Polk Brothers warehouse fire 1987

All posts tagged Polk Brothers warehouse fire 1987

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

massive warehouse fire

Steve Redick photo

massive warehouse fire

Steve Redick photo

massive warehouse fire

Steve Redick photo

massive warehouse fire

Steve Redick photo

massive warehouse fire

Steve Redick photo

massive warehouse fire

Steve Redick photo

massive warehouse fire

Steve Redick photo

 

 

 

 

Previous posts can be viewed:

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

massive warehouse fire

Steve Redick photo

massive warehouse fire

Steve Redick photo

massive warehouse fire

Steve Redick photo

massive warehouse fire

Steve Redick photo

massive warehouse fire

Steve Redick photo

massive warehouse fire

Steve Redick photo

massive warehouse fire

Steve Redick photo

part 2 in the series is HERE

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

massive warehouse fire

Steve Redick photo

massive warehouse fire

Steve Redick photo

massive warehouse fire

Steve Redick photo

massive warehouse fire

Steve Redick photo

massive warehouse fire

Steve Redick photo

massive warehouse fire

Steve Redick photo

massive warehouse fire

Steve Redick photo

massive warehouse fire

Steve Redick photo

Some recollections … June 1 1987, about 1930 hrs. I had shopped here many times … a large store/warehouse complex. They sold and warehoused carpet and appliances. This was a bunch of buildings cobbled together, and they even had a railroad siding inside for deliveries.

The fire was heavy in the carpet warehouse section when I arrived. I lived in a hi-rise apartment at the time near O’Hare and could see it from my balcony. I arrived in very short order and observed a lot of standing water in the front of the building. It seemed like a water main had broken, further complicating matters. I setup shop on the east side of the building and watched the fire march from front to back. The Melrose Park Grumman tower ladder and the Westchester Maxim/Hahn mid-mount aerial would setup and the fire would already have raced past them. What little water they had came out brown and sandy, due to the broken water main I guess.

This fire was a huge loss, and one of the largest I have ever attended. The day after photos give somewhat of an idea of the scope of the disaster. I shot this with my trusty Minolta X700 with a Sunpack “potato masher” flash on Ektachrome 400. The film has gotten a magenta cast over the years which I have color corrected. Compared to what I shoot now the grain looks like the size of footballs. It’s hard to believe this was over a quarter century ago….

Steve

Polk Brothers warehouse fire 1987

Steve Redick photo

Polk Brothers warehouse fire 1987

Steve Redick photo

Polk Brothers warehouse fire 1987

Steve Redick photo

Polk Brothers warehouse fire 1987

Steve Redick photo

Polk Brothers warehouse fire 1987

Steve Redick photo

Polk Brothers warehouse fire 1987

Steve Redick photo

Polk Brothers warehouse fire 1987

Melrose Park FD Duplex/Grumman AerialCat aerial at the Polk Brothers warehouse fire 1987. Steve Redick photo

Polk Brothers warehouse fire 1987

Maywood FD Hendrickson/Pierce/LTI aerial at the Polk Brothers warehouse fire 1987. Steve Redick photo