OLAFire Logo
Our Lady of the Angels (OLA) School Fire, December 1, 1958

(Click on a picture to enlarge)

The devastation inside the second floor hallway of the north wing is evident in this photograph. The hallway provided the only means of escape for five of the six second floor classrooms, other than the windows. The hallway quick became an inferno, filled with fire, super hot air and deadly smoke. (Photo courtesy of The Catholic New World with photo research by Renee Jackson)
#320  
This is the center hallway of the north wing, looking east. Just on the left is one of the doorways to room 210. Note the door lying on its side at left - the classroom doors resisted the fire for only a short time before completely burning through. (Life Magazine Photo)
#503  
Another view looking east in the stricken second floor hallway where the fire was most intense. This hallway was the only escape route for five of the six stricken classrooms, other than the windows. The Parish House next door can be seen through the window.
#154  
This is what is left of the northeast stairway where the fire started. The basement level where the fire began is down the stairs at left. The fire started directly below the stairway at right that leads up to the first floor. Note the partially open door on the first floor landing, at the top of the photo. That door prevented the fire from entering the first floor corridor as it did on second floor. Had there been a similar door on the second floor landing, no one would have been killed and the fire would have been just a minor footnote in history. (Life Magazine Photo)
#509  
Firemen inspect the destruction after all bodies have been removed from the ravaged school. This hallway was the only interior escape route for the children and teachers in five of the six second floor classrooms in the north wing. By the time occupants of the rooms knew there was a fire, this hallway was already impassable, leaving the windows with their 25 foot drop as the only means of escape. Some children escaped through the windows but many were overcome by smoke or flames before they could get out.
#177  
Looking west in the main second floor hallway of the north wing, the ferocity of the fire is evident. The west door to room 208 and east door to room 210 can be seen to the right. Overhead, the roof has collapsed over much of the hallway.
#39  
Looking from the second floor hallway into what remains of the stairwell where the fire started. Had there been heavy doors at the top of these stairs, as there was on the first floor, most likely no one would have died at Our Lady of the Angels that day. The main hallway would have remained passable much longer, allowing students to escape. The window in the picture overlooks the alley on the north side of the school.
#75  
Looking down the charred northeast stairwell from the second floor, a window overlooking the alley on the north side of the school can be seen at left.
#148  
This is the narrow corridor leading from the annex to the school's only external fire escape at the far end. The burned-through door is the back door to room 207, the “Cheesebox”, on the left. Opposite that, on the right side, is room 206, the classroom of the arson suspect. As was common throughout the school, the corridor doubles as a cloak room for nearby classrooms. (Life Magazine Photo)
#504  
A priest walks among the coats left behind by children who were forced to evacuate the school so quickly that they had no time to retrieve their wraps before leaving. This hallway is the narrow corridor between rooms 206 and 207 which led to the school's only external fire escape beyond the door behind the priest. Note the fire extinguisher mounted high on the wall to the right of the door.
#485  
The cloakroom between rooms 206 and 207 is still lined with small coats, hats and other personal belongings. The far end of this hall (out of view) leads to the only external fire escape in the school. Students in room 207 were led through this hall and down the fire escape by school janitor James Raymond, and by priest Father Hund.
#274  
This is the cloak room and exit hallway leading to the only external fire escape in the school. Students from room 207 barely escaped from their classroom to the left through this hall and down the fire escape, thanks to janitor James Raymond and Father Hund.
#331  
Another view of a status of Christ, which stands as mute witness to the horror that unfolded the previous day.
#187  
A blacked statue of Christ stands amidst the chaos and rubble in the front hallway of the second floor of north wing. Avers Avenue can be seen through the window.
#273  
This is where the fire started. At left is the bottom of the northeast stairwell where, to the right out of view, a 30 gallon fiber drum containing waste paper was the presumed starting point.
#156  
Police and Coroner's officials inspect a portion of the stairwell where the fire started. (Photo courtesy of The Catholic New World with photo research by Renee Jackson)
#315  
Fire investigators examine an upper portion of the stairwell where the fire started.
#408  
The charred northeast stairwell is mute evidence of the devastating fire that swept Our Lady of the Angels on December 1, 1958. The fire started at the foot of this stairwell in the basement. (Photo courtesy of The Catholic New World with photo research by Renee Jackson)
#322  
The stairwell (as seen from the second floor hallway) where the fire was worst. The fire started at the foot of this stairwell, two floors below, in the basement. Onlookers can be seen through the window standing in the alley north of the school.
#172  
This door from the first floor hallway to the fire stairwell in the north wing prevented the fire from entering the first floor the way it did the second floor. Had this door been open, children in first floor classrooms would have faced smoke and flames in their rooms just as children on the second floor did. Note the fire extinguisher mounted very high on the wall at left, making it difficult to retrieve when needed.
#335  
This is the narrow passage between the north wing and the annex. In this view looking from the north wing main hallway toward the annex, the staircase in the annex is visible beyond the doorway. This door was closed early in the fire, preventing fire from entering the annex and south wing.
#404  
The cloakroom between rooms 207, on the left, and 206 on the right. Janitor James Raymond unlocked the door to room 207, allowing students in that classroom to escape down the external fire escape at the far end of this small hallway. Thanks to Mr. Raymond, not one child was lost in room 207.
#405  
This is looking east the full length of the second floor center hallway of the north wing. The fire started at the foot of a stairwell at the far end of this hallway. Rooms 212, 210 and 208 are on the left, and rooms 211, 209 and 207 are on the right.
#407  
The second floor landing at the west end of the north wing. The southwest stairs are to the right. Note the open door at left, one of two doors separating the center hallway from the two front stairwells. These doors were routinely propped open, negating their marginal usefulness as fire doors (note the glass panes in the door - not much use for blocking fire). At the opposite end of the center hall, there was no door at all separating the stairwell from the hallway. Had there been, it is almost certain that no lives would have been lost.
#415  
There was a stairwell to either side of the north wing's main entrance on Avers Avenue. This is the stairwell to the right inside the main entrance. It leads to an exit at the front of the courtyard. Part of the south wing can be seen through the window at left, and Avers Avenue can be seen through the window at right.
#416