March | 2014 | FireScenes.Net

Here are some images depicting air drops from the rotary-wing aircraft . Included are a Sikorsky Firehawk, a Super Huey Bell Helicopter, and two Bell 205s.

Three helicopters visible in the queue for water drops. Larry Shapiro photo

A Bell 205 makes a drop. Larry Shapiro photo

A Sikorsky Firehawk about to make a drop. Larry Shapiro photo

A Bell 205 with a full bucket approaching the drop site. Larry Shapiro photo

A helicopter heading into the smoke to make a drop. Larry Shapiro photo

One of the helicopters returning to refill. Larry Shapiro photo

A Huey making a water drop. Larry Shapiro photo

A helicopter near the ridge line makes a drop as two others circle back to refill. A fixed-wing tanker in the distance is gong to make a drop in another sector. Larry Shapiro photo

Other posts in this series: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

2-Alarm fire in Mettawa, IL – March 15, 2014

Posted by firescenesadmin on March 16, 2014

Posted in: FIre Scene photos, NEW. Tagged: 2nd Alarm fire in Libertyville, barn fire in Libertyville, elevated master stream at fire, ice on fire engine, Larry Shapiro, Libertyville Fire Department, night fire scene photos, Pierce Quantum engine, Pierce Velocity quint, winter fire scene photos. 1 comment

The Libertyville Fire Department (IL) received a call around 10:15PM on Saturday reporting a barn fire on Bradley Road in nearby Mettawa. Units were dispatched from Libertyville, Lake Forest, and Knollwood. Upon arrival they found fire in one building on the property of a large stable at 855 N. Bradley Road. Libertyville Quint 462, Engine 463, Engine 461, and the Libertyville tender entered the north driveway, and the Lake Forest engine came in the south driveway. Lake Forest had a hydrant at the street and the Knollwood quint tapped another hydrant near the north driveway to supply the Libertyville companies. Prior to the establishment of secure water sources, the Libertyville tender and the two engines nursed the quint.

Within minutes the alarm was upgraded to a Box Alarm for additional units including water tenders. They made a good stop and did not put the mutual aid water tenders to work. A second alarm was requested for manpower to assist the companies with extensive overhaul.

a deck gun from a fire engine works at night

Larry Shapiro photo

Larry Shapiro photo

firemen with hose lines at winter fire scene

Larry Shapiro photo

Pierce Dash fire engine at night fire scene

Larry Shapiro photo

Larry Shapiro photo

Larry Shapiro photo

more images are at chicagoareafire.com

a full gallery of image is at shapirophotography.net

Southern California wildfire November 16, 2008 (part 3)

Posted by firescenesadmin on March 15, 2014

Posted in: FIre Scene photos, PREVIOUS. Tagged: California Wildfire photos, Diamond Bar Fire 2008, fire photography, fire scene photos, fixed wing air drops at wild land fire, Freeway Complex Fire, Larry Shapiro, Lockheed P-3 Orion air tanker, McDonnell Douglas DC-10 air tanker, Orange County wildfires, Triangle Complex Fire, Triangle Fire 2008, Yorba Linda Fire. Leave a Comment

Here are some images depicting air drops from the fixed-wing air tankers. One is a Lockheed P-3 Orion which is capable of dropping 3,000 gallons of fire retardant, and the other is a McDonnell Douglas DC-10 which can carry 12,000 gallons of water or retardant.

Some data on the DC-10 from CALFIRE:

Originally delivered as a civil passenger plane to National Airlines in 1975, it subsequently flew for Pan Am, American Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Omni International.
The DC-10 is the only wide-body jet air tanker currently in the fire service. The aircraft, operated by 10 Tanker Air Carrier, is used for fighting wildfires, typically in rural settings. The turbofan-powered craft carries up to 12,000 gallons of fire retardant in an exterior belly-mounted tank, which can be released in eight seconds. This aircraft will not be used on all fires, and will not be used on initial attack. It is utilized in extended attack fires as it is limited in time effectiveness for reloading fire retardant as well as its need to reload and refuel at an equipped aerial firefighting base (currently Victorville and McClellan are the only bases in California serviceable for this large an aircraft). One drop for the DC-10 is equivalent to 12 drops of an S2-T or a line of retardant that is 300 feet wide by one mile in length.

Fire is burning in the hills near Diamond Bar, CA in 2008 as part of the Freeway Complex Fire. Larry Shapiro photo

An example of the homes in the evacuated neighborhood in Diamond Bar. Larry Shapiro photo

P3 Orion working at the Freeway fire in 2008

P3 Orion air tanker working at the Freeway fire in 2008. Larry Shapiro photo

DC-10 working at the Freeway fire in 2008

DC-10 outfitted for firefighting operations flies low over the neighborhood as it lines up for a drop. Larry Shapiro photo

Following it’s lead plane, the DC-10, begins it’s drop. Larry Shapiro photo

Capable of dropping retardant over an area a mile long, the DC-10 continues to spread retardant. Larry Shapiro

Southern California wildfire November 16, 2008 (part 2)

Posted by firescenesadmin on March 14, 2014

Posted in: Fire photos, PREVIOUS. Tagged: California Wildfire photos, Diamond Bar Fire 2008, fire photography, fire scene photos, fixed wing air drops at wild land fire, Freeway Complex Fire, Larry Shapiro, Orange County wildfires, Triangle Complex Fire, Triangle Fire 2008, Yorba Linda Fire. Leave a Comment

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

5-Alarm fire in Melrose Park, IL – June 1, 1987 (part 2)

Posted by firescenesadmin on March 13, 2014

Posted in: FIre Scene photos, HISTORIC FIRES. Tagged: Grumman AerialCat fire truck, heavy smoke from building fire, historic fire scene photos, massive warehouse fire, Melrose Park Fire Department, Polk Brothers warehouse fire 1987, Steve Redick. Leave a Comment

More images by Steve Redick from the 5-Alarm fire in Melrose Park, IL that occurred June 1, 1987.

Steve Redick photo

2-11 Alarm fire in Chicago – March 10, 2014 (more)

Posted by firescenesadmin on March 12, 2014

Posted in: FIre Scene photos, NEW. Tagged: 2-11 Alarm fire in chicago, 29 year old E-ONE tower ladder fights fire in Chicago, Chicago FD Snorkel at fire scene, Chicago tower ladder working at big fire, commercial building fire in Chicago, commercial fire at night, fire hydrant covered with ice, fire scene photos, night fire scene photos, reserve apparatus fights big fire, Steve Redick. Leave a Comment

This job occurred in the wee hours of Monday in the 2900 block of Irving Park Rd in Chicago. A large commercial building, that had a large bowstring truss in the rear as well as a flat roof in the front. I arrived just as the fire was breaking through the roof. This was a very tough fire to shoot as the weather was light rain, heavy smoke hanging low, and a friggin’ center median planter with lots of trees. Also the Snorkel and one of the towers were in spares.

Two towers and a Snorkel were set up early, and there were some communication issues as well. There are a couple of shots of a company using a big line at the mouth of the alley to protect a large frame dwelling. Note the shots of truck 13 depict their new Crimson (ERV or whatever they call it now) aerial. This fire was in for a few hours and companies were there til around lunch time. Here is a sampling of the images.

Steve Redick

Steve Redick photo

Other images are on chicagoareafire.com

All the images can be seen on my site:

www.ksc711.smugmug.com

Chicago companies reported a working fire at 2917 W. Irving Park Road just before 3AM on Monday, 3-10-14. The building description was a 100×150, one-story ordinary with a truss roof in the rear. The alarm was upgraded immediately to a Box Alarm and then a 2-11 was requested 20 minutes later.

Gordon J. Nord, Jr. photo

Dylan Konchan photo

Dylan Konchan photo

Dylan Konchan photo

Dylan Konchan photo

More at chicagoareafire.com

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All posts for the month March, 2014

Southern California wildfire November 16, 2008 (part 4)

Here are some images depicting air drops from the rotary-wing aircraft . Included are a Sikorsky Firehawk, a Super Huey Bell Helicopter, and two Bell 205s.

2-Alarm fire in Mettawa, IL – March 15, 2014

Within minutes the alarm was upgraded to a Box Alarm for additional units including water tenders. They made a good stop and did not put the mutual aid water tenders to work. A second alarm was requested for manpower to assist the companies with extensive overhaul.

Southern California wildfire November 16, 2008 (part 3)