Chicago firefighters made one rescue while battling fire in a two-story commercial building with apartments above at 7130 S. South Chicago Avenue 2/12/18. Steve Redick
Des Plaines (IL) firefighters responded to a fire at Maine Scrap Metals at 1274 Rand Road just after 11PM on Wednesday (1/10/18). They arrived and had fire inside the building and upgraded the alarm to a working fire. Within minutes they were defensive with flames through the roof and a compromised exterior wall. The alarm was upgraded to a MABAS Box Alarm as master streams were put into operation. Eventually four elevated streams were deployed from Des Plaines Tower 61, Des Plaines Tower 63, Niles Truck 2, and Chicago Squad 7A.
After the bulk of the fire was out and access to the smoldering fire was difficult due to the roof collapse, a front end loader was brought in to knock down the remains of the D-Sector wall which bordered a limousine company.
Des Plaines (IL) firefighters were called to 1108 E. Oakton this afternoon (12/29/17) for a fire in the Car-X Muffler shop, half a mile from Des Plaines Station 62. Upon arrival Engine 62 reported a fire and initiated an interior attack. The size up reported fire visible from two sides and through the roof very shortly thereafter. Companies were soon ordered out of the building to initiate an exterior attack. Both Des Plaines tower ladders were put to work as the incident was upgraded to a working fire.
The B-sector wall failed within minutes and portions of the roof went with it. A MABAS Box Alarm was requested bringing additional resources to the scene. Park Ridge Tower Ladder 36 was sent to the rear for a third elevated master stream supplied by a Rosemont engine.
Photos from Steve Redick of a house fire at 9430 Terminal Drive in Skokie, IL late Sunday night (12/10/17). Workers were reportedly in the house at the time of the fire.
Bensenville (IL) firefighters responded to an automatic fire alarm on the morning of 11/19/17 around 6:15AM at 361 Marshall Road. Within minutes they received multiple calls reporting fire in the building. Arriving police officers advised flames from the window of a third floor unit.
Flames swept through the mansard roof and into the attic. The alarm was upgraded to a Box Alarm and later a 2nd Alarm was struck. After the fire jumped a fire wall, the fire was upgraded to a 3rd Alarm . Elevated master streams from Bensenville Truck 107, Leyden Quint 133, and Chicago Squad 7A were deployed in addition to several large hand lines after companies were pulled out of the building. One resident was unaccounted for and later discovered deceased as companies went inside to overhaul.
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.
