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CFD engine 93 – the ambo wasn’t there
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Posts Tagged Chicago Fire Department
As seen around … Chicago
Mar 30
Another installment about History of Evanston Fire Department
The Big Stick
On Sunday, December 23, 1906, Isaac Terry was killed instantly when an explosion rocked the Northwestern Gas Light & Coke Company works at Clark & Maple after Terry inadvisedly dumped burning ashes into an oil and coal pit. The pit was 45 feet across and 15 feet deep, with 80,000 gallons of oil in the well.
Initial firefighting efforts were hampered when the horses pulling Engine 1’s hose-wagon became frightened and ran away immediately upon arriving at the scene after one of the many explosions thundered from the pit, with the horses and the hose cart eventually ending up at Greenwood Boulevard and the lakefront where the fully loaded hose wagon overturned.
The entire Evanston Fire Department, most of the Wilmette Fire Department — who responded to the blaze aboard their brand new Seagrave combination truck — and two engine companies from the Chicago Fire Department battled the conflagration until 8 PM, with firefighters pouring nearly a million gallons of water onto the inferno. Chicago F. D. Truck Co. 25 changed quarters to Evanston Fire Station # 1 at the height of the blaze.
A couple of months later, on Saturday February 23, 1907, at 2:30 AM, fire destroyed the garage of Edwin F. Brown at Milburn Street & Sheridan Road. The garage was only worth $3,000, but three luxury automobiles — two valued at $5,000 each and one valued at $2,500, — a gasoline engine, a pool table, a sailboat, and miscellaneous tools and furniture were also destroyed, for a total aggregate loss from fire of $20,000, the seventh highest loss from a fire in Evanston’s history up until that point in time.
Two weeks later, Evanston firefighters had to contend with hazardous chemicals caused by spontaneous combustion of phosphorous while battling a blaze at the Northwestern University Science Hall. The next day, the Evanston City Council appropriated funds to purchase a horse-drawn, 85-foot windlass-operated aerial-ladder truck (HDA) with a four-horse hitch from American-LaFrance, something that had been recommended by Chief Carl Harrison just two weeks earlier. Costing $6,700 and financed with a down-payment and three installment payments made each year 1908-10, the truck was placed into service with Truck Co. 1 at Fire Station # 1 after it arrived in July 1907 (and after the west bay of Station # 1 was lengthened to accommodate the new truck).
On Sunday, December 23, 1906, Isaac Terry was killed instantly when an explosion rocked the Northwestern Gas Light & Coke Company works at Clark & Maple after Terry inadvisedly dumped burning ashes into an oil and coal pit. The pit was 45 feet across and 15 feet deep, with 80,000 gallons of oil in the well.
Initial firefighting efforts were hampered when the horses pulling Engine 1’s hose-wagon became frightened and ran away immediately upon arriving at the scene after one of the many explosions thundered from the pit, with the horses and the hose cart eventually ending up at Greenwood Boulevard and the lakefront where the fully loaded hose wagon overturned.
The entire Evanston Fire Department, most of the Wilmette Fire Department — who responded to the blaze aboard their brand new Seagrave combination truck — and two engine companies from the Chicago Fire Department battled the conflagration until 8 PM, with firefighters pouring nearly a million gallons of water onto the inferno. Chicago F. D. Truck Co. 25 changed quarters to Evanston Fire Station # 1 at the height of the blaze.
A couple of months later, on Saturday February 23, 1907, at 2:30 AM, fire destroyed the garage of Edwin F. Brown at Milburn Street & Sheridan Road. The garage was only worth $3,000, but three luxury automobiles — two valued at $5,000 each and one valued at $2,500, — a gasoline engine, a pool table, a sailboat, and miscellaneous tools and furniture were also destroyed, for a total aggregate loss from fire of $20,000, the seventh highest loss from a fire in Evanston’s history up until that point in time.
Two weeks later, Evanston firefighters had to contend with hazardous chemicals caused by spontaneous combustion of phosphorous while battling a blaze at the Northwestern University Science Hall. The next day, the Evanston City Council appropriated funds to purchase a horse-drawn, 85-foot windlass-operated aerial-ladder truck (HDA) with a four-horse hitch from American-LaFrance, something that had been recommended by Chief Carl Harrison just two weeks earlier. Costing $6,700 and financed with a down-payment and three installment payments made each year 1908-10, the truck was placed into service with Truck Co. 1 at Fire Station # 1 after it arrived in July 1907 (and after the west bay of Station # 1 was lengthened to accommodate the new truck).
Because the city council declined to appropriate funds to acquire the four new horses needed to pull the HDA, Hose 2 and Hose 3 were taken out of front-line service and placed into reserve, and the four horses that had been used to pull the two hose carts were reassigned to the new HDA. At this point in time (1907), mostly only large cities had aerial ladder trucks in service, and even then, only half of the Chicago Fire Department’s 32 truck companies operated with aerial-ladder trucks.
To replace the hose carts at Station # 2 and Station # 3, the 1885 Davenport H&L (ex-Truck 1) was transferred from Station # 1 to Station # 3, and hose boxes with capacity for 850 feet of 2-1/2 inch line and a 150-ft lead of 1-1/2 line were installed on both the Seagrave combination truck at Station # 2 and on the Davenport H&L now at Station # 3. Hose Co. 3 was re-designated as Truck Co. 3 at this time, as the EFD now had one engine company and three truck companies in service, with two of the trucks equipped with enough hose to allow the companies at Station # 2 and at Station # 3 to attack fires using direct pressure (plug pressure).
Evanston Fire Department manpower stood at 30 by the summer of 1907, with nine men (the assistant chief, a lieutenant, an engineer, two assistant engineers, and five firemen) assigned to Engine Co. 1, nine men (a captain, a lieutenant, and seven firemen) assigned to Truck Co. 1, six men (a captain, a lieutenant, and four firemen) assigned to Truck Co. 2, three men (a captain and two firemen) assigned to Truck Co. 3, two chief’s buggy drivers (one primary and one relief), and the chief, with the 29 line firefighters working a 112-hour work week (24 hours on / 12 hours off, with meal breaks taken away from the firehouse, either at home or in a nearby restaurant). So 19 or 20 men were usually on duty at any one time, although men were coming & going constantly.
The aerial ladder wasn’t needed very often, but on July 4, 1908, Truck 1’s stick was extended to the roof of the First Congregational Church at Lake & Hinman to help suppress a blaze caused by errant fireworks. Chief Harrison ordered soda-acid chemicals from the Babcock chemical engine and from the Seagrave combination truck to be used to extinguish the blaze, rather than water supplied from the ALF Metropolitan steamer or from direct plug pressure, so as to minimize water damage to the sanctuary.
The summer of 1908 was unusually hot and dry, and the EFD responded to a record 28 calls over the first five days of August. Firefighters were going out constantly, and on August 5th three alarms were received within a five-minute period, the most serious being a blaze that heavily damaged the C&NW RR platform at Davis Street. Five days later, Evanston firefighters saved the Weise Brothers planing mill and lumber yard on Dodge Avenue after a large prairie fire communicated to a pile of lumber.
In January 1909, the Evanston City Council approved a pay raise for 27 of the 30 members of the Evanston Fire Department, including a $10 per month increase for the chief, a $5 per month increase for the assistant chief, and a $2.50 per month increase for all other members of the department except for the engineer and the two assistant engineers.
As seen around … Chicago
Mar 25
This from Chicagoland_fire_photos:
Truck 24 visit pre closer ambo 29 wasn’t there
Chicagoland_fire_photos
This from Eric Haak:
Here are a few images of a still & box alarm in Chicago’s 5th Battalion on Sunday morning (3/21). The building was vacant.
Eric Haak photo
As seen around … Chicago
Mar 23
This from @chicagoland_fire_photos on instagram:
This was a visit to Engine 115 about 3 days before their new house opened
chicagoland_fire_photos on instagram
This from Matthew Sosnowski:
STILL + W/F RESPONSE @ 209 EAST 78TH STREET FLOOR #2 DATELINE CITY OF CHICAGO DATE 3-15-2021 STILL ALARM + WORKING FIRE RESPONSE + 1 SPECIAL CALL @ 209 EAST ON 78TH STREET FLOOR #2 CROSS STREETS OF SOUTH ON INDIANA & SOUTH ON PRARIE STILL ALARM @ 00;02 HOURS B/O/O E.F.A.O. = ENGLEWOOD FIRE ALARM OFFICE STILL ALARM COMPANIES RESPONDING ENGINES 122/47 TRUCKS {LADDERS} 20/30 BATTALION CHIEF 19. WHEN ENGINE 122 LANDED ON SCENE AND REPORTED THAT SMOKE WAS SHOWING E.F.A.O. UPGRADED THE RESPONSE TO A WORKING FIRE @ 00:12 W/F RESPONSE COMPANIES RESPONDING SQUAD 5/5A BATTALION CHIEF 23 TRUCK {LADDER} 34 FIELD E.M.S. CHIEF 455 AMBULANCES 24/55 S/C #1 @ 00:33 B/O/O BATTALION CHIEF 19 S/C COMPANY RESPONDING O.F.I. 467
Matthew Sosnowski photo
Chicago Fire Department news
Mar 18
Excerpts from Fox32chicago.com:
A Chicago firefighter was not injured after falling through a floor battling a blaze Wednesday in Englewood on the South Side after crews were called to the scene of a fire about 9:35 p.m. in the 6900 block of South Green Street. He was quickly removed from the building by other firefighters and taken to the hospital as a precaution. He was listed in good condition. The fire was rapidly extinguished and no other injuries were reported.
From Chicago Fire Media @CFDMedia:
Green street mayday more. FF fell thru floor but does not appear to be injured. Rapid extraction by CFD members.
CFD Media photo
Chicago Fire Department news
Mar 18
Excerpts from abc7chicago.com:
A fire was reported at a large apartment building just before midnight Wednesday in the 6100-block of South Wabash Avenue. Fire officials said that in an effort to escape the blaze, an 8-year-old girl threw a mattress from a third floor window and managed to jump onto it to safety. She was home alone with two other younger children.
When firefighters arrived, they found a 4-year-old boy hanging out one of the windows, ready to jump, and were able to rescue him using a ladder. They also found a 2-year-old boy inside and got him out safely. It’s unclear if the children were trying to cook or trying to stay warm. The children were transported to Comer Children’s Hospital in serious condition but are expected to recover. They remained stable but some suffered from smoke inhalation.
Chicago police said their mother was located and there are no charges. She told police she was at work and someone was supposed to be watching the children while she was gone.
The Department of Children and Family Services is investigating.
From Chicago Fire Media @CFDMedia:
6147 wabash still and box and EMS plan 1. Apartment building. One patient so far.
6147 wabash. Multi building housing development. Fire in one unit contained and put out. Three kids in fire apartment being evaluated. Seem to be ok. EMS plan 1 secured. Warming bus ordered from CTA
6147 Wabash apartment fire . The children a girl age ten and two boys 4 and 2 were inside. The girl threw a mattress from third floor window and jumped. 4 year old rescued at window by ladder. CFD also got 2 year old from inside all taken to Comer serious. No adult at home.
CFD Media photo
CFD Media photo
CFD Media photo
Excerpts from wttw.com:
63-year-old Reginald Brown was held without bail during a court hearing Thursday, one day after he was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of arson for allegedly starting the fire that killed Ieashia Ford, 34, and her daughter Porche Ford, 10, in their home in the 8600 block of South Hermitage Avenue.
“There are multiple witnesses to the defendant’s multiple threats to burn the house down, all because he thought (Ieashia Ford) took his wallet and his cellphone,” Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy said during the hearing. “Because of that, two people were killed, including a 10-year-old girl who does not get to grow up.”
According to prosecutors, Brown and Ieashia Ford, who were in a relationship, were hanging out at Brown’s home on Feb. 27 when he grabbed Ford and accused her of taking his phone and wallet. She and another man left that scene, but Brown allegedly followed them to Ford’s home where he repeatedly threatened to burn the house down in front of a group of onlookers.
Brown called Ieashia Ford a short time later and again threatened to burn her house down, Murphy said during the hearing Thursday. That call was overheard not only by people at Ford’s home, but also Brown’s roommate, who told investigators that Brown had told him he’d filled a bleach bottle with gasoline, and shortly before he went to sleep that night, he overheard Brown muttering to himself “they should be by now.”
Early the next morning, a man prosecutors believe to be Brown was seen on surveillance footage walking near Ford’s home and carrying a bag. That person then took something out of the bag, walked toward Ford’s home, and soon after, the orange glow of the fire could be seen coming from the house. The fire was started around 4 a.m. and engulfed the home within minutes. One resident happened to be awake at the time and saw smoke coming from the porch area. He woke two other residents and got them outside before attempting to put out the flames. He re-entered the home and tried to locate Ford and her daughter, but was unable to do so. Both Ieashia Ford and Porche Ford died of smoke inhalation.
The resident who attempted to save the Fords suffered third-degree burns and is expected to recover.
One of the surviving victims and Brown’s roommate both positively identified the man in the surveillance footage as Brown, and investigators recovered a bleach bottle filled with gasoline in a nearby dumpster.
Brown is due back in court for a hearing March 31.
This from Eric Haak:
Here are a few images from Sunday morning’s fire at 4942 S. Princeton in Chicago. The building was a total loss from the get-go.
Eric Haak photo
