On Sunday, June 17, 2001, the FDNY lost three firefighters: John Downing, 40, an 11-year veteran (Ladder 163); Brian Fahey, 46, a 14-year veteran (Rescue 4); and Henry Ford, 50, a 20-year veteran (Rescue 4).

They had responded to an explosion and fire on Astoria Boulevard. Ford and Downing were killed when the building’s façade collapsed, while Fahey was killed when the building imploded.

Now remembered as the “Father’s Day Fire,” the tragedy occurred after a building exploded due to hazardous materials stored for sale. The fire began when gasoline, poured by two youths, rolled under the rear delivery dock door and was ignited by a gas water heater. The fire spread throughout the store until the explosive materials reached a critical temperature, triggering a massive blast.