The Death of Milton Street — The Poet’s Row Fire

By Camden NJ History

April 8, 2025 · Updated June 8, 2026 · 4 min read · Historical Accounts

Looking east on the 200 block of Burns Street the day after the Poet's Row fire — Looking east on the 200 block of Burns Street the day after the fire.

Poet's Row fire, August 23, 1972 — the former John R. Evans Co. leather factory at North 2nd and Erie Streets

Fire in Poet's Row, North Camden, August 1972 — the former John R. Evans Co. leather factory at North 2nd and Erie Streets — Poet's Row fire, August 23, 1972 — the former John R. Evans Co. leather factory at North 2nd and Erie Streets

Fire started in the former John R. Evans Co. leather factory, a block long factory building at North 2nd and Erie Streets in North Camden on a hot summer night, August 23, 1972. Inadequate water pressure, combined with a stiff breeze from the south indicated that there was trouble ahead. The first responding Fire Company, Engine Company 6, sounded the Second Alarm upon arrival.

Poet's Row fire — houses on the 2nd Street end of Milton Street already ablaze, seen from 3rd Street

Poet's Row fire, 1972 — houses on the North 2nd Street end already ablaze, seen from North 3rd Street — Poet's Row fire — houses on the 2nd Street end of Milton Street already ablaze, seen from 3rd Street

This photograph, taken from the 3rd Street end of Milton Street, shows the houses on the 2nd Street end already ablaze.

Pandemonium in Poet's Row as residents evacuate, August 1972

Poet's Row fire, 1972 — pandemonium as residents evacuate — Pandemonium in Poet's Row as residents evacuate, August 1972

Pandemonium in Poets Row as residents attempt to hurriedly evacuate homes of furnishings as the conflagration took off. High winds and flying embers, combined with the intense radiant heat created fire storm conditions. The Fire Companies arriving on the scene in response to the Greater Alarms entered the Poets Row streets to find everything burning—buildings, trees, fences, parked cars, and telephone poles. Live electrical wires were down and arcing everywhere.

Engine Company 3 on the 200 block of Burns Street, fighting the Poet's Row fire

Poet's Row fire, 1972 — Engine Company 3 on the 200 block of Burns Street — Engine Company 3 on the 200 block of Burns Street, fighting the Poet's Row fire

The 200 Block of Burns Street, as seen from North 3rd Street. Engine Company 3 doing everything it could with its deck pipe and hand-held hose to cut off the rapidly spreading fire. In the early stages of the fire Engine Companies often found themselves alone on an entire block, desperately trying to make a stand while awaiting reinforcements. Several units, driven back by the intense fire, would disconnect from the fire hydrants, fall back to the next hydrant further down the street, only to be driven back once again as the fire continued to spread. Engine Company 3 operated by itself for nearly one half-hour until assisted by a subsequent mutual aid fire company.

Ruins of Poet's Row, North Camden, in the aftermath of the fire

Poet's Row fire ruins, 1972 — additional view of the neighborhood aftermath

Ruins of original fire building and surrounding neighborhood at Poets Row, North Camden, in the aftermath of the worst conflagration in the history of the Camden Fire Department.

Looking east on the 200 block of Burns Street the day after the Poet's Row fire, 1972

Looking East on the 200 block of Burns Street on the day after the fire.

Engine Company 3 in the devastation of Poet's Row, 1972

Engine Company 3 stands in stark contrast with the devastation surrounding an area of four square city blocks. Ten alarms with aid from fire departments outside of Camden and over two hundred firefighters worked for eight hours before bringing the fire under control. Forty-two homes and the original John R. Evans factory building, where the fire started, completely collapsed, and an additional thirty houses were severely damaged. Hundreds of Poets Row residents lost everything. Although there were scores of injuries to both firefighters and civilians, miraculously all were minor in nature.