60 Years Ago ... Big Church Fire Breaks Out In Vernon On A Frigid Day

VERNON, CT — Thursday marked 60 years since a raging inferno burned down the Congregational Church in the center of Vernon on a cold winter day ... and into the night.

The date was Jan. 23, 1965, a day that is etched in history at the fire stations in Vernon and Tolland. Crews from both towns teamed up in the efforts to put out the giant blaze.

"Most of the firefighters at that scene have retired now, but there are certainly enough memories in pictures at the Vernon Historical Society and in firehouses," said Dan Wasilewski, the current fire marshal in Vernon. "It was one of the largest lost to a fire in terms of historic buildings."

The fire broke out on a bitterly cold day and, particularly after sunset, most of the apparatus froze up in the frigid conditions.

Enter a unique truck owned by the Tolland Fire Department — Tank 40. It was a converted 1947 Ford oil truck that had the pump enclosed on the back of the truck.

It saved the day.

"Tank 40 continued to pump and also kept the firefighters' hands warm while battling the fire," Tolland Fire Department officials said. "This was due to the pump being enclosed in a compartment, which kept it warm."

Coincidentally, conditions are very similar this week. Wasilewski said even modern equipment can't totally make up for a single-digit or below-zero day.

"Even now, all these years later, fighting fires in this type of weather doesn't get any easier," Wasilewski said. "It has always been a lot easier to cool off than get warmer."