07/09/2026
⏳ Historical Highlight: The Birth of the NFPA 704 Diamond ⏳
On July 9, 1959, the Charlotte Fire Department responded to a fire at the former Charlotte Chemical Company on West Templeton Avenue, just off South Boulevard. The building, then under demolition, still housed metallic sodium in a large vat of kerosene in the basement. Believing the vat to only contain kerosene, firefighters fought the fire with water and foam, triggering a powerful explosion from the reaction of water with the sodium metal. Thirteen firefighters were injured, several seriously. One sustained life-altering facial injuries and was forced to retire; another, tragically, later took his own life.
This devastating incident exposed critical gaps in hazardous material identification and emergency response. In its aftermath, Charlotte Fire Marshal J.F. Morris led efforts to create a clear, visible system for marking chemical hazards in buildings. His work laid the foundation for what became the NFPA 704 diamond—a now-standard symbol displaying levels of flammability, health hazard, and reactivity, adopted nationwide to protect first responders.
Why is it called the NFPA 704 diamond? At the time, 704 was (and still is) the phone area code for the Charlotte region. It was used by the NFPA to honor the Charlotte firefighters who were severely injured at this incident.
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