‘He wanted to help’: First responder to PEPCON explosion dies at 82

For many Henderson residents, the May 4, 1988, explosions at the PEPCON industrial chemical complex remains one of the most memorable catastrophes in the city’s history.

For former Henderson Fire Department Capt. Don Griffie, it was just another day on the job, according to sons Fred and Donnie Griffie.

The explosions from that day killed two people and injured at least 370, and also caused millions in damage to neighboring businesses and homes. The event shook the Las Vegas Valley — literally, according to witnesses — and was described in a 2012 NASA case study as the largest domestic non-nuclear explosion in recorded history.

Griffie was one of the first emergency responders to arrive at the site of the former chemical plant, near what is now the 215 Beltway and Gibson Road, following a fire and the first of several explosions.

In the immediate days that followed the blasts, Griffie carried on business as usual, his sons said in an interview Monday. The significance of that day wasn’t lost on Griffie. That’s just the type of person he was, Fred Griffie said.

Don Griffie spent 35 years as a Henderson firefighter and helped shape the department into what it is today, his sons said. He died July 6 from cardiac arrest and cancer at 82.

“It was like it was just another day,” Fred recalled. “If he thought somebody needed help, he wanted to help.”

Griffie recounted his experience in 2018 for the 30th anniversary of the catastrophe. He remembered being thrown several feet into the air during one of the explosions and working through the day with pieces of glass in his eyes.

The fire burned out of control for several hours afterward, and smoke from the blaze rose nearly 1,000 feet into the sky. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported at the time smoke could be seen as far as 100 miles away.

“The whole day I was thinking how lucky I was to be alive,” Griffie told the Review-Journal in 2018.

‘He was probably in shock’

Present at the PEPCON plant the day of the ’88 blasts were an estimated 4,500 tons of ammonium perchlorate, a powerful compound found in solid fuel rocket boosters used for NASA space shuttles. PEPCON is an acronym for the Pacific Engineering & Production Company of Nevada.

The initial blaze erupted at about 11:30 a.m. and triggered explosions that could be felt throughout the valley. Investigators learned that, during a repair, sparks from a welding torch ignited fiberglass material, and that the fire spread rapidly within minutes because of the ammonium perchlorate stockpile.

Griffie said in 2018 he arrived after the first explosion down a dirt road that is now Warm Springs Road. He got out of his truck to figure out how to make a three-point turn, Griffie said, but was in the air before he could get out.

The second explosion sent Griffie flying, and he landed on his back on top of the truck, he said.

“He was probably in shock, is what I remember him saying,” Fred said.

Shock waves were felt within a 10-mile radius of the initial blast, with property damage to surrounding businesses and homes estimated at $74 million. Two of the blasts measured 3.0 and 3.5 on the Richter scale, according to NASA.

Clark County Fire Department investigators determined the stockpile, along with poor housekeeping and storage practices, helped cause the explosions.

Fire service ‘meant everything’ to Griffie

The Griffies said the infamous 1988 blaze was just one of several highlights in their father’s long career, which saw Henderson transform from a small town into a busy suburb.

Don Griffie responded to the deadly 1980 fire at the MGM Grand that killed 85 people, Donnie said.

Griffie, a former president of Henderson Professional Fire Fighters Local 1883, was instrumental in helping bring the first paramedic to the Henderson Fire Department, Fred said. He said Don also helped start the city’s ambulance program.

“He saw not only Henderson explode in population but the whole of Clark County,” Donnie said. “There were just a couple of Henderson fire stations when he started.”

Stress from work hardly ever bled into Don’s personal life, his sons said, though he often dealt with traumatic flashbacks after retiring in 2005.

Following Griffie’s retirement, he founded D&R Hydrant, a fire hydrant design, installation and repair company that mainly services local residential and commercial properties. His sons said Griffie remained determined to work until the end of his life.

“He was a workaholic and worked his whole life,” Fred said. “He was retired from the fire department but not from working. He was always motivated and get work done.”

A funeral for Griffie was held on Saturday, his sons said. A fire engine provided by the Henderson Fire Department escorted the hearse containing Griffie’s coffin, which was brought in by firefighters.

During the funeral, Fred and Donnie Griffie said they were each told stories about how their dad positively impacted a colleague.

“The most common thing when people came to see him, they said, ‘Without you in my life, it would have never been the same, and you changed my life for the better,’” Fred said.

A Henderson spokesperson said in a statement the funeral was attended by active and off-duty personnel.

Fire Chief Scott Vivier said the department is grateful for Griffie’s service and said Griffie made lasting contributions throughout his career that left an enduring impact on the community.

“The fire service is more than a career — it’s a lifelong brotherhood, and Capt. Griffie exemplified that spirit by remaining a valued member of our fire family long after his retirement,” Vivier said in a statement. “It was our honor to stand with his family in celebrating his life and legacy.”

In his personal life, Don Griffie was a charismatic man with a knack for telling interesting stories, Fred said.

“He was a great storyteller,” Fred said. “He could hold an audience.”

Don Griffie was preceded in death by his wife Constance Griffie. He is survived by sons Fred, Donnie, Scott Griffie, daughters Dinell Whitter and Vicky Dahlin, and many step-children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Griffie died on the 56th anniversary of his first day at the Henderson Fire Department, Fred said.

Griffie’s service with the fire department meant the world to him, Donnie said.

“In some instances, the fire department was his first family,” Donnie said of his father. “It meant everything to him.”