3000 Degrees

The True Story of a Deadly Fire and the Men Who Fought It

By: Sean Flynn

Narrated by: Richard Rohan

Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

On December 3, 1999, the call crackled in to the men of the Worchester, Massachusetts Fire Department: a three-alarm warehouse blaze in a six-story windowless colossus of brick and mortar.

Firefighters love the excitement of a "triple." But this was a different beast. Rollovers, flashovers, backdrafts, this one had it all. Once inside, they found themselves trapped in a snarling furnace of blazing orange heat as hot as a crematorium, with smoke so black and predatory they had to feel for their partners next to them. Swallowed deep in the building, with no way out, they struggled to survive an ill-fated ordeal that would push them to the very limits of loyalty and courage.

What happened next - and how their lives and community were changed forever - offers an unprecedented look at these heroic men whose job it is to rush into burning buildings when everyone else just wants out.

©2002 Sean Flynn (P)2002 Listen & Live Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Audie Award Winner, Nonfiction (Unabridged) 2003

"[Among] books appearing this year about fires and firefighting...the best of the lot is Sean Flynn's 3000 Degrees." (Newsweek)
"Gripping prose...With confident, deft description, Flynn brings to life this 3000-degree catastrophe with a crackling intensity." (Publishers Weekly)
"A miracle of reporting...This story has the emotional power of the best narrative art." (American Society of Magazine Editors

Very realistic - unexpected

As a fire fighter, I expected this account to be a glorified account of another fire that took fire fighter lives. What I found was a captivating account that detailed the fire fighter lives at home and in the fire station, their attitudes, the excitement of the fire scene, the fire fight and the heartbreak of losing comrades and family. Although a fire fighter will understand exactly the descriptions of the fire and the fire scene, the author has described in detail so that the layman will also be able to paint the picture.

Truly sad event, with many lessons.

Loved everything about this book. From the inside look of on scene events of that tragic day, to the heart wrenching family view of it all.

May the souls of the 6 live on forever.

Awesome

Eye opening review of the incident and the actions of a group of brave men and their families.

Sad🤭

A lot of information re: fighting fires in abandoned buildings, & how firefighters put fires out. Excellent & at times, hard to read due to the

Outstanding

It’s a great book. A book every firemen should read. I highly recommend it for anyone wondering about the history or just the fire service in general

Such a tragedy

This was an excellent book detailing EXACTLY what went on that tragic day. The Batilion Chief Mike saved OTHERS from loosing their life and kept the number to only 6 lives lost instead of a dozen or more. This is a good example of EXACTLY how dangerous fire fighting is. I'm glad this book was written as the story needed told. Thank you for this wonderful book. RIP brothers we have it from here

a book about a very heroic breed

This is more than the story of firefighters who lost their lives, it is a story about their lives. How they grew up, why they fight fires, the firefighter brotherhood and more.

Beyond the words, the narration was terrific and well paced.

Take an adventure into an inferno

Sean Flynn's book 3000 Degree's, about the Worchester, Mass Firemen who fought a against an enemy that seemed to only feed grow on men's fears and thier emotions was amazing. This Esquire article turned book, brings the ture story of the men who went in this building but did not make it home.

This book, unlike other stories, helps to bring the reader deep into the lives of the men who and the circumstances that took their life. Flynn's ability to help the reader or listener enter in the belly of this beast through the last minutes of their lives yet not over dramatize it is is refreshing.

Richard Rohan's narration of this book helps to add the perfect amount of emotion to the books as needed.

Fascinating details

I was first introduced to this story in journalism school, when one of my favorite professors shared the magazine article that was the basis for this book as an example of tremendous reporting. I found the story so captivating, I just had to listen to this full-length version. This is top-notch narrative nonfiction, painting not just a picture of the horrific warehouse fire, but of the firemen who lost their lives and the families left behind in the aftermath of the tragedy. While the narration wasn't my favorite, it didn't detract from this compelling - and detailed - account.

Excellent

I enjoyed this book very much! It was a very moving story. I learned alot about firemen and what they have to put up with when fighting a fire! Definately recommend this book!