Every time I walk into the Daily News, I am greeted by a few dozen framed newspaper front pages. They adorn the walls of the front office, hallways and our conference room. They all share one thing in common as being important events in the history of our country, region, state and city. Some even have the old saying “Extra, extra, read all about it,” atop the big, bold headlines.

Having passed them tens of thousands of times, I take them for granted, but every once in awhile I find myself drawn to a headline or story and find myself reading history.

The papers gave some readers their only news of the outside world. Headlines proclaiming; “War is declared,” April 6, 1917, “World is at peace,” Nov. 11, 1918, “Every effort to release Collins prove futile,” Feb. 2, 1925, “Gen. Denhardt shot fatally,” Sept, 20, 1937, “Germany surrenders,” May 7, 1945, “Japan seeks peace,” Aug. 10, 1945, “City digging out after 23.9 inch snowfall,” March 10, 1960, “City hit by record 21 below zero,” Jan. 24, 1963, and “President slain,” Nov. 22, 1963.

The names have changed, the technology is better, but the issues we have remain the same. We really haven’t evolved or changed that much as a people.

Along with the these notable historic events, there are framed pages from the last 33 years that bear my photos from newsworthy events that impacted the city and county. One that I pass every morning in the hallway leading to the advertising department happened just a little over 30 years ago, and I remember that day vividly. The headline screams, “Fire engulfs neighborhood, gas-fed flames, explosions nearly level a city block.”

On Jan. 19, 1994, with camera in hand, I headed to a call for a smell of gas and a possible fire on 15th Avenue near Stubbins Street. When I arrived, a house was burning and firefighters were setting up to battle the blaze when suddenly there were explosions, between six and a dozen, in three other houses. One next door and two across the street exploded in a ball of fire.

Bowling Green firefighters quickly realized there was a natural gas leak, and along with Bowling Green police officers and EMS paramedics, they began evacuating residents at a frenzied pace as explosions rocked the neighborhood and flames spread quickly. I made frames, while backpedaling in snow, ice and 4 degree temperatures, of people clutching children and pets, first responders carrying the elderly, some partially dressed, out of danger.

I have never been at a spot news event where things went from bad to worse so quickly. I never put the camera down, except to change film and I fell so many times I lost count. It was surreal the carnage that was happening all around with people crying, fleeing and searching for their loved ones. “Daddy, my daddy! Oh, my God,” one girl yelled at a police officer trying to move her and more than 50 others about 100 yards back from the burning homes. The girl nodded when asked if her dad was inside one of the homes.

Thanks to a quick response from the first responders, there were no deaths and only two minor injuries from the canon-like explosions and flames that reached more than 30 feet high. Nearly 1,200 people were evacuated from a five-block radius as Western Kentucky Gas workers and firefighters battled the frozen ground overnight to dig up and plug a gas main.

After filing my initials photos and sending some of the best to the Associated Press, I headed to the makeshift shelters. Later that night, I snuck around the perimeter trying to get a good photo of the work to plug the gas line. It was one of the longest and scariest days of my photo career. To this day, I am amazed that no one died and at the courage and quick actions of the first responders and untold number of everyday folks who risked their lives to save their neighbors amidst flames and explosions.

As the general manager the Daily News, I think it is time to add some new framed front pages to the walls. The tornado is the first thing that comes to mind. I will have to do some digging to pull up other recent news events that have impacted our community.

If these walls could talk … well, at the Daily News, they really do.

– Daily News General Manager Joe Imel can be reached at (270) 783-3273 or via email at joe.imel@bgdailynews.com.