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On Jan. 11, 1974, a 10,000-gallon propane tank exploded at the Bellows Court Apartment complex, killing four people. A propane truck was refilling the storage tank when fire broke out. Five firefighters arrived on the scene and began dousing the flames, when the tank exploded. A bright flash and deep boom could be seen and heard across the city.
Two firefighters died in the explosion, Erling Armstrong and Richard Neikirk. A third firefighter, Captain John Heuer died at the hospital. Lois Peterson, wife of the apartment caretaker, was also killed in the blast.
“She got everyone out except herself,” said Peterson’s husband Wilmer in a Minneapolis Star article.
An estimated 750 people were evacuated, forced into the 10-below-zero January morning to find shelter. Governor Wendell Anderson ordered the Minnesota National Guard to the site to prevent looting.
The three firefighters who died in the line of duty are memorialized on a plaque on a hillside in Marthaler Park across from the fire station.
For more information check out the 45th anniversary Facebook post from the City of West St. Paul, featuring pictures and an account from the West St. Paul Centennial.
Jan. 10, 2024 Update: 50th Anniversary Photos
South Metro Fire issued a press release on the 50th anniversary of this tragic incident. It reads in part:
Several of the responding Firefighters are still with us today. We thank them for their dedication and perseverance as they not only dealt with the fire but the tragedy of losing their brothers. What tremendous courage they displayed.
Although most of our current Firefighters were not born at the time of this incident, we often think about the brothers we lost that day. Their legacy lives on in our department and we are forever grateful for their service and sacrifice. Every year at our annual banquet we honor them, and they are memorialized on a plaque at the front entrance to fire station 1.
We would also like to thank all our neighboring departments that assisted on that fateful day. When we needed it most, our neighbors responded to our call for help and raced to the scene and battled the fire by our sides.
Please take a moment today and join us in remembering our fallen Firefighters and everyone who responded to the Bellows Court explosion on January 11, 1974. Please keep their families in your thoughts and prayers as we honor their service and sacrifice.
They also shared a series of historic photos:
There’s also a memorial marker across the street from the fire station in Marthaler Park.
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Header photo credit: Extra Alarm Association of the Twin Cities
