From the Archives: The Hotel Vendome Fire

June 21, 2012

 
Greater Boston has partnered with the Boston Globe to bring you a weekly feature called "From the Archives." Each Wednesday on Greater Boston, we will show one to two photos from the newspaper's archives. This weekly feature offers a glimpse into Boston's past.
 
This week, we look at … one of Boston's deadliest fires.

On June 17, 1972, a fire broke out during renovations to convert the century-old luxury Hotel Vendome to condominiums. Emergency personnel worked to remove victims from the rubble after part of the building collapsed. Nine firefighters died. It is, to date, the biggest loss of life in Boston Fire Department history. On June 17 of this year, hundreds of family and friends gathered at the site to mark the 40th anniversary of the tragic event.