Chicago firefighters battle massive blaze

All posts tagged Chicago firefighters battle massive blaze

Chicago, IL 3-11 at Cullerton and Morgan October 9th, 1988

I took this fire in from Hoffman Estates as soon as I heard the still and box. (thank God there was no traffic on the Kennedy Expressway). This was a vacant 6-story factory, 200×150, and they had heavy fire on the 5th and 6th floors when I arrived.

There were several special calls that eventually brought ALL six tower ladders to the scene and all six were set-up and working simultaneously.  They would use 6-TLs, 2-ladder pipes and 1 Snorkel along with several handlines to bring this fire under control. TL39 and TL21 were on Morgan street. TL14 was in the rear off Morgan next to Trk 4. Squad 1 was at the corner of Cullerton and Morgan. TL10, TL62, and TL23 were set-up along Morgan Street.

I was lucky enough that the shot with the nose of Squad 1 in the foreground and the corner of the building with heavy fire was on the cover of Firehouse Magazine in May of 1989.

These were all shot on Kodachrome 200, they were scanned and run through Lightroom 5 to adjust the exposures.

John Tulipano

 

Chicago Squad 1 about to put their Snorkel to work. John Tulipano photo

Chicago Squad 1 about to put their Snorkel to work. John Tulipano photo

Heavy fire consumes the upper floors. John Tulipano photo

Heavy fire consumes the upper floors. John Tulipano photo

The massive fire seen from a block away. John Tulipano photo

The massive fire seen from a block away. John Tulipano photo

One of Chicago's Snorkel Squads working. John Tulipano photo

One of Chicago’s Snorkel Squads working. John Tulipano photo

Chicaog American LaFrance fire engine pumping

Engine 14 was running this American LaFrance Century Series. John Tulipano photo

Two tower ladders,a ladder pipe and a Snorkel are setup on this street. John Tulipano photo

Two tower ladders,a ladder pipe and a Snorkel are setup on this street. John Tulipano photo

run down of historic Chicago fire

5-11 rundown.

 

The link to my smugmug site is below.

All the regulars were out at this one, Redick, Nord, Olk.  I don’t believe that any of their shots appeared on any sites other than their own.  My pictures from that day have not been seen before so here they are.

This fire broke out in a 125 x 75 1-story auto body supply store in the late morning hours of September 28, 2009.  The building was located on the 2300 block of South Pulaski on the city’s west side and fighting the blaze was made a little more difficult by the presence of elevated railroad tracks in sector 4.  Eventually Tower Ladder 5, Tower Ladder 54 and Squad 1A all used elevated streams and companies were placed on the roof of the sector 3 exposure with a line as well.

large 2-alarm fire in Chicago

Eric Haak photo

large 2-alarm fire in Chicago

Eric Haak photo

large 2-alarm fire in Chicago

Eric Haak photo

large 2-alarm fire in Chicago

Eric Haak photo

large 2-alarm fire in Chicago

Eric Haak photo

large 2-alarm fire in Chicago

Eric Haak photo

large 2-alarm fire in Chicago

Eric Haak photo