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{{Short description|1973 fire in Indianapolis}}
{{Infobox news event|title=W.T. Grant fire|image=Grant fire, 1973.jpg|date=November 5, 1973|time=12:47 pm|Location=37 E. [[Washington Street (Indianapolis)|Washington Street]], [[Indianapolis, Indiana]], U.S.|coordinates=39°46'00.8"N 86°09'24.9"W|Deaths=0|injuries=Unknown|reported property damage=~$15 million (1973)|caption=The W.T. Grant building ablaze, with the [[Thomas Building]] (grey) and the [[Merchants National Bank and Annex|Merchants Bank Building]] (red) in the background.|cause=Unknown}}
The '''W. T. Grant fire''' was a major conflagration in downtown [[Indianapolis|Indianapolis, Indiana]], U.S. It began in the early afternoon hours of November 5, 1973. It was one of the most extensive and costliest commercial fires in the city's history, totaling at around $15 million (1973) worth of damages, and affected 15 buildings and 84 individual businesses with the resulting fire or water damage.<ref name=":0" />

== Background ==
The [[W. T. Grant]] building in Indianapolis was located at the corner of East [[Washington Street (Indianapolis)|Washington Street]] and Pennsylvania Street downtown. The building consisted of five stories and had been built in the late 1910s after a devastating fire destroyed the previous building. It opened in the early 1910s as the company was expanding, and stayed in business until 1971, when it closed as a result of declining business and the rise of newer, more popular local stores in the area. The building was scheduled for demolition in December 1973 or January 1974, with preparations starting as early as September. At the time of the fire, there were several tanks of propane in the building,<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|last=Hartz|first=Michael|date=October 31, 2019|title=1973: The Grant building blaze was one of Indianapolis' most destructive fires|url=https://www.wrtv.com/news/throwback/1973-the-grant-building-blaze-was-one-of-indianapolis-most-destructive-fires|url-status=live|access-date=December 11, 2021|website=[[WRTV]]}}</ref> as well as a small homeless population that had taken refuge inside. The [[Thomas Building]] next door was several floors taller, made up mostly of office space. On the side of the Thomas building opposite the W.T. Grant was Kirk's Furniture and the [[Merchants National Bank and Annex|Merchants National Bank Building]] (later renamed the Barnes and Thornburg Building), which was occupied by office space and a jeweler housing a large oxygen tank.

== The fire ==
In the early afternoon of November 5, 1973, at 12:47 pm, the first call was made to the [[Indianapolis Fire Department]] by an office worker in the neighboring Thomas Building reporting smoke coming from the fourth floor.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|title=Grant fire dispatch audio (Part 1 of 18)|url=https://www.digitalindy.org/digital/collection/ffm/id/4849/rec/14|url-status=live|website=DigitalIndy}}</ref> Various other calls were made in short succession thereafter, with the first engine companies arriving three minutes after the initial call. The first firefighters on-scene reported heavy smoke showing from the building, prompting a second alarm at 12:52 p.m.<ref name="auto1"/>

At 12:56 p.m., the first of several calls were received reporting that the fire had spread to the Thomas Building next door. Several more alarms were declared in rapid succession, resulting in a peak of nearly 200 firefighters on the scene. As the buildings continued burning over the next ten minutes, embers blown by heavy winds landed atop the Merchants Bank Building and the [[Hotel Washington (Indianapolis, Indiana)|Washington Hotel]] across the street, igniting fires on the rooftops. The rapidly-moving fire prompted fire watches to be established to spot other rooftop ignitions, including in an overhead helicopter and atop the [[City-County Building (Indianapolis)|City-County Building]].

Sometime after 1 p.m., the propane tanks within the Grant building ignited,<ref name="auto"/> causing a collapse that brought down all of the structure's interior and roof, leaving only the front wall standing. The collapse greatly diminished the fire's size and intensity. The remaining fires were extinguished a few hours after, at around 3 p.m.

== Aftermath ==
The fire left behind a smoldering Thomas Building and the destroyed remains of the W. T. Grant structure, as well as severe water damage to the surrounding businesses stemming from runoff of the {{Convert|4|e6gal}} of water used during the event. The damage done was estimated at $15 million (~$93 million in 2021). What remained of the building was quickly demolished, and when plans never materialized for a new structure, the property was converted into a parking lot. The neighboring Thomas Building was found to be unsaveable, and was demolished along with the remains of the Grant building and made into an accompanying parking area.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=November 5, 2014|title=Retro Indy: Grant Building fire was largest in Indianapolis history|url=https://www.indystar.com/picture-gallery/news/history/retroindy/2014/11/05/retro-indy-grant-building-fire-was-largest-in-indianapolis-history/18483913/|url-status=live|access-date=December 11, 2021|publisher=[[Indianapolis Star]]}}</ref> The Kirk Furniture building and the Merchants Bank Building were eventually renovated and are still standing {{As of|2021|lc=y}}.

== References ==
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[[Category:Fires in Indiana]]
[[Category:1973 in Indiana]]
[[Category:1973 fires in the United States]]
[[Category:Building collapses in the United States]]
[[Category:Building collapses caused by fire]]
[[Category:20th century in Indianapolis]]

W. T. Grant fire - Revision history

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