Boston Honors Nine Firefighters Killed at Hotel Vendome 50 Years Ago

BOSTON — July 19, 2026 — Boston marked the 50th anniversary of the Hotel Vendome fire with a ceremony at the Commonwealth Avenue memorial, honoring the nine firefighters killed on June 17, 1972 in the deadliest incident in Boston Fire Department history. Mayor Michelle Wu, Fire Commissioner Jack Dempsey in his final days in office, Cardinal Sean O'Malley, and International Association of Firefighters General President Edward A. Kelly addressed hundreds of attendees including surviving family members, retired firefighters, and a new recruit class. The collapse at 5:28 p.m. on June 17, 1972 left eight widows and 25 children; four of those children later served in the department. Chief Chaplain Father Daniel J. Mahoney — the last uniformed department member present at the original collapse — officially retired at 6 p.m. Saturday after 58 years of service, with the chaplaincy title transferring to Father John Rooney. Sam Dillon, sworn in the previous night as president of Boston Firefighters Local 718, made the ceremony his first act in office, telling the families: "Their names, your sacrifices, and the collective legacy of that day and this hallowed ground will never be forgotten."