Video: Reliving the Roosevelt Hotel Fire of 1966
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/photos/3133559604_XJfMd9k-M.jpg)
This Jacksonville Fire Fighter's video captures rare footage of the city's deadliest day, December 29th, 1963. The day of the Roosevelt Hotel (now, The Carling) Fire in Downtown Jacksonville which claimed the life of JFD Chief James Romedy. While 21 people died, the Jacksonville Fire Department saved 475 people.
Read More: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2014-mar-video-reliving-the-roosevelt-hotel-fire-of-1966 (http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2014-mar-video-reliving-the-roosevelt-hotel-fire-of-1966)
I was about to comment about this line in the article:
"the city's deadliest day"
Because I thought the great fire would have claimed more lives, turns out the great fire costed 7 lives.
Very interesting!
According to accounts I've read on the Great Fire, the injury and death toll is in question. Records were much less accurate back then - people moved around and settled without much tracing and paperwork.
Here is a link to the Times Union account...
http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2013-12-28/story/roosevelt-hotel-fire-22-people-died-blaze-heroes-prevented-total-being
Here is a link to the Jax fire museum photo collection...
http://www.jacksonvillefiremuseum.com/Roosevelt_1.html