire brigade bored holes in concrete floors to release smoke. More than 1 million gallons of water were pumped into the catacombs and rose as high as as five feet.

GREEN GODDESS

Illustration: BBC

From 1953 to 2004, the British government maintained a fleet of "Green Goddess" reserve fire engines for civil defense and national emergencies. Photo above shows military firefighters and "Green Goddess" at fire in Cambridge during 2002 fire strike. The engines were also used during the 1977 fire strike.