A box alarm at 16th and MLK in Detroit. I arrived as the 2nd engine was stretching. A vacant dwelling was pretty much allowed to burn down current with DFD policy when no exposures are threatened. Ladder 8 is the last remaining tiller in service and suffered mechanical damage at this alarm, it’s end may be near.
Grosse Pointe, a suburb that borders on the east side of Detroit. This is a public safety department so the fire response here is vastly different than the city of Detroit. Manpower is very limited initially and is supplemented by people responding from home and on duty police officer/firefighters. All the mutual aid companies also share this type of system.
The fire involved a large dwelling under renovation that was fully involved and rapidly spreading to the exposures. Above the 5th alarm level the City of Detroit was requested to send two engine companies, a squad, and a buggy. When we arrived the original fire building was fully involved and starting to collapse. Exposure 4 was becoming well involved and exposure 2 was severely threatened. Allthree buildings were lost. We witnessed some spectacular fire conditions here and initial units on scene were pretty much overwhelmed from the start considering the available resources. This was a horrible event for all concerned although thankfully no lives were lost. More can be seen here.
Took in a job in Chicago’s fire prone 11th battalion at 8230 W. Berwyn Avenue 2/10/18. Pretty cut and dried but it appeared they hit two frozen hydrants (not sure … judging by my obervations alone). This job was 1/2 block from a good working fire on the same street about two weeks ago. Heavy snow made travel and parking on the side streets difficult and hydrants were pretty much buried in snow as well. I was able to shoot a little use of the stripping ladder … not something you can usually see from the street.
All the images and a quick video can be seen here:
Chicago firefighters battled fire in a commercial building at 4749 W. Lake Street just after midnight Monday (2/12/18). The fire was discovered by Truck 29 while returning to quarters from a Still & Box Alarm fire. Flames had already engulfed the entire building and the alarm was eventually elevated to a 2-11. The building collapsed shortly after companies went to work. Two multi-versals along with elevated master streams from Tower Ladder 5, Tower Ladder 14, Squad 2A and Truck 29 were deployed. One member from the 5-11 Club Support Service Unit was injured after loosing his balance on a patch of ice and was transported to a hospital.
