08/03/2026
Courtesy of
On Aug. 2, 1978, six FDNY firefighters made the Supreme Sacrifice while battling a fire at a Waldbaum's supermarket in Brooklyn. It remains one of the deadliest fires in the Department's history.
Twenty members were operating on the roof when the supermarket's center section suddenly collapsed, sending 12 firefighters into the flames below.
We honor the memory of:
• Lt. James E. Cutillo, Battalion 33
• Firefighter Charles S. Bouton, Ladder 156
• Firefighter Harold F. Hastings, Battalion 42
• Firefighter James P. McManus, Ladder 153
• Firefighter William O'Connor, Ladder 156
• Firefighter George S. Rice, Ladder 153
Forty-eight years later, we continue to remember their courage, their sacrifice and their commitment to protecting New Yorkers. We will never forget them.