In 1975, a tragic incident in Boston prompted significant changes to fire safety regulations. Stanley Forman captured a Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph of a deadly fire escape collapse during a blaze in an apartment building. This image not only documented a horrific event but also spurred the city to implement new safety measures for fire escapes.

At 80 years old, Forman remains active in photography, often listening to police scanners in his truck for breaking news. However, the image that haunts him is from that fateful day in 1975. As flames engulfed the building, Forman witnessed a firefighter reaching out to a young woman and her 2-year-old goddaughter, who were trapped on a precarious fifth-story fire escape. Suddenly, the fire escape gave way. "And then it went. Just collapsed. For whatever reason, it collapsed," Forman recalled. "They're falling. There's no doubt they're falling, and the fire escape coming down behind them. I realized two people had fallen to the ground."

The fall resulted in the death of 19-year-old Diana Bryant, while her goddaughter, Tiare Jones, survived by landing on top of her. Forman described the experience as deeply unsettling. "I just watched something awful, awful happen," he said. "I never had doubts about getting the picture, but I just watched something awful happen."

The firefighter, Robert O'Neill, managed to survive by clinging to the fire engine's ladder. Forman's haunting photograph of the incident was published worldwide and earned him the Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Photography, marking the first of three such awards in his career.

The impact of Forman's photo was immediate. Warren Kinder, director of the National Fire Escape Association, noted that prior to the incident, there were no regulations requiring inspections of fire escapes. Following the publication of the photo, Boston enacted a city code mandating that fire escapes be certified as safe every five years. Kinder emphasized the importance of the photograph, stating, "This is what can happen when fire escapes are neglected and they need to be used during an emergency."

Forman believes the image raised public awareness about fire safety. "I think it scared people. And it also made them aware. How's my fire escape?" he said. The changes in Boston's regulations have had a lasting effect, influencing fire safety standards across the country.