This from Eric Haak:
Here are some images taken early on during the Chicago Fire Department’s 2-11 Alarm this morning (6/9/19) at 62nd and Harlem. The fire quickly overtook several units and with companies being met by bad hydrants, the alarm was elevated to a still and box. What you can’t see from these pictures is that for each exterior unit, there was another unit that was only accessible from an interior hallway. With the fire progressing over the top of those exterior units and the roof being declared unstable, companies were forced into a defensive position. Squad 5A was positioned in the interior lot and aerial operations commenced with Tower Ladder 54 being set up on Harlem. Tower Ladder 39 was also set up but I’m not sure if they ever flowed water. The incident also led to some interesting situations like Engine 8 pumping at the corner of 61st and Harlem and a Summit engine supplying water to the Chicago incident.
Eric Haak photo
Eric Haak photo
Eric Haak photo
Eric Haak photo
Eric Haak photo
Eric Haak photo
Eric Haak photo
Eric Haak photo
This from Jim Skrabel:
Here are a few pics from the 2-11 at 6201 S. Harlem. They were taken by my son Chris Skrabel.
Chris Skrabel photo
Chris Skrabel photo
Chris Skrabel photo
Chris Skrabel photo
#1 by Bill Post on June 14, 2019 - 5:59 PM
Thanks for the information Tim. That was still a pretty far change for Engine 8. It’s true they only had to drive up Archer off the Stevenson, however I wonder where Engine 65 was or for that matter any of the other engines that I mentioned previously. They would usually get sent on a change to Engine 32 before Engine 8 would. Because the engines are so spread out in the 16th Battalion and on the southwest side, just about all four of the Still and Box engines could warrant getting covered by change companies which would include Engine’s 127, 88, and probably Engine 34. The same goes for the truck companies.
#2 by MABAS 21 on June 14, 2019 - 8:56 AM
Mark Guitre,
This is a fire service and fire buff blog, not an official CFD media briefing page or a journalist page written from reporters.
Your commented “Too much fire dept. jargon and shop talk and too little useful information.” Fortunately, that is what this blog is; written by fire service personnel and fire buffs for fire service personnel and fire buffs, hence why there is “jagon” and “shop talk.” Occasionally news media articles are posted here regarding fires and incidents.
#3 by Tim on June 14, 2019 - 2:38 AM
Engine 8 did change to Engine 32 on the box.
#4 by Tim on June 12, 2019 - 10:21 PM
Mark what are you talking about?
#5 by Mark Guitre on June 12, 2019 - 2:12 PM
Nice pictures, but the gaps in this story are fairly LARGE, and “alarming.” The business or company that was struck by the fire is never named. The cause of the fire was never even speculated on. If it’s a (nameless) storage facility, how could a unit or units self-combust when no one is around early on a Sunday morning? Too much fire dept. jargon and shop talk and too little useful information.
#6 by Bill Post on June 11, 2019 - 12:05 AM
Eric thanks for metioning Engine 8 because I had that question on my mind as well. I had figured they had gone on a change of quarters on the box and then responded when the 2-11 was struck.
That does bring another question however, did the alarm office send a change to Engine 8? I ask because Engine company 8 is a poor choice for change of quarters without an engine changeing to Engine 8 since their still district is large and has many high value and high hazard properties; McCormick Place, the Prairie Avenue historical district, Chinatown, railroad yards, Lake Shore Drive, the Stevenson and Dan Ryan expressways, and the museum campus. That is one station that should be covered if Engine 8 is going to be out of the area for any significant period of time.
There are other nearby companies on the southwest side that are usually used as change companies such as Engines 28, 49, 65, 99, and 15, are all better choices to change quarters. So I hope that they sent an engine to cover for Engine 8.
#7 by Eric Haak on June 10, 2019 - 7:03 PM
I was wondering about Engine 8 myself and somehow, they were put on a COQ to either 32 or 34 and responded on the 2-11. At least that was the information I could retrieve at the scene.
#8 by harry on June 10, 2019 - 1:14 PM
ok thank u danny I am usally very good about details and I did noiot ever notice that and I wish I had because maybe I could have seen it go on a run with the q but as long as they still have it maybe I will still have a chance
#9 by Chris S on June 10, 2019 - 1:14 PM
Surprised to see E8 all the way out there
#10 by danny on June 10, 2019 - 10:51 AM
as long as i can remember harry
#11 by harry on June 10, 2019 - 12:34 AM
did twr 5 alf always have a real federal q on the bumper
#12 by Danny on June 9, 2019 - 8:08 PM
Wrong post tailgate was the 3-11 on 112th and Michigan yeaterdat
#13 by Danny on June 9, 2019 - 8:06 PM
4 towers were called 37 and 5 in their newer E ones and 34 and 54 in spares 34 in tower 5s old ALF and 54 in the old tower 10 HME LTI
#14 by Eric Haak on June 9, 2019 - 3:58 PM
First off, TL 54 was in the spare. From what I was able to see, Summit was there on the initial call and hung around but did not go to work until late in the incident. There were limited hydrants available with Engine 8 going in-line from several blocks away. It was at that time that Summit was asked to grab a hydrant on their side of Harlem. As with all of my comments, these are just observations and I should never be taken as someone who is in the know.
#15 by Austin on June 9, 2019 - 3:14 PM
Michael not really, Summit is directly across the street from the fire, plus they were pumping water from Summit hydrants. Who knows, maybe when the call first came in they thought it was in Summit and responded, but stuck around. That isn’t that uncommon of thing to happen in that scenario.
#16 by Mike hellmuth on June 9, 2019 - 2:13 PM
No Bedford park ?
#17 by harry on June 9, 2019 - 1:47 PM
I see twr 39 is in a spare
#18 by Michael m on June 9, 2019 - 1:40 PM
Interesting that a Summit FD Engine was pumping. At this incident.
What happened, were there multiple incidents going on in the city?