Pulitzer Prize Photography: Fire Escape Collapse

On July 22, 1975, in Boston, a 19-year-old and her 2-year-old goddaughter were trapped in a burning building. A firefighter, Robert O’Neill, shielded them from the flames as a fire ladder inched closer. Then the fire escape collapsed. Although the woman died from her injuries, the infant survived. “Fire Escape Collapse” circulated around the world, leading to new fire escape legislation across the country and earning Stanley Forman the first of two Pulitzer Prizes for spot news photography.