I remember this incident from time to time. In 1965 I was in the 4th grade when this incident took place. I came home from school (as we lived near Terra Bella) and my father was talking about this massive fire at the chemical plant. And from his incessant talking about this, Jasco Chemical Plant has etched itself into my mind. I am sorry to find out that those that fought the fire came down with certain forms of cancer.

"fires in the pasts" should be "fires in the past"
"heard from miles around" should be "heard for miles around"

Unlike other Voice stories, there are lots of characters ("smart-quotes") in this article that only display on Windows computers or those that have certain special fonts installed.

Did firefighters who fought this fire come down with cancer at a rate that was higher than firefighters in general? I imagine that they generally have higher cancer rates and it can't be traced to a single incident.

Please check your records. Jasco had a plant at 1710 Villa Street from 1976 to 1995. Jasco's plant was at 1090 Terra Bella Avenue, not 898. This information is from the EPA Superfund site list. Web Link