Posts Tagged historic fire in Chicago

Chicago Fire Department history

Dec 21

Posted by Admin in Fire Service News | 2 Comments

This from Steve Redick:

5-11-39, 3-11 and 6 specials at 3532 E 103rd st
Rosenbaum & Norris Grain Elevators E-37 trip 1hr 28min / pumped 53 hrs 35min / on the west bank of the Calumet River. In this image if you look closely there are 7 foxes drafting visible and a steamer in ther background. I aquired this image from the collection of Howard Hensel. I think he may have been the photographer, it appears to be an original picture, very small in size.

Looks like he sent the first picture to the Ahrens Fox Fire Engine Company and he received a cool reply on original company letterhead from John Ahrens

Another Howard Hensel shot of Truck 2

Truck 11 1930

I believe Howard was a friend of my mentor Jack Turner. I’m pretty sure Jack gave me these images.

Steve

5-11-39, 3-11 and 6 specials at 3532 E 103rd st – Rosenbaum & Norris Grain Elevators

Howard Hensel shot of Chicago FD Truck 2

Howard Hensel shot of Chicago FD Truck 11 1930

Tags: Chicago FD Ahrens Fox fire engines pumping together, Chicago FD Truck 11, Chicago FD Truck 2, Chicago Fire Department history, historic fire in Chicago, historic fire truck photos, historic photos of Chicago fire trucks, Howard Hensel, vintage 3-11 alarm fire in Chicago 5-11-39

CFD LODD anniversary – Firefighter Ed Coglianese

Jan 29

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News, LODD | 3 Comments

Excerpts from dnainfo.com:

The same day the Chicago Bears won Super Bowl XX, the city lost Chicago Fire Lt. Edmond Coglianese.

Coglianese, 42, of Mount Greenwood, died while fighting a fire at the Mark Twain Hotel. He saved two elderly residents who were caught on the third floor of the residential hotel at 111 W. Division St. before he went back into the five-story building to search for more survivors. The 12-year veteran was later trapped by flames and died of smoke inhalation on Jan. 26, 1986.

A bell-ringing ceremony will be held at 8 a.m. Tuesday at Coglianese’s firehouse — Engine Co. 98 at 202 E. Chicago Ave. in the Gold Coast. The hardworking father left behind his wife, Eileen, and two children, Allyson and Matt.

In all, 35 senior citizens were rescued from the burning hotel using ladders. Another 100 people came out of the building through stairways.

Allyson Coglianese was just 12 years old and in the seventh-grade at St. Christina School when her father died. Her brother, Matt, was 9 years old and in the fourth-grade at the Catholic school in Mount Greenwood.

Coglianese carries memories with her as a member of the Gold Badge Society of Chicago. Allyson Coglianese serves as vice president of the group that helps support the families of fallen firefighters.

Her mother, Eileen Coglianese, is president of the society. Among their most gut-wrenching duties is to arrive at the hospital and later at the homes of families who are mourning the sudden loss of a firefighter or paramedic who has died in the line of duty.

Their shared experience is meant to help ease the overwhelming emotional toll that is suddenly thrust upon the family. They also help with the finer details such as funeral arrangements, media requests and other issues that come along after such a tragedy.

thanks Dan

Tags: A bell-ringing ceremony was held at Engine Chicago Fire Lt. Edmond Coglianese, Chicago FD history, Firefighter Ed Coglianese, Gold Badge Society of Chicago, historic fire in Chicago, LODD Chicago FD Lt Edmund Coglianese, Mark Twain Hotel fire in Chicago

Historic fire Hubbard Street fire with multiple LODD, 1-28-61

Jan 31

Posted by Admin in Fire Service News | 15 Comments

This from Eric Haak:

I thought I would pass along these images of the Hubbard Street fire. There are many images known of this incident, but a few of these may not have been well circulated. The first image is a common one of the front of the building before the collapse. I believe this image was taken facing north from under the railroad bridge. Image 2 shows the position of Snorkel 1 in the alley. Images 3 and 4 are of the ruins and I believe they were taken facing south from the Grand Avenue bridge.

An interesting side note is image 5 which is blown up from image 3. It shows an Ahrens-Fox engine being used to supply the high pressure rig. If I am wrong about any of these descriptions, please let me know as I have always wanted to understand these images and where they were taken. I own the original negatives for all four of these images and do not know who the original photographer was.

Historic Hubbard Street fire in Chicago that killed nine firefighters, 1-28-61. Eric Haak collection

Eric Haak collection

Ruins of the Hubbard Street fire. Eric Haak collection

Chicago FD Ahrens Fox engine and high-pressure wagon at the scene of the Hubbard Street fire. Eric Haak collection

Tags: Battalion Chief George Kuhn, Battalion Chief George Rees, Chicago FD Ahrens Fox fire engine pumping, Chicago Fire Department, Eric Haak, Firefighter Ciro Zuccarello, Firefighter Hillard S. Augustine, Firefighter Robert Burns, Firefighter Stanley Sliwinski, Firefighter William Hillistad, historic fire in Chicago, historic fire scene photos, Lt. Charles Rauch, Lt. Louis Repkin, nine Chicago firefighters killed at warehouse fire in 1961, The Hubbard Street Fire January 28 1961

CFD LODD anniversary – Firefighter Ed Coglianese

Jan 26

Posted by Admin in Fire Department History, LODD | Comments off

Excerpts from DNAinfo.com:

The same day the Chicago Bears won Super Bowl XX, the city also lost Chicago Fire Lt. Edmond Coglianese.

Coglianese, 42, of Mount Greenwood, died while fighting a fire at the Mark Twain Hotel. He saved two elderly residents who were caught on the third floor of the residential hotel at 111 W. Division St. before he went back into the five-story building to search for more survivors, according to a Chicago Tribune report. The 12-year veteran was later trapped by flames and died of smoke inhalation on Jan. 26, 1986.

In all, 35 senior citizens were rescued from the burning hotel using ladders. Another 100 people came out of the building through stairways, according to a fire department report.

A bell-ringing ceremony was held at 8 a.m. Tuesday (1/26/16) at Coglianese’s firehouse — Engine Co. 98. The hardworking father left behind his wife, Eileen, and two children, Allyson and Matt.

Eileen Coglianese, is president of the Gold Badge Society. Among their most gut-wrenching duties is to arrive at the hospital and later at the homes of families who are mourning the sudden loss of a firefighter or paramedic who has died in the line of duty.

Their shared experience is meant to help ease the overwhelming emotional toll that is suddenly thrust upon the family. They also help with the finer details such as funeral arrangements, media requests and other issues that come along after such a tragedy.

thanks Dan

A bell-ringing ceremony was held (1/26/16) at Engine Chicago Fire Lt. Edmond Coglianese.

Tim Olk photo

Tags: A bell-ringing ceremony was held (1/26/16) at Engine Chicago Fire Lt. Edmond Coglianese, Chicago FD history, Firefighter Ed Coglianese, historic fire in Chicago, LODD Chicago FD Lt Edmund Coglianese, Mark Twain Hotel fire in Chicago

Historic 5-11 alarm fire in Chicago, 2-9-65

Jan 4

Posted by Admin in Fire Department History, Historic Fire Photo | 4 Comments

More historic clippings from the Warren Redick collection: 5-11 alarm at Gotham Industries, 540 Orleans, February 9, 1965

Warren Redick collection

Tags: 5-11 Alarm fire in Chicago in 1965, classic newspaper clippings of Chicago fire scene, Elliott Robinson, Gotham Industries warehouse fire February 1965, historic Chicago newspaper article, historic fire in Chicago, historic fire scene photos, Howard Borvig, Phillip Leavitt, Steve Redick, Warren Redick

Vintage Chicago warehouse fire in 1965

Jan 2

Posted by Admin in Historic Fire Photo | 3 Comments

This from Steve Redick:

One of the things I inherited from my dad was his massive scrapbook of fire clippings which he had worked in from the 1940s onward. It is an amazing collection, but unfortunately a good portion has been damaged in storage. This stuff needs to be shared, so that is my intention. These first pages are from a tremendous extra alarm at the Steinburg Baum warehouse, 1705 N Throop Street, September 30, 1965. They mention several fireboats used but there are no photos in the articles.

Steve

An extra alarm fire in Chicago at the Steinburg Baum warehouse, 1705 N Throop Street, September 30, 1965. Warren Redick collection

Warren Redick collection

Tags: classic newspaper clippings of Chicago fire scene, historic Chicago newspaper article, historic fire in Chicago, historic fire scene photos, Steinburg Baum warehouse, Steve Redick, Warren Redick

Vintage Chicago fire scene – Civic Center Blaze 1965

Dec 27

Posted by Admin in Historic Fire Photo | 2 Comments

This from Steve Redick:

Civic Center Blaze 1965 – I think the date is 5/17/65. A serious hi-rise fire during the construction phase of the Daley Center

YEAR DATE MONTH TIME BOXNO STNUM STDIR STNAME ALARM SPECIAL EMSPLAN EMSPLANNO TYPEBLD TYPECONST HEIGHT OCCUPIED DIMENSION TRUSS NOBLDS PHOTO PHOTONO INJURYFF INJURYFFNO DEAD DEADNO DEADFF DEADFFNO DESCRIBE MONTHNO

1965 17 May 1036 26 150 N. Clark 3-11 0 Garag S-G 31 250 x 400 0 01 -1 4436 0 0 0 05

Civic Center Blaze 1965. Warren Redick collection

Tags: Civic Center Blaze 1965, historic fire in Chicago, historic fire photos, historic fire scene photos, Steve Redick

Historic fire scene photos from 4-15-89

Dec 7

Posted by Admin in Fire Department History, Historic Fire Photo | 4 Comments

This from Jim Skrabel:

I just starting scanning old 35mm photos of fires I have been to over the years and came across these.

This is the River North Art Gallery Fire at 361 W. Superior St. from April 15, 1989. This fire was a 5-11 and either one or two specials. I heard Aerial Tower 3 box it, grabbed my camera, and headed for the fire. By the time I got downtown (living in Cicero at the time) the fire was already a 4-11.

Jim Skrabel

Darien-Woodridge F.P.D.