Posts Tagged historic fire scene photos

Vintage 4-11 Alarm fire 1441 S Wabash, 8-11-83

 

This from Steve Redick:

This was a real dandy. The Fire Alarm office calltaker and dispatcher was the late Dick Hyland. You can also hear Bob Phelan as well as Matt Tomlin briefly on the radio and Al Andersen was the switchboard guy that handled most of the radio stuff. I took this job in. What a night this was! The DDC was Ed Altman way before his commissioner days and the responding District Chief was Louis Galante (which explains why this wasn’t a 5-11). Some other voices you may find familiar Jim Corbett on truck 12, Bob Welch as “3a”, Bill O’Boyle on Squad 1.
 
I’m sure there are many more to be recognized upon further review. This fire turned into a real spectacle. It ignited a scrapyard at 14th & State that went to a box and it also burned up El ties along the tracks for about 2 blocks. To top it off Snorkel 1 got stuck in the partially raised position and members had to be rescued via ground ladder as the radiant heat was getting brutal. After the building collapsed they found a guy who was sleeping in a vehicle next to the fire building who had to be extricated with a hurst tool since the car was squashed by the falling wall.

I was standing too close at the time of the collapse and as I was running saw a member get knocked down by flying bricks. I believe he broke his leg … a narrow miss for me.  This was a real all time classic job. I will never forget it.

Steve

massive fire in Chicago

Steve Redick photo

massive fire in Chicago

Steve Redick photo

massive fire in Chicago

Steve Redick photo

massive fire in Chicago

Steve Redick photo

massive fire in Chicago

Steve Redick photo

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

This from Steve Redick:

While looking through my dad’s scrapbook stuff I found this issue of Fire Engineering magazine with an excellent write up on the tragic Hubbard St fire. This incident has been well discussed over the years but I know this will be new to many of you.  This is a great example of what a good fire magazine article should be.

Steve

4119

Vintage article from Fire Engineering Magazine on the Hubbard Street fire in Chicago

Vintage article from Fire Engineering Magazine on the Hubbard Street fire in Chicago

Vintage article from Fire Engineering Magazine on the Hubbard Street fire in Chicago

Vintage article from Fire Engineering Magazine on the Hubbard Street fire in Chicago

 

Vintage article from Fire Engineering Magazine on the Hubbard Street fire in Chicago

Click on any of the pages for a larger file.

More on this fire can be found HERE, HERE, and HERE.

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Historic 5-11 Alarm fire at the Ford City Shopping Center in Chicago, 4-2-68

This from Steve Redick:

April 2, 1968, just days before the riots erupted. A 5-11 and 3 or 4 specials for a fire in a massive building. The press coverage with the spectacular large format cover photo is sadly a thing of the past now. I have enclosed one of Dave Fornell’s images from that day.

News clipping from an historic fire that destroyed the Ford City shopping center

Warren Redick collection

News clipping from an historic fire that destroyed the Ford City shopping center 4-2-68

Warren Redick collection

News clipping from an historic fire that destroyed the Ford City shopping center 4-2-68

Warren Redick collection

News clipping from an historic fire that destroyed the Ford City shopping center 4-2-68

Warren Redick collection

News clipping from an historic fire that destroyed the Ford City shopping center 4-2-68

Warren Redick collection

News clipping from an historic fire that destroyed mcCormick Place in Chicago on February 13, 1971

Warren Redick collection

News clipping from an historic fire that destroyed the Ford City shopping center 4-2-68

Warren Redick collection

historic Chicago fire apparatus battle huge fire

Dave Fornell photo

 

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Vintage Chicago Fire at the Dixie Portland Flour Mill, 3-18-70

This from Steve Redick:

Found this clipping of the first use of the new Big John

Steve

News clipping from a huge fire at the Dixie Portland Flour Mill in Chicago 3-18-70

News clipping from a huge fire at the Dixie Portland Flour Mill in Chicago 3-18-70. Warren Redick collection

News clipping from a huge fire at the Dixie Portland Flour Mill in Chicago 3-18-70

News clipping from a huge fire at the Dixie Portland Flour Mill in Chicago 3-18-70. Warren Redick collection

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

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.
Hubbard Street fire in Chicago

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

Eric Haak collection

Eric Haak collection

Ruins of the Hubbard Street fire

Ruins of the Hubbard Street fire. Eric Haak collection

Ruins of the Hubbard Street fire. 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

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

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

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

historic Chicago newspaper article

Warren Redick collection

historic Chicago newspaper article

Warren Redick collection

historic Chicago newspaper article

Warren Redick collection

historic Chicago newspaper article

Warren Redick collection

historic Chicago newspaper article

Warren Redick collection

historic Chicago newspaper article

Warren Redick collection

historic Chicago newspaper article

Warren Redick collection

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Vintage Chicago warehouse fire in 1965

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

historic Chicago newspaper article

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

historic Chicago newspaper article

Warren Redick collection

historic Chicago newspaper article

Warren Redick collection

 

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Vintage Chicago fire scene – Civic Center Blaze 1965

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
historic fire at Chicago Civic Center

Civic Center Blaze 1965. Warren Redick collection

historic fire at Chicago Civic Center

Civic Center Blaze 1965. Warren Redick collection

historic fire at Chicago Civic Center

Civic Center Blaze 1965. Warren Redick collection

historic fire at Chicago Civic Center

Civic Center Blaze 1965. Warren Redick collection

historic fire at Chicago Civic Center

Civic Center Blaze 1965. Warren Redick collection

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Vintage Midlothian fire scene from November of 1978

This from Mike Summa:

Hello,
This is from November 1978 in unincorporated Midlothian.  I found them in an album and I wanted to share.
Thank you,
Mike Summa
1978 fire scene

Mike Summa photo

1978 fire scene

Mike Summa photo

1978 fire scene

Mike Summa photo

1978 fire scene

Mike Summa photo

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Historic fire scene photos from 4-15-89

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.

River North Art Gallery Fire

jim Skrabel photo

River North Art Gallery Fire

jim Skrabel photo

River North Art Gallery Fire

jim Skrabel photo

River North Art Gallery Fire

jim Skrabel photo

River North Art Gallery Fire

jim Skrabel photo

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