On June 24, 1994 Boston fire Lieutenant Steven F. Minehan, of Boylston street’s Ladder 15, died in a 9-alarm fire in Charlestown after he became trapped in a large warehouse while searching for other firefighters who had become trapped. I had been a staff photographer at the Boston Herald for almost 15 months that night when the police/fire radio scanners broke the silence of what had been a quiet evening on my 5pm-1am shift. John Landers Jr., then Herald night desk photo editor, and I heard the initial call for help from Minehan as John dispatched me to the scene. Below are my photos from that night and from Lt. Minehan’s funeral. Over the years I have been lucky to be able to call Lt. Minehan’s wife Kathy a friend. She is a very kind and considerate soul. RIP Lt. Minehan. My photos from that night are seen below. The photo of Lt. Minehan, at very bottom of page, is courtesy of Bill Noonan.
Tags: 1994, Boston fire department, Boston Herald, Charlestown, Ladder 15, line of duty death, lord, Lt. Steven Minehan
Thank you for remembering !!!
Nobody can forget. Thinking of you today, Kathy.
nice…
Kathy,
I was only 8 when Stevie died, but my dad brought us to pay our respects at Ladder 15 a few weeks later. I know my dad loved Stevie, we think of him often.
Thank you for not forgetting. Our family appreciates it. Kind of caught me by surprise when I saw this but thank you for remembering.
Thank you for writing, and I hope you’re doing well today.
He is missed by all who knew and loved him
Thinking of you and your family today Kathy.
Dear Kathy, I often think of Steve and his devotion to family and duty. I started as a recruit on July 5,1994. Two of Steve’s best friends were my instructors at the Massachusetts Fire Academy;Rick Harrison and Vinny Russell.We dedicated class 106 in Steve’s memory. God Bless you,your family,and Steve’s memory.
Thanks for writing in Lt.
I remember listening to the chilling audio that night…it’s something that’s stuck in my mind all these years…I was truly amazed by the hero factor of Lt. Minehan trying to rescue his own trapped FF’s.
fire alarm dispatcher tried his best to get his location …you want true inspiration locate that audio, and listen to what a hero sounds like on the fireground…saying a prayer for the Mineha
Sorry I am getting back to you so late. Thx for writing in. Yes, that was a horrible night, horrible radio transmission.
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