Bill Friedrich has been sharing vintage photos of the Chicago Fire Department. Several images here depict classic winter scenes on the fireground in Chicago. The photographers are unknown to us as well as the dates and locations of the downtown fire.
Photographer unknown. Two Hi-Ranger Snorkels and the original Pitman-Snorkel are working along with several ladders in 1963 at this extra-alarm fire at Mercy Hospital.
Photographer, date and location unknown. Two Autocar pumpers and a water tower all encased in ice.
Photographer, date, and location unknown. Another view of the downtown fire.
Photographer, date, and location unknown. A third view of the downtown fire shows two water towers at work.
#1 by glenn cunningham on December 11, 2012 - 9:26 PM
i was still a fan, i belong to fire museum, i was at that fire brrrrrrr! so much ice no windows or very few it was a cold storge building lost 1 tower truck ice shortly after quins snorklers went into service…..changed fire fighting in america glenn
Pingback: Morning Lineup – January 23 | Firegeezer
#2 by Michael Grimes on January 22, 2012 - 10:03 PM
The two Autocar Squads seen in the picture do not have pumps,they were at the time the Squads used by the city. I spent many a day at Squad Co 13 in Engine Co. 93 quaters in Roseland.The I.H. in the foreground would have been listed as a High Pressure Unit because of it’s gun and would have had no pump. It also would have carried if I remember 800ft. of 4 inch boat hose.
#3 by Daniel C. Rode on January 22, 2012 - 9:05 PM
After doing some further digging, the Joker Stand Journal had an excellent article on the Hubbard St. fire in their Volume 6 #4 issue. The following rundown was for that fire:
Still @ 0710 hrs.-E11, T9, Sq. 1, Bn. 2
Box @ 0719 hrs.-E13-37-42-98, T3, HP2, WT2, Bn. 1
2-11 @ 0757 hrs.-E5-14-17-27-40-41, T2-6, HP3, WT3,
Sq. 2
3-11 @ 0819 hrs.-E4-12-21-22-34, T1, Sq. 10, Bn. 5
4-11 @ 0927 hrs.-E6-20-24-26-104
5-11 @ 1123 hrs.-E8-30-33-44-48, HP1, WT1
There was no mention made in the article about a Special.
#4 by Drew Smith on January 22, 2012 - 7:28 PM
The caption on the second photo reads Autocar pumper but it looks that at least the one on the right/in the foreground is a squad as it appears that on the driver’s side rear the running board has the charecteristic oxygen and acetylene tanks. Look at this link and see if this squad resembles the one above.
http://ksc711.smugmug.com/Historical-Fires-Rigs/Squads/1957396_fqp2PM#!i=99455903&k=SbSiu
#5 by Steve Redick on January 22, 2012 - 9:00 AM
Retired FAO Jim Evans and retired Niles FD Carl Fox had some comments about these photos:
Top Photo is indeed the Mercy Hospital bldg, at Prairie Av & 25th/26th Sts. I took this in on a morning in Sept 1963. The other three shots are from 1-1-58 at Hubbard St w/ Michigan Av. An old cold storage bldg, with walls a couple feet thick, most of the windows were bricked in. Really a tough fire, and a long. cold one. . Joyce and I took it in from Giddings and Leavitt Sts at about 730AM. Both were 5-11 alarms, possible both had Spl Calls.Hubbard St, under the Michigan Av overpass was about two feet in solid ice! – Jim Evans
The remaining pictures are of the Hubbard st. fire on Jan 1, 1958. This was CD’s baptism under fire and the beginning of a wonderful career for old fire fans. – Carl Fox
#6 by Daniel C. Rode on January 21, 2012 - 10:54 AM
That first photo can also be found in Volume 3 of the History of Chicago Firehouses on page 25. Mercy Hospital was located at 2537 S. Prairie and the 5-11 alarm fire occurred on 09-13-63. The remaining three photos look to be of the Cold Storage fire on Hubbard Street. That 5-11 alarm fire + 1 special occurred on 01-01-58 at 54 E. Hubbard St.