On Decmber 31, 1968, Chicago Fire Department Firefighter James P. Fisher of Truck 47 died in the line of duty after he was trapped in a burning building during a fire on Clark Street. Fisher and several other firefighters were handling a hose line on the second floor of the building when their hose stopped working due to the subzero temperatures outside. The firefighters retreated as the flames erupted around them, but Fisher was unable to escape. Initial rescue attempts were hindered by the thick ice that coated the building, but firefighters were eventually able to recover him.

He was survived by his wife and two children.