Chicago had a 3-11 alarm fire on their Southeast side early Sunday morning. The fire was reported shortly before 0430 hrs. The original fire building at 8719 S. Commercial Ave was a 2.5-story vacant frame with an old TV repair shop on the first and apartments above. This was apparently well-involved on arrival and was already communicating to a 1-story, ordinary laundrymat at 8723.
Companies made an interior attack at first but the condition of both buildings was compromised and companies were pulled out of both structures just before 0500 hrs. 8725 Commercial was a former restaurant that was a 1-story ordinary with a second story frame addition. This frame addition became fully involved as fire vented through the roof of the Laundromat. There was slight communication to 8727 which was part of the same building as the restaurant.
Seven engines were pumping at this incident. Engine 46 was in a spare and used its deck gun on the attic space of the original fire building. Engine 72 was on Commercial south of the fire buildings. Engines 81 & 82 were at the intersection of 87th and Commercial. Engine 104 was at the intersection of 87th and Exchange. Engine 126 was at the intersection of 87th & Houston. Engine 122 was at the south entrance of the alley on 88th Street.
Various media outlets reported that a civilian jumped from a second-story window and was transported from the scene. The 3-11 was struck out at 0610.
Eric Haak
The scene as I arrived about 30 minutes in. Eric Haak photo
Eric Haak photo
Eric Haak photo
Eric Haak photo
Eric Haak photo
Eric Haak photo
Eric Haak photo
Eric Haak photo
More images are at chicagoareafire.com
Fire photos
More images of the southern California wildfires from November of 2008. These were in Diamond Bar in LA County on 11-16-08.
This is from the CALFIRE website at the time:
An exclusive enclave of multi-million homes in Diamond Bar is being evacuated, according to officials at the Walnut Sheriff’s substation.
The estates are home to rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg and U.S. Rep Gary Miller as well as several other celebrities and sports figures. The Triangle Complex Fire that has already jumped from one city to another in the hills between Anaheim, Corona, and Chino has turned to the north Sunday morning, threatening homes in the Los Angeles County city of Diamond Bar.
Wind was driving fire west Saturday night, and threatened La Habra Heights (and for that matter, all the way to Rose Hills). Overnight, winds died, geography took over, and the fire went NNE through the Carbon Canyon “chimney”, to Diamond Bar by Sunday morning.
The gated Country Estates community in Diamond Bar was the first section firefighters decided to evacuate and by Sunday afternoon, 1,400 Diamond Bar residents were told to evacuate as the blaze pushed toward multi-million dollar homes and a Boy Scouts camp.
LA County Strike Team staged. Larry Shapiro photo
Another section where fire is burning in the hills alongside a freeway as the fire moves from Orange County into LA County. Larry Shapiro photo
Fire is burning in the hills alongside a freeway as the fire moves from Orange County into LA County. Larry Shapiro photo
An air tanker follows his lead or spotter plane as he nears a drop site outside of Diamond Bar, CA in 2008. Larry Shapiro photo
The planes are flying over a very affluent section of the Los Angels suburb of Diamond Bar, CA in 2008. Larry Shapiro photo
Batavia (IL) companies were called for a fire at 106 S. Mallory, the Metal Cast Company. They found fire in a two-story, 75×100, commercial business on the corner of Mallory and 1st, two small neighborhood streets. The attack went defensive early on and a Box Alarm was requested followed by a 2nd Alarm. Issues with the water pressure hampered putting multiple elevated master streams into operation.
Brad Bartley photo
Brad Bartley photo
Was fortunate to be in the car picking up from another fire in nearby St. Charles when Tri-Com toned out for a possible fire at 1st and Mallory in Batavia. Police reported flames from the 2nd floor window. The Batavia chief arrived and reported a foundry-type bldg, 300X75, well involved and told his first engine to hit it with the deck gun. Immediately he wanted to know who his first two trucks were and pulled a 2nd alarm.
John Tulipano
John Tulipano photo
John Tulipano photo
John Tulipano photo
John Tulipano photo
John Tulipano photo
John Tulipano photo
John Tulipano photo
More can be seen at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohID4O5tt-w
Here’s my video from the Newport Township FPD house fire in Wadsworth, IL.
A gallery with my images can be found HERE
Here are images from Jeff Rudolph:
Jeff Rudolph photo
Jeff Rudolph photo
Jeff Rudolph photo
Jeff Rudolph photo
Jeff Rudolph photo
Jeff Rudolph photo
Jeff Rudolph photo
Jeff Rudolph photo
Jeff Rudolph photo
Here are images from Tim Olk:
Tim Olk photo
Tim Olk photo
Tim Olk photo
Tim Olk photo
Tim Olk photo
Tim Olk photo
Tim Olk photo
Tim Olk photo
More photos from the scene of Chicago’s 3-11 Alarm fire (real time)
Tim Olk photo
Tim Olk photo
Tim Olk photo
More from the archives of Eric Haak in Chicago
The images seen here were taken on Chicago’s West Side in August, 2009. I was only a half mile away from this incident when Chicago’s Main Fire Alarm Office dispatched companies. I unfortunately did not hear the address correctly and went north instead of south which took me nearly a mile in the wrong direction. I realized my error when Engine 44 reported a large 3-flat with heavy fire blowing out the windows on 2 and 3 and then saw a large header in my rear view mirror. I recovered in time to still get some good shots, although I practically cry every time I think about what could have been. This fire was on the 1000 block of North Lawndale in the West Humboldt Park neighborhood.
Eric Haak photo
Eric Haak photo
Eric Haak photo
Eric Haak photo
Eric Haak photo
Eric Haak photo
Eric Haak photo
Another Chicago FD submission from the files of Eric Haak.
The following photos occurred on a very hot afternoon in early July, 2011. Companies found heavy fire in the rear of a Chicago bungalow near the intersection of Homan & Augusta on Chicago’s West Side. First due companies upgraded the alarm to a Still & Box as the fire had spread to the occupied exposure to the north prior to their arrival.
Eric Haak photo
Eric Haak photo
Eric Haak photo
Eric Haak photo
As usual, this fire was knocked quickly and the initial companies prevented serious damage to the exposure with an aggressive attack.
Eric Haak photo
I am not sure but I believe that this last photo is of Kevin Casey, who appeared in the movie Backdraft. Any help confirming this would be greatly appreciated.
Eric Haak photo