During ones 'career' as a fire buff there are always a few incidents that stand out as memorable. Here is one of mine, for several reasons.

On March 6, 1974 an alarm was transmitted for the Republic Elevator, located at 29th Ave. NE and Main St. NE. The Republic Elevator is a full city block long structure. The building is the equivelent of ten stories in height with a fourteen story elevator headhouse. The construction was made of 4 X 12 timbers laid flat on each other. In all terms, a 'verticle lumberyard'.

The city of Minneapolis has had, over the years, more than a few of grain elevator fires, given the cities history as a major milling center. So an alarm for an elevator fire always gets the attention of anyone involved in the world of the fire service.

As Engine 15 arrived on the scene and reported a large amount of fire showing from the elevator headhouse, and requesting a 2-2 Alarm, I was already grabbing my coat and car keys. The fire eventually became a 5-5 Alarm, with the building and its contents of over 6 million bushels of grain becomming fully involved.

The second point of interest relates the (future) Extra Alarm Association itself. Duane Troxel, local fire buff extrodinaire, had for some in the late 1960's and early 1970's been tossing around the idea of starting some type of organization for people with an interest in the fire buffing. This fire (as well as many previous ones) always gathered buffs to the scene. So many buffs showed up at this particular fire that Duane finally came the conclusion that his buff club concept was apparentlty a sound idea. Shortly thereafter he called for a get together in the basement of his home in Robinsdale. A number of local buffs attended, and then concept of the Extra Alarm Association was formed in April of 1974 (hence the '74' on the Box in our logo).