This from Eric Haak:
The images below show the scene from Valentine’s Day, 1962. The 4-11 Alarm fire at 1365-75 East 70th Street broke out around 11:15 in the morning. About and hour and a half later, companies were working in the interior of the third floor when things began to crumble around them. At approximately 12:45, Commissioner Quinn ordered the men out of the building as the roof began sagging. As the men made their way out, the west wall and roof caved in, taking three men with it. 52 year-old Chief of the Fire Prevention Bureau Robert O’Brien and 43 year-old Battalion Chief Thomas Hoff were buried under debris in the basement. Chief Hoff’s driver, Edward Stack, was also taken down by the collapse but managed to escape unhurt by rolling through a first floor doorway. An inquest made into the cause of the deaths of Chief’s O’Brien and Hoff’s was inconclusive as to the cause of the fire, although at the time, it was thought to have been a faulty furnace in the basement. Chief O’Brien was a childhood friend of Mayor Daley and grew up five doors down from the Daley family on Lowe Street.
4-11 Alarm fire at 1365-75 East 70th Street in Chicago February 14, 1962. Photographer known, from the collection of Eric Haak.
4-11 Alarm fire at 1365-75 East 70th Street in Chicago February 14, 1962. Photographer known, from the collection of Eric Haak.
4-11 Alarm fire at 1365-75 East 70th Street in Chicago February 14, 1962. Photographer known, from the collection of Eric Haak.
4-11 Alarm fire at 1365-75 East 70th Street in Chicago February 14, 1962. Photographer known, from the collection of Eric Haak.
4-11 Alarm fire at 1365-75 East 70th Street in Chicago February 14, 1962. Photographer known, from the collection of Eric Haak.
#1 by mike mc on August 17, 2017 - 2:09 PM
In the last photo, you can see the wall leaning inward.
#2 by mike mc on August 17, 2017 - 9:00 AM
Thanks for posting. These are very rare photos showing the front of the building. One minor correction, the fire was struck out at 12:46 and the collapse occurred at roughly 12:50. Chief O’Brien’s buggy driver, last name Conley, was rescued from the basement about 1:20. That may be him in the last photo. Thomas Hoff, who was the assistant drill master at the time, was of course the father of the late captain Ray and retired commissioner Bob. Chief O’Brien, who is sadly forgotten by most people, almost certainly would have succeeded Quinn as fire commissioner, probably when Quinn hit the max age limit in 1968 or 1969.
Yes, this is sometimes referred to as the “Backdraft” fire due to it’s similarity to the movie.
Some dramatic rescue work took place after the collapse. They were simultaneously using hand lines in the basement while trying to rescue the two chiefs and Conley. The west wall was leaning the entire time. Shortly after Conley was rescued Quinn ordered everyone out and sent for cranes.