Pain remains fresh 50 years after Palatine fire killed three firefighters
PALATINE, Ill. (CBS) -- It has been a half century since fire swept through a Ben Franklin five-and-dime store in Palatine.
Three firefighters died in that fire on Feb. 23, 1973. Fifty years later, their loved ones say the pain remains.
On Thursday, CBS 2's Noel Brennan talked with those who will never forget.
"It's just beautiful what they do," said Rose Ahlgrim, whose husband died in the fire.
The solemn routine takes place in Palatine year after year – a march to a memorial marks the day Palatine changed.
"I think it's made me a stronger person," Ahlgrim said, "It's etched in my brain. I remember it like yesterday."
"Today 50 years ago changed my life completely," said John Tobin.
Tobin recalls details from the day.
"Wisps of smoke coming out of the windows," he said.
Those memories are as clear as the photos Tobin took at the scene.
"At that time, I was kind the official unofficial photographer for the fire department," he said.
The fire at the Ben Franklin variety store called in Palatine's volunteer firefighters – like Warren "Auggie" Ahlgrim.
"That was his nickname, and that's what he preferred," his widow said. "He left like any other fire call."
Auggie Alghrim waws the father of two kids. He, Richard Freeman, and John Wilson left that day 50 years ago – and never came home.
Palatine fire officials explained at the ceremony that the fire had been burning in the walls and in the ceiling of the store for some time - and it erupted quickly. The firefighters were overwhelmed, and it became impossible for them to escape the basement.
"It was just a shock," Tobin said. "It was the first real friends – I called them idols - that I knew that passed away."
"I still miss him just as much," added Ms. Ahlgrim.
Half a century later, Palatine still lives with pain – and that will never change.
"It's been hard," said Ms. Alghrim, "even after 50 years."
Today, the Palatine Fire Department responds to more than 9,000 calls a year. New recruits are sworn in right in front of a memorial to the firefighters – at Brockway and Slade streets in downtown Palatine.
The department said the site is used to acknowledge the depth of commitment needed to do the job.
The fire at the Ben Franklin store was a catalyst for change at the fire department too. In 1975, Palatine switched from volunteers to full-time paid firefighters.
The Palatine Historical Society provided us with these photos of the Ben Franklin store in downtown Palatine before it burned down. The interior shots date back to 1949.