The Greatest Fire in Fort Myers

It Was Called The Greatest Fire In Fort Myers

The year was 1903, and the town of Fort Myers had just established a volunteer fire department only two years prior, when on Friday morning of October 16, flames were seen coming out of a building owned by Carl F. Roberts. In addition to battling the fire, the volunteers were up against strong winds and faulty equipment. As the firemen were armed with chemical extinguishers and fighting the blaze at ground level, other citizens were on rooftops beating burning shingles with brooms. Some men battled the inferno so closely that “their flesh was blistered.”

Fighting The Fire
A bucket brigade was formed by women and children, but did little to calm the raging fire that was spreading quickly. The local paper reported how “the entire town was alarmed and the people at once turned themselves into fire fighters – men, boys, women and children, all realized the gravity of the situation and worked heroically to save the town.”

The intensity of the fire and brisk winds was a major difficulty; as was the hook and ladder engine. A faulty valve hampered the efforts of the firemen to get a steady stream of water onto the blaze. Before losing all hope of saving the town, the firefighters succeeded in getting a hand pumper, known as an “Old Andrew Jackson,” working and got the fire under control. As the men grew tired, the women who had gathered in the streets took over. One report was how “Mrs. Alice Tooke saw the Hopson livery stable on fire, pulled off her shoes, climbed to the roof and put out the fire.” Luckily, the wind had also died down.

The Roberts Building, which included an undertaking establishment, a cabinet shop, a Chinese laundry facility, and housed the newly organized Fort Myers Volunteer Fire Department was a total loss. Upstairs was the home of Frank Kellow and his family, and they also lost everything. It was never known what exactly caused the fire, but Roberts stated it was “caused by rats carrying matches into their nests, and lighting one.” Others reasoned it was ignited by a defective flue in the Roberts Building.

Losses to the town and its citizens were: Carl Roberts lost his building, stock, and house; Mrs. M. N. Verner, a building; Col. J. S. Williams, stock; Harvie Heitman, livery stable and two small buildings; Edward Evans, building and stock; Sam Kee, Chinese laundry store; Charles Braman, fruit; C. A. McDougald, wagons and buggies; Captain Robert Lilly, trees and fruit; Frank Carson, fruit; Jas. Hendry, trees; and the town lost telegraph, telephone, and electric service. The total loss was estimated at $7,000 ($165,000 today). Added to the estimate was the value of stock looted during the disastrous event.

The fire department also lost much of their equipment, including hooks, axes, ladders, buckets, and even their truck. Fortunately, the residences of Taff Langford and Charles Braman; the Gilliam Store and Hopson’s Livery Stable only suffered minor damaged from the fire.

From The Bad Comes The Good 
A month later the volunteers held a meeting and elected C. F. Cates as Fire Chief. He easily convinced the city council to purchase a four-cylinder No. 6 Waterous gasoline fire engine and one-thousand feet of 2.5 inch hose. A few years later the department would also earn $10 for each fire extinguished and any member injured in the line of duty would receive $1 to $2 a day, not exceeding ten days.

In less than two weeks after the devastating fire, Roberts built a new barn, carriage house, temporary office, and a laundry building for Sam Kee. He also began construction on a two-story building, in which the bottom half would be used for a new fire station. Heitman and other business owners also rebuilt, and First Street began to thrive once again.

Unfortunately for Roberts, he suffered property loss two more times from fire, April 1907 and April 1910.