Throwback Thursday: Fire and ice, the 1978 Elks Building tragedy

In the hot August weather, sometimes we think about the changing of the seasons and cooler weather. 47 years ago, the Elks Building in Downtown Bowling Green had an unusual circumstance with fire and ice. This isn’t a Game of Thrones reference, it’s the story of a January fire being fought with ice in downtown Bowling Green in January 1978.

On a near-zero bone-chilling evening, according to The Bowling Green Daily News, a downtown Bowling Green drug store employee reported fire on the third story of the Elks Building at 340 E Main, on the corner of College and Main. Firefighters fought the blaze all night, but didn’t get very far because the water kept turning into sheets of ice as it poured out of the hose. The temperature made it near impossible to save the third floor of the building and the roof collapsed by 2 a.m.

Residents helped move items out of the building all night, into a mix of downtown storage at the Bowling Green Bank & Trust across the street or beyond. But every movement was extremely unsafe because of the temperatures and ice covering everything. At least eight firefighters were taken to the hospital for injuries after slipping on ice. The Daily News reported the street was closer to an ice rink than a road.

The fire chief estimated over 40 thousand gallons of water were pumped to calm the blaze. Lots of offices and businesses suffered water and smoke damage too, an estimated of upwards to $300,000 in damage. A music store and dentist office had to be relocated. The cause of the fire was uncertain, appearing to be an accident from a small third floor kitchen. The Elks Building was torn down in 1980 and rebuilt by a one-story building.