Monday, June 13, 2005

"Backdraft" revisited in Chicago. Again. Author of fire books arrested for arson

Remember "Backdraft" the early 1990s Ron Howard film about firefighters? An arsonist firefighter was one of the villains. The movie was filmed and set in Chicago.

Well, sadly, a couple of people in Chicago were, shall I say, inspired by this film. Inspired to become arsonists.

This early Marathon Pundit post touches on the story of Chicago Fire Department Lieutenant Jeffrey Boyle, who alleged set a whole bunch of fires in suburban Park Ridge and on the Northwest Side of Chicago.

AP is reporting tonight that last week, former suburban Bellwood firefighter and author of two books on fires, David Cowan, was arrested for allegedly torching a storage shed adjacent to St. Benedict's Church on Chicago's North Side.

Cowan's two books are To Sleep with the Angels : The Story of a Fire (about a 1958 Chicago school fire that killed 92 students and three nuns) and Great Chicago Fires: Historic Blazes That Shaped a City. As of this posting, both are available for purchase from Amazon.com.

David Cowan might have a third book in his future, as he may soon have a lot of free time on his hands.

No comments: