Army firefighters were fighting a brush fire on Japanski Island in Sitka, Alaska. The fire enveloped a warehouse containing 21 tons of dynamite. The explosion killed five firefighters staffing the base fire engine. One other service man was also killed in the blast. The marine, Private Thomas A. Baskom, who was a half mile away, was struck by a rock hurled from the blast site. At least fifteen others were injured in the blast by flying debris. The fire engine was also destroyed in the explosion.