On the afternoon of November 6, 2014, Providence firefighters responded to Ford Street for a house fire. On arrival, Engine 8 found heavy fire on all floors and through the roof of a 2.5- story vacant house. An interior attack was initiated but crews were quickly withdrawn and defensive operations were begun. It took approximately 20 minutes for master streams to knock the heavy fire down. There were no injuries reported and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
Fire wise, Rhode Island is fairly busy. We are also about an hour’s ride to Boston and GPS says exactly three hours from my house to Times Square in NYC. I go to Boston almost every week and NYC as many times as my schedule allows.
Last Thursday night, my daughter and I spent the night in Manhattan with plans to go to the Today Show concert on Friday morning. Just as we were getting into the city, a phone alarm went out for a fire on or near the 45th floor of a high rise on West 31st Street. Nothing was immediately visible but a 10-77 (signal for a working fire in a residential high-rise) was transmitted when smoke began to show. Companies found a fire in one apartment on the 45th floor of a 60-story building. The building was on the same block as the quarters of Engine 1 and Ladder 24. The fire was under control as we arrived.
Monday, my wife and I went to Boston’s North End for lunch and as we were heading home, Box 3148 was struck for the front porches of a house on Welles Street, in the Dorchester area. We were about 5 minutes from that location and Engine 18 arrived and reported fire showing. They quickly stretched a line and knocked the fire down before it could extend to the interior.
On May 9, 2014, Providence (RI) firefighters responded to 98 Laban Street for a house fire. On arrival, crews found heavy fire in the basement and first floor of an occupied 3-decker. As engine companies stretched lines, trucks began to open up and found the fire spreading through the entire building. All of the occupants were reported to have gotten out and primary searches confirmed that report. As conditions deteriorated, command ordered a second alarm and the evacuation of the building. Exterior operations were initiated and knocked the fire down. After the heavy streams were shut down, companies re-entered the building to mop up. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
So far this year, I have been late to almost every fire that I have been to. I live in RI, about an hour from Boston but frequently travel there. I was listening to Boston the other night and heard them strike the box for the fire on Lexington Street in East Boston. This area is isolated from Boston and is very densely populated. The streets are full of three deckers, separated by no more than three or four feet.
A fire broke out in a vehicle between two three-deckers and extended to both. District Chief 1 covers East Boston and falls under the command of Division 1. On his arrival, District 1 reported heavy fire in two dwellings and struck a second alarm. The wind swept fire quickly spread through the roof and extended to another building on Lexington. District 1 struck four alarms within the first five minutes of operating, all before the deputy arrived. Once on scene, C-6, the Deputy, assumed command and made District 1 operations chief. Eight alarms would be needed to bring the fire under control.
I left my house as the sixth alarm was struck and arrived after the fire had been knocked down. The most popular photo of this fire is of the BMW parked on the hydrant. My photo isn’t the one that went viral but I walked right past it when walking to the fire scene. It is one of those things that I can scratch off of my list of things that as a fire photographer I have always wanted to shoot.
Since I don’t go out much at night, it also gave me a chance to see how reflective the new green on green stripes are on the new gear. It is far more noticeable than the green with silver. For those that are familiar with the Boston Fire Department, I included a photo of Engine 24 and one of the officer of Engine 52. Engine 24, along with Ladder 23, are two very busy companies from the Grove Hall section of Roxbury. Engine 52, housed with Ladder 29, is located on Blue Hill Avenue in Dorchester. Neither one of these companies are remotely close to East Boston and it is very rare to see them there.
