Recollection of Bookhardt Fire Scene
(From retired FF Jim Fleming)

On December 2, 1972 around midnight, my fire monitor went off. The incident was reported to be at 52 West Central Blvd. and the first Engine on the scene gave a Code 4 status. I advised my wife that I was going to the fire and she asked to come along. I grabbed a camera and a fire coat and we were on the scene in 20 minutes. I had taken two rolls of film when Chief Bookhardt asked me to help.

I went after a cellar-pipe. No one had one, so I came back with a distributor nozzle. I climbed back up the ladder to the roof and Chief Bookhardt asked me where the hose clamp was. I returned to Engine 51 and got their hose clamp. On my way back to Chief Bookhardt, I noticed dark, black smoke had covered everything on the ground. I looked up and saw Chief Bookhardt trying to run to the northwest corner of the building. He did not make it. He disappeared into the smoke, along with his white Chief’s hat.

I took one more step in his direction and the lights went out. I remember someone pulling me out from under the rubble (Asst. Chief Jackson). I remember my wife and Bob Cross giving me psychological first aide as they carried me off to the ambulance.

Chief Bookhardt was in a stokes stretcher and was loaded in the ambulance. When I got to Florida Hospital I asked Chief Rivenbark if Chief Bookhardt was dead. He would not answer me.

Florida Hospital was my home for the next 67 days. I did rehabilitation until November 1973 when I returned to work as a Fire Inspector.

I missed Chief Bookhardt’s funeral. I was told that the motorcade reached from the First Baptist Church in Pine Castle to the grave site (Block 13, Section 11, Lot 9) in Greenwood Cemetery. He got his last ride on a Fire Engine.

Asst. Chief Bookhardt was an officer and a gentleman. It was a sad day when he was taken from this earth. Chief Bookhardt was married and had four children.

The cause of the fire was a short in the fluorescent light being used as a night light.