WICHITA FALLS (WICHITA COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION) — In the early morning hours of December 12, 1929, a fire broke out in the Antlers Hotel building.
Firemen of the central station were the first to arrive on the scene and
were promptly aided by additional units throughout the city and quickly attracted a large crowd.
Thirty minutes after the first fire alarm, the west wall of the structure began to crumble.
Although some of the firefighters escaped, Assistant City Fire Chief Smiley Turner and Fireman Guno Anderson were killed by the collapsing wall.
One occupant of the hotel, Kenneth (Toby) Brice of Bowie, also died
in the fire that morning.
As a result of the destructive Antlers Hotel fire, significant changes were made in the Wichita Falls Fire Department.
Equipment was updated, new training programs were established, and city officials began strengthening ordinances in an effort to actively enforce municipal fire code.
