Explosion at Extremely Historic Firehouse in Old City Does “Extensive Damage”

Photo by Alyson Hurt via Flickr.

Either an ambulance or a firetruck exploded at the Engine 8, Ladder 2 historic firehouse at Fourth and Arch. Details are scarce right now, but CBS 3 reports that the damage to the building is “extensive.” While it’s always troubling when a historic building is compromised, it’s particularly devastating in this case because the firehouse is believed to be the oldest in the country. It’s called the Ben Franklin firehouse (Franklin founded the first fire company in the U.S.)