Vintage extra alarm fire in Chicago

This from Steve Redick:

April 1961 issue of The ADT Transmitter magazine had this CFD classic image on the cover. Overall in decent shape but I did a bit of restoration. The original Snorkel is on the left. Anyone recognize the fire?

April 1961 issue of the ADT Transmitter

From Steve Redick 11/10/17:

5-11 + 1 special, 162 N. Clinton, 12/26/1960

Tags: 5-11 + 1 special 162 N. Clinton 12/26/1960, 5-11 Alarm fire in Chicago in 1960, historic 5-11 alarm fire in Chicago, original Snorkel, Snorkel at Chicago fire scene, The ADT Transmitter magazine, vintage fire scene in Chicago April 1961

This entry was posted on November 10, 2017, 12:00 PM and is filed under Fire Department History. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

3 Comments

#1 by Bill Post on November 12, 2017 - 3:09 AM

Jim that Snorkel or rather those Snorkels are not from Evergreen Park. The one to the left was the 1958 GMC/Pitman 50-foot “Giraffe” platform that was modified by the Chicago Fire Department shops and initially went in service as Water Tower 4 from October 14 ,1958 until May 1st 1959 when it was designated as Snorkel 1. That was very first Snorkel company. If you take a good look at the photo you will see a large metal awning over the cab and hood of the truck which is how the Snorkel was originally out fitted.
On May 16th 1965 the same apparatus was further modified. That overhead awning was removed, a few additional cabinets were installed on the rear body, and it became the first piece of the famous Snorkel Squad 3. During the big snowstorm of January 1967, the rig got stuck in a snowdrift and was permanently taken out of service, however Snorkel Squad 3 continued running as a two piece company without a Snorkel assigned to it. Finally around December of 1968, the CFD officially redesignated Snorkel Squad 3 as Rescue 3 after running for almost 2 years without a Snorkel. On May 1st 1969, Rescue 3 was taken out of service. Since that time, the original Snorkel was restored and is on display with the American LaFrance collection in North Charleston, South Carolina.
Snorkel Number 3 on the right side of the photo was one of two Ford/High Ranger articulating platforms that was put in service in 1959. Snorkel 3 was the smaller of the two. It had a 65-foot boom while Snorkel was 75-foot.
#2 by Jim on November 11, 2017 - 3:37 PM

Is that Evergreen Park’s snorkel?
#3 by Mike L on November 11, 2017 - 11:28 AM

Was this a fire on Jeweller’s Row? Around Wabash and Jackson?