Bohemia Historical Society
The Barber Who Ran Toward the Fire
Frank Cizek, 1883–1937 — the only Bohemia fireman lost in the line of duty
In the tapestry of small-town life, the barber shop is often the place where news is shared and bonds are formed. In his memoir, Bishop Emil A. Wcela remembered Frank Cizek as a fixture of 1930s Bohemia. His barber shop stood on Smithtown Avenue, “just north of the Church Street traffic light,” and he lived nearby on Locust Avenue. But Cizek was more than just the local barber; he was a dedicated volunteer fireman and the appointed fire warden for the town.
April 20, 1937
The Worst Woods Fire in Years
On Tuesday, April 20, 1937, the alarm sounded at 12:45 p.m. A fire had broken out on Cordwood Road on the grounds of the Southside Sportsmen’s Club (now Connetquot State Park), about two miles northwest of Pond Road. What began as a brush fire quickly turned into an inferno.
Aided by strong winds, the flames leaped from treetop to treetop, turning the small pines into “hundreds of flaming torches” that jumped 20 to 30 feet in the air.
The worst woods fire that has raged in this section in recent years.
Suffolk County News
The Wind Shifts
Panic on Pond Road
Cizek went out with the other Bohemia “vamps” to battle the blaze. He was last seen on the west side of Pond Road, where he and others were desperately trying to check the fire’s advance.
The situation on Pond Road turned chaotic as the wind shifted suddenly. As sheets of flame swept down, fire apparatus and spectators scrambled for safety. Alex Maasch, driving the Sayville Fire Department’s Reo truck, barely managed to drive his crew to safety as flames leaped across the road behind them. In the narrow road, panic reigned as spectators twisted and turned their vehicles to escape the “onrushing inferno.”
The Loss
The Ultimate Sacrifice
Tragically, Frank Cizek did not escape. He was trapped by the swirling flames when the wind turned. His body was found the following Wednesday morning near the spot where the fire truck had narrowly escaped.
In a poignant twist of fate, as the firemen were fighting for their lives, local voters were at the polls approving a $60,000 appropriation for a new firehouse on North Main Street. The measure passed 272 to 41, but the victory was overshadowed by the loss of one of their own.
At age 54, Frank Cizek became the only Bohemia fireman to have died in the line of duty. He is remembered not just as the barber who cut hair on Smithtown Avenue, but as a guardian of the community who gave everything to protect it.
From the Archives
The Record
Click either clipping to read it full size.
April 20, 1937, Hour by Hour
12:45 PM
The Alarm Sounds
A brush fire is reported on Cordwood Road at the Southside Sportsmen’s Club, two miles northwest of Pond Road.
Afternoon
Brush Fire to Inferno
Driven by strong winds, flames leap treetop to treetop, turning pines into hundreds of flaming torches 20 to 30 feet high.
The Wind Turns
Panic on Pond Road
Trucks and spectators flee as flames sweep across the road. Cizek is last seen on the west side, holding the line.
At the Polls
A New Firehouse Approved
As firemen fight for their lives, voters approve a $60,000 firehouse on North Main Street, 272 to 41.
Next Morning
Frank Cizek Is Found
His body is found near the spot where the fire truck narrowly escaped — at 54, the only Bohemia fireman lost in the line of duty.