An explosion and fire in 1965 at Dye Oxygen Co., 120 W. 36th St., in South Tucson, sent a 200-pound acetylene tank “more than 10 stories into the air.” It landed just 30 feet from children evacuating nearby Mission View Elementary. Volunteers grabbed hoses and dodged exploding tanks as the small fire department struggled to keep the blaze on the docks and away from a 4,400-gallon tank of liquid oxygen. One man was thrown 30 feet into the air during the initial explosions. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured. Homes now sit at the site of the fire. Go to tucson.com/retrotucson to see more photos from Tucson’s past.
β Rick Wiley
