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One of the saddest days
in the history of the East Amherst Fire Department
occurred on Saturday, November 3rd, 1984 when two firefighters,
Mitchell E. Spoth
and Frank P. Raquet
were seriously injured while fighting a fire at the Western New
York Carpet Factory
Outlet, located at 5599 Transit Road.
The two firefighters were manning a hoseline at the front of the
building, when the roof
suddenly and
unexpectedly collapsed, and the front facade overhang fell outward
sweeping
the two men into the
rubble. Both firefighters, who were buried under piles of concrete
blocks and heavy
roofing, were pulled from the debris by their fellow firefighters
and rushed
to area hospitals, both
suffering from numerous, serious, life-threatening injuries.1, 1985.
Firefighter Raquet
suffering from a broken back and paralysis, spent ninety-six (96)
days in
the hospital, and
survived the ordeal.
Clifford Zane, the son of the owner of Carpet Factory Outlet, was
convicted of Arson
and Manslaughter in the
case and was sentenced to an 8 1/3 to 25 year prison term by
Judge Theodore Kasler.
Firefighter Spoth fought for his life for sixty-nine (69) days, but
succumbed to the
injuries on January 11,
1985
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