HISTORIC FIRES

historic fire scene photos from many years ago

Chicago, IL 3-11 at Cullerton and Morgan October 9th, 1988

I took this fire in from Hoffman Estates as soon as I heard the still and box. (thank God there was no traffic on the Kennedy Expressway). This was a vacant 6-story factory, 200×150, and they had heavy fire on the 5th and 6th floors when I arrived.

There were several special calls that eventually brought ALL six tower ladders to the scene and all six were set-up and working simultaneously.  They would use 6-TLs, 2-ladder pipes and 1 Snorkel along with several handlines to bring this fire under control. TL39 and TL21 were on Morgan street. TL14 was in the rear off Morgan next to Trk 4. Squad 1 was at the corner of Cullerton and Morgan. TL10, TL62, and TL23 were set-up along Morgan Street.

I was lucky enough that the shot with the nose of Squad 1 in the foreground and the corner of the building with heavy fire was on the cover of Firehouse Magazine in May of 1989.

These were all shot on Kodachrome 200, they were scanned and run through Lightroom 5 to adjust the exposures.

John Tulipano

 

Chicago Squad 1 about to put their Snorkel to work. John Tulipano photo

Chicago Squad 1 about to put their Snorkel to work. John Tulipano photo

Heavy fire consumes the upper floors. John Tulipano photo

Heavy fire consumes the upper floors. John Tulipano photo

The massive fire seen from a block away. John Tulipano photo

The massive fire seen from a block away. John Tulipano photo

One of Chicago's Snorkel Squads working. John Tulipano photo

One of Chicago’s Snorkel Squads working. John Tulipano photo

Chicaog American LaFrance fire engine pumping

Engine 14 was running this American LaFrance Century Series. John Tulipano photo

Two tower ladders,a ladder pipe and a Snorkel are setup on this street. John Tulipano photo

Two tower ladders,a ladder pipe and a Snorkel are setup on this street. John Tulipano photo

run down of historic Chicago fire

5-11 rundown.

 

The link to my smugmug site is below.

Some recollections … June 1 1987, about 1930 hrs. I had shopped here many times … a large store/warehouse complex. They sold and warehoused carpet and appliances. This was a bunch of buildings cobbled together, and they even had a railroad siding inside for deliveries.

The fire was heavy in the carpet warehouse section when I arrived. I lived in a hi-rise apartment at the time near O’Hare and could see it from my balcony. I arrived in very short order and observed a lot of standing water in the front of the building. It seemed like a water main had broken, further complicating matters. I setup shop on the east side of the building and watched the fire march from front to back. The Melrose Park Grumman tower ladder and the Westchester Maxim/Hahn mid-mount aerial would setup and the fire would already have raced past them. What little water they had came out brown and sandy, due to the broken water main I guess.

This fire was a huge loss, and one of the largest I have ever attended. The day after photos give somewhat of an idea of the scope of the disaster. I shot this with my trusty Minolta X700 with a Sunpack “potato masher” flash on Ektachrome 400. The film has gotten a magenta cast over the years which I have color corrected. Compared to what I shoot now the grain looks like the size of footballs. It’s hard to believe this was over a quarter century ago….

Steve

Polk Brothers warehouse fire 1987

Steve Redick photo

Polk Brothers warehouse fire 1987

Steve Redick photo

Polk Brothers warehouse fire 1987

Steve Redick photo

Polk Brothers warehouse fire 1987

Steve Redick photo

Polk Brothers warehouse fire 1987

Steve Redick photo

Polk Brothers warehouse fire 1987

Steve Redick photo

Polk Brothers warehouse fire 1987

Melrose Park FD Duplex/Grumman AerialCat aerial at the Polk Brothers warehouse fire 1987. Steve Redick photo

Polk Brothers warehouse fire 1987

Maywood FD Hendrickson/Pierce/LTI aerial at the Polk Brothers warehouse fire 1987. Steve Redick photo

More from my archives:

Chicago, IL 5-11 Alarm at 1522 W. Lawrence Avenue,  June 1st, 1984. This was the Southport Lumber Company, a  1-sty 75X150. There was some exposure to a roller rink on Clark Street. The fire was well under control when I arrived. Also take note of the lack of crowd control back in those days.

I have also included a picture from my scrap book of a shot from the Chicago Tribune.

Time line

  •       13:15 Still and Box

  • 13:25 2-11

  • 13:33 3-11

  • 13:58 4-11

  • 14:09 5-11

  • 14:31 Struck out 

John Tulipano

old newspaper photo of 5-11 alarm fire in Chicago

old Chicago fire engines at fire scene

John Tulipano photo

Chicago fd turret wagon at old fire scene

John Tulipano photo

old Chicago fire engines at fire scene

John Tulipano photo

old 5-11 alarm fire scene in Chicago

John Tulipano photo

More photos at http://tulipano-firephotos.smugmug.com/Other-1/611984-Chicago-5-11-Alarm-1522/i-VVBN32d

 More newspaper images out of Steve Redick’s archives from the 1950s.

 

Chicago Fire Department history

photographer unknown

Chicago Fire Department history

photographer unknown

Chicago Fire Department history

photographer unknown

 

In the 40s and 50s my father had contacts in some of the local newspapers. After a spectacular photo was published he would write in and get 8 x 10 black and white prints, apparently made from the original negatives. It appears most of these would have been taken with a speed graphic, and are of very nice quality. These images are from the "classic" period in news media photojournalism. You just don't see fires or images like these in today's world. I am lucky enough to have access to my dad's collection, and am sharing these with a whole new generation of fire fans. 

Steve Redick

Historic fire scene photo from Philadelphia

photographer unknown

Historic fire scene photo from Philadelphia

photographer unknown

Historic fire scene photo from Philadelphia

photographer unknown

Historic fire scene photo from Philadelphia

photographer unknown

 

Chicago 4-11 alarm 6/16/1987 at Ogden and Lake

This was a 2-story brick factory type building approximately 100X125. It was a metal company that stored or used magnesium, there were several spectacular magnesium explosions. 2-tower ladders, 1-Snorkel, 1-ladder pipe, and several point of vantage lines were used

 RunDown

  • 01:02 Still  Eng 26,14            Trk 7,19 Bn 3 Sqd 1
  • 01:03 Box  Eng 30,103         Trk 10 Bn 4, 2-2-1
  • 01:08 2-11 Eng 5,18,42,44   Trk 12,21,36 Bn 1,6,15
  • 01:21 3-11 Eng 1,4,13,20    
  • 01:29 4-11 Eng 16,57,107,117
  • 02:06 struck out

Enjoy

http://tulipano-firephotos.smugmug.com/Other-1/Chicago-4-11

John

Chicago 4-11 alarm fire photo

John Tulipano photo

Chicago 4-11 alarm fire photo

John Tulipano photo

Chicago 4-11 alarm fire photo

John Tulipano photo

John Tulipano from Chicago’s western suburbs submitted images from a fire that occurred July 4, 1991 in Maywood, IL

This fire in Maywood, IL was on July 4th, 1991. It was a vacant, 1-sty building 150×200 with a bow-string truss roof. This was the former Allstar Pontiac car dealership located at 200 Roosevelt Road.

Here is rundown

  • 10:30 Still – Maywood Eng 506, 507, Trk 502, and Broadview Eng 215

  • 10:35 Box 300 – Melrose Park Eng 707 C/Q

  • 10:40 2nd alarm  – Melrose Park Eng 707, Hillside TL403

  • 10:45 3rd alarm – Bellwood Eng 603, Westchester Trk 315

  • 13:00 struck out

Maywood Fire Department

John Tulipano photo

Maywood Fire Department

John Tulipano photo

Maywood Fire Department

John Tulipano photo

Maywood Fire Department

John Tulipano photo

Maywood Fire Department

John Tulipano photo