On Father’s Day, June 17, 2001, an explosion at a hardware store in Queens killed three members of the Fire Department of New York (FDNY).
FDNY Firefighters Harry S. Ford and Brian D. Fahey of Rescue 4 and John J. Downing of Ladder 163 were killed in an explosion at a fire at 12-22 Astoria Blvd. The three Firefighters left behind eight children among them, according to the FDNY.