Saturday, March 19, 2022, marks the 40th anniversary of a fire that killed a Petersburg firefighter Mike Goff and nearly cost the city its entire downtown.
For those who were there, the day is remembered as a nightmare.
"Every second. It was yesterday. You know, in your minds, it was just yesterday," retired Petersburg Fire Captain Glenn Dean said. "You can still see the scene. You can still see what you were doing and what was happening around you." Even before firefighters arrived at the burning three-story building on the corner of Franklin and Sycamore Streets, they knew it was a serious fire.
"When we pulled up on the scene, on the second and third floor, there were residents in the windows with flashlights and handkerchiefs," retired Petersburg Fire Captain Jimbo Rice said.
