Palatine firefighters work at the Feb. 23, 1973 scene of the Ben Franklin store fire that killed three volunteer firefighters.

Courtesy of John Tobin

Palatine firefighters work at the Feb. 23, 1973 scene of the Ben Franklin store fire that killed three volunteer firefighters.

Daily Herald file photo / 1973

Investigators examine the remnants of the Ben Franklin store in Palatine after a fire killed three volunteer firefighters on Feb. 23, 1973.

courtesy of the Palatine Historical Society

Palatine firefighters carry the casket of one of their three fallen brothers who died Feb. 23, 1973, fighting the Ben Franklin store fire.

Courtesy of John Tobin

Firefighters work to extinguish the blaze at the Ben Franklin store in Palatine on Feb. 23, 1973. Three volunteer firefighters were killed.

courtesy of the Palatine Historical Society

Elgin firefighter John Tobin has written a book about the Ben Franklin store fire that killed three Palatine volunteer firefighters 40 years ago.

Rick West | Staff Photographer

Palatine Fire Captain Jeff Bober on Wednesday helps unload the same Snorkel fire truck that was used in the Ben Franklin store fire Feb. 23, 1973. The truck was delivered from an Indiana fire department to be part of this weekend's ceremony.

George LeClaire | Staff Photographer

The same Snorkel fire truck used to fight the Ben Franklin store fire on Feb. 23, 1973, was delivered to Palatine Wednesday from a fire department in Indiana. It will be used in this weekend's 40th anniversary ceremony.

George LeClaire | Staff Photographer

Warren Ahlgrim

Richard Freeman

John Wilson

Palatine firefighters at the scene of the Ben Franklin store fire in Palatine on February 23, 1973. That fire killed three Palatine firefighters.

Courtesy of John Tobin