chemicals

Redwood Chemical fire on Sep. 8, 1975

Tuesday, September 8, 2020

HFD battles fire at Redwood Chemical Company in 1975

It wasn't necessarily one of Houston's biggest fires, but the one at the Redwood Chemical Co. in 1975 was significant for what it did to firefighters years after. Even ABC13 captured firefighters being treated in the midst of the smoke, which wound up being deadly to them.

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- On Sep. 8 1975, the Houston Fire Department responded to a fire at the Redwood Chemical company in downtown.

It wasn't one of the biggest fires in Houston history, but many firefighters believed it had serious consequences.

The men who worked the fire at 1215 Jackson St. were not wearing hazardous material suits, and breathed in the fumes from the chemical company.

For years after the fire, many firefighters who made the scene died of various illnesses. Many firefighters were convinced that chemicals from the blaze caused their illnesses, but nothing conclusive was ever documented.

The building is long gone today. The Toyota Center now takes up most of that hundred block of Jackson Street.

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