Posts Tagged light-weight construction

Chicago 2-11 alarm commercial fire 1-26-11 update

Jan 27

Posted by bgshap in Apparatus on-scene, Fire, Fire Service News, Reader submission | Comments off

Tim Olk submitted these images from the 2-11 last night at 1896 N. Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago. The original post can be found HERE.

Firefighters from Squad 2 work their bucket into position to hit the fire at 1896 N. Milwaukee Avenue. The brick structure had limited areas that offered access to the interior. Tim Olk photo

Squad 2 directs their master stream into the building to attack the fire. Tim Olk photo

Firefighters mask up at the doorway before using a hand line to hit the fire originating deep within the structure. An interior attack was not an option due to the light-weight roof construction. Tim Olk photo

Tags: 2-11 alarm, Chicago Fire Department, Chicago Squad 2, commercial fire, light-weight construction, Snorkel, Tim Olk

Chicago 2-11 alarm commercial fire 1-26-11

Jan 27

Posted by bgshap in Apparatus on-scene, Fire, Fire Department News, Fire Service News | 1 Comment

Chicago companies responded to a fire at 1896 N. Milwaukee Avenue last night around 9PM and encountered heavy smoke pushing out of a one-story brick commercial structure. Exposures on either side of the building were three-story brick buildings. The fire was elevated to a 2-11 alarm as companies went defensive pulling all personnel out of the building that was determined to have a light-weight truss roof. There were few means of reaching the deep-seated fire from the front and rear as windows were minimal. Engine 35 was lead out in Sector 1 with Truck 28, Tower 10, and Squad 2A. Engine 57 was in the alley and Engines 30 and 43 had hydrants at the south end of the block. Dennis McGuire, Jr., Tim Olk, Steve Redick, and Larry Shapiro all took in the fire. Images will be posted later today.

A brief article can be found HERE.

Chicago Fire Department 2-11 alarm fire Jan 26, 2011 at 1896 Milwaukee Avenue

A shot in Sector 1 showing Engine 35 supplying water to Squad 2's Snorkel. In the background is Truck 28 and Tower Ladder 10. Larry Shapiro photo

A gallery of Larry Shapiro’s images can be seen HERE. Steve Redick’s photos are HERE.

Tags: 2-11 alarm fire, Chicago Engine 30, Chicago Engine 35, Chicago Engine 43, Chicago Engine 57, Chicago Fire Department, Chicago Squad 2, Chicago Tower Ladder 10, Chicago Truck 28, commercial fire, Dennis MGuire Jr, Larry Shapiro, light-weight construction, Snorkel, Steve Redick, Tim Olk, truss roof

Wauconda Box Alarm 1-22-11

Jan 22

Posted by bgshap in Apparatus on-scene, Fire Department News, Fire Service News | Comments off

The Wauconda Fire Department in MABAS Division 4 was called to the scene of a single-family house fire shortly after 1PM today at 1116 Madison Avenue. Companies found heavy fire in the garage of the structure that was communicating to the house and attic area. They upgraded the response to a MABAS Box Alarm bringing mutual aid from several departments. There was no one home at the time of the fire and though the garage sustained heavy damage to the roof and the vehicle parked inside was destroyed, damage to the main house was limited to the area directly behind the two-story garage.

Companies assisting at the fire were from Lake Zurich, Lake Villa, Nunda, Barrington, Round Lake, Mundelein, Countryside, and Long Grove.

Larry Shapiro took in the fire, but arrived after it was knocked down. Here are several images from the scene.

Wauconda Fire Department house fire Madison Ave Jan 22, 2011

Wauconda Engine 341 was the still engine to the fire at 1116 Madison Avenue and had three lines off. It is a 2009 HME/Ferrara Intruder. Larry Shapiro photo

From the street it would appear that the window above the garage might have been a bedroom, when in fact there was no floor or buildout in that area. Larry Shapiro photo

Also, there was no second floor above the garage floor even though there was a fair sized window installed in the wall as is visible in this street image from Google Maps.

The house at 1116 Madison Avenue in Wauconda prior to the fire as seen on Google Maps.

Several of the gusset plates securing the light-weight constructed roof trusses failed in the garage area.

The roof trusses above the garage as seen from the driveway. Larry Shapiro photo

A closeup view showing the gusset failures on the roof trusses. Larry Shapiro photo

Mutual aid companies were staged on Bonner Road.

Round Lake, Mundelein, Countryside, and Long Grove apparatus is stage on Bonner Road. Larry Shapiro photo

Wauconda firefighters hit hot spots in the garage during the overhaul phase. Larry Shapiro photo

Wauconda Fire Department house fire Madison Ave Jan 22, 2011 Nunda ambulance

Nunda FPD Ambulance 1351 is staged on Bonner Road. Larry Shapiro photo

Larry Shapiro has a gallery of images which can be seen HERE.

Tags: Ferrara, garage fire, Google Maps, HME, house fire, Intruder, Larry Shapiro, light-weight construction, MABAS Box Alarm, MABAS Division 4, Wauconda Fire Department

Lakemoor apartment fire goes to 3 alarms

Oct 15

Posted by bgshap in Fire | Comments off

The Fox Lake Fire Department received calls for a fire in an apartment building in the 500 block of Autumn Boulevard in Lakemoor around 11PM last night. Arriving roughly four minutes later, companies found fire through the roof of the three-story, light-weight constructed building. A structural collapse occurred shortly thereafter. This was a 3-11 for tankers and a Box Alarm for the structural collapse with at least 19 fire departments represented on the scene.

Four tower ladders went to work (Fox Lake, McHenry Township, Wauconda, and Round Lake) in addition to several handlines and ground level master streams.

Interesting apparatus notes from the incident include the following:

Countryside and Grayslake both had their new apparatus at the fire.
Several of the units on-scene were equipped with Nightscan or Command Light towers including engines from Antioch, Grayslake, and Round Lake plus squads from Fox Lake and Barrington.
At one point late into the fire, the Fox Lake Tower Ladder (Spartan/3D/Nova Quintech) which was in sector 1, deployed the articulating jib of the fly-section of the ladder over the building
McHenry Township had four units on the scene: engine, tower, tanker and squad
Round Lake had three units on the scene; engine, tower, and tanker
Lake Villa had three units on the scene; engine, tanker, and ambulance
Grayslake had an engine and tanker at the scene
Lake Bluff responded with an engine … probably the farthest distance travelled

Antioch's American LaFrance/Alexis engine with a Nightscan lighting up the scene. Larry Shapiro photo

Fox Lake Fire Department Spartan Alexis squad

This Fox Lake squad has two light towers capable of providing enough light for any scene. Larry Shapiro photo

Countryside put this new tanker into service this summer. It is shown here working at it's second tanker box already. In the background, Round Lake's engine is lighting up the porta-tanks with a Command Light mounted on the cab roof. Larry Shapiro photo