20 February 2011
L.A. Firefighter Succumbs to Injuries
The collapse injured four Los Angeles firefighters and two Los Angeles County firefighters on Feb. 16
The Los Angeles Fire Department has announced the line of duty death of Firefighter Glenn Allen, who succumbed Friday to injuries sustained in a ceiling collapse earlier in the week.
The incident occurred on Feb. 16 in the Hollywood Hills area of Los Angeles when crews responded to a reported structure fire, and a partial ceiling collapse occurred. The collapse injured four Los Angeles firefighters and two Los Angeles County firefighters.
Allen succumbed to his injuries at 12:15 p.m. at Cedars Sinai Medical Center, the department reported. An investigation remains underway to determine the exact cause of Allen's injuries and manner of his death.
"The Allen Family and the Los Angeles Fire Department has received a tremendous outpouring of support during this difficult time," the department announced in a prepared statement. "Your Firefighters wish to thank you and express our deepest appreciation for all the kind words and gestures that have been provided."
Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.
31 January 2011
I Am Sorry, Your House Is On Fire? We Will Be There Later Not Sooner
WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE TO GET CITIES TO WAKE UP AND REALIZE THAT THIS WILL BE THE NORM IF THEY DON'T FIND WAYS TO KEEP THE FIRE AND POLICE IN PLACE.
25 January 2011
THE WAR YEARS 1960-1990
PART ONE COVERS THE GREAT KNICKERBOCKER AND BLEECKER STREET FIRE OF 1977, THE FIRE HAPPENED JUST DAYS AFTER THE GREAT NEW YORK CITY BLACKOUT AND IN A LOT OF WAYS THIS FIRE WAS LOST IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE BLACK OUT. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
THE WAR YEARS PART 1--BROOKLYN BOX 10 10 767 1977
The war years of the fire service, just what were those years. In some areas of the country those years have not stopped or they are starting all over again. Just like in Camden, NJ with one third of the cities firefighters laid off. In other areas of the country like LA, New York, St. Louis, Philly, they were the years between 1960 and the mid 1980's where department regularly fought fires that burned to such a magnitude the departments were over whelmed.
Cities like New York saw there firefighters battling major fire, two alarms or greater, on a daily basics, sometime the FDNY would have so many fires going that companies could not get any help. Cities like St Louis would not have the sheer number of fires that New York, Philly, and Los Angeles would have but they ran many more fires than normal.
What made the war years so bad, arson, greed, lack of equipment and manpower, all the things were seeing today? You have politicians that are more interested in getting their name and their picture on the news and in the newspaper instead of working to find a solution for what is ailing our country. It is plain and simple what is wrong and it is greed. Are we as a country, as firefighters, police officers, EMS personnel, and fire buffs heading into another "War Years", yes I think so.
Recently I paid a visit to one of Clark County Fire Department's station and the members were leery about visitors, although the member I talked with would not come out and say it I got the feeling that he really did not want me around. It is sad to say but I actually felt like an intruder in the station.
Recently I posted a tread called 1976 FIRE STORM IN ST LOUIS about a fire in the downtown area in 1976 that had the potential to burn through the entire city. One member of the City of St Louis Fire Department made the comment that people did not realize just how close we came to loosing the city. Hell during those years the City of New York Firefighters were battling fires just as big and just as bad on a daily basics. So were the members from Philly, Los Angeles, and many other areas of the Country.
This thread is about the war years. The fires that were fought by the Greatest Generation of American Firefighters, these guys fought fires without the aid of today's bunker gear and half the times they did not wear pacs like we do today, they did not have the hoods, or the cameras, things like that. They faced fires with shear guts and indignity
Men like Lt Richard Hamilton (FDNY Rescue 2), Denise Smith, the men of Engine Co 82 and Ladder Co 31 of the South Bronx, the men of the Brooklyn Companies, the men in Los Angeles during the Watts Riots, all of these guys made our country safe from those that sought to tear it apart because they were not happy with their lives or because they were not happy with their landlords, or the landlords that wanted to tear the building down who would hire thugs to torch the place.
Each one of these fires were fires that touched people in many ways, some lost their homes, for some it was a way to rebel against the machine and the "Man", and for some these fire cost them a great deal. I remember reading in "Report From Engine Co 82" about guys the would hire kids to light off the buildings and then throw a match in and lock the door trapping the kids along with the residents of the buildings. In one of the forums that I am in I read where it was not unusual for the Companies to pull up to a building and residents would have their stuff out front knowing that the building would be getting torched that day, and that the members would know it too due to the sheer number of False Alarms called into that area on that day.
The first in this thread will the "Great Knickerbocker and Bleecker Street Fire of 1977"
JULY 18, 1977:
This fire was started by three juveniles who sheer goal was to get their pictures in the paper, and if my research is correct one of them was sentenced to 25 years in prison for this particular fire. It is also noteworthy that nobody was killed in this fire, which in itself is a miracle since this fire could have easily killed many.
I have read a few accounts of the fire and from all that I can gather 23 buildings were destroyed in the fire, 50 people including firefighters were injured in the fire, and 7 blocks of Bushwick were destroyed or severely damaged in the fire.
The following is a quote from City Noise-- Bushwick 77: Burning out the Heart of Bushwick
"It was like many other fires that occurred during the firestorm years of Bushwick, except for the old tank of Kerosene in the basement. When it exploded, a fireball exploded out of the building. It took about 3 to 5 hours for 55 units of firefighters from Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn to put out the fire. The fire hydrants were no use to the firefighters because they were low on water."
There are many comments on the fire from those that were there as firefighters, below is one that appeared in City Noise Bushwick '77: The All Hands Fire Article first published on Tuesday, May 1st, 2007
"TFSCharlie: 29th Mar 2009 - 01:39 GMT
When L-124 pulled up, the heat was intense; Chauffeur went back into rig to reposition it. Windows were melting & he burned his hands on the steering wheel. Buildings 50 to 90 feet away from original fire building spontaneously combusted & burst into flames due to the heat waves. I got OTJ in November 1977 & heard about this fire from many senior members since I was assigned to a company nearby."
"mike: 13th Jun 2009 - 22:50 GMT
I was involved in this fire I lived at 248 Bleecker St.It was the saddest day of my life.We lost everything,all I had left were the clothes on my back and many of my friends ended up losing there homes that day.It was over 100 degrees and no water in the hydrants that knitting mill was abandoned for years and once that went up it was all over.It was a rough time for everyone.It was the neighborhood that time forgot."
With this said it is time to get to the pictures:
CREDIT FOR ALL PICTURES GO TO THE ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHER, AND FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT WERE THERE ARE KNOW ABOUT THIS FIRE PLEASE CHIME IN AND IF I HAVE SOMETHING WRONG PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
I HAVE MORE PICTURES FROM THE FIRE AND THEY CAN BE FOUND AT MY PHOTO ALBUM PLEASE CHECK IT OUT.
THE WAR YEARS PART 1--BROOKLYN BOX 10 10 767 1977
The war years of the fire service, just what were those years. In some areas of the country those years have not stopped or they are starting all over again. Just like in Camden, NJ with one third of the cities firefighters laid off. In other areas of the country like LA, New York, St. Louis, Philly, they were the years between 1960 and the mid 1980's where department regularly fought fires that burned to such a magnitude the departments were over whelmed.
Cities like New York saw there firefighters battling major fire, two alarms or greater, on a daily basics, sometime the FDNY would have so many fires going that companies could not get any help. Cities like St Louis would not have the sheer number of fires that New York, Philly, and Los Angeles would have but they ran many more fires than normal.
What made the war years so bad, arson, greed, lack of equipment and manpower, all the things were seeing today? You have politicians that are more interested in getting their name and their picture on the news and in the newspaper instead of working to find a solution for what is ailing our country. It is plain and simple what is wrong and it is greed. Are we as a country, as firefighters, police officers, EMS personnel, and fire buffs heading into another "War Years", yes I think so.
Recently I paid a visit to one of Clark County Fire Department's station and the members were leery about visitors, although the member I talked with would not come out and say it I got the feeling that he really did not want me around. It is sad to say but I actually felt like an intruder in the station.
Recently I posted a tread called 1976 FIRE STORM IN ST LOUIS about a fire in the downtown area in 1976 that had the potential to burn through the entire city. One member of the City of St Louis Fire Department made the comment that people did not realize just how close we came to loosing the city. Hell during those years the City of New York Firefighters were battling fires just as big and just as bad on a daily basics. So were the members from Philly, Los Angeles, and many other areas of the Country.
This thread is about the war years. The fires that were fought by the Greatest Generation of American Firefighters, these guys fought fires without the aid of today's bunker gear and half the times they did not wear pacs like we do today, they did not have the hoods, or the cameras, things like that. They faced fires with shear guts and indignity
Men like Lt Richard Hamilton (FDNY Rescue 2), Denise Smith, the men of Engine Co 82 and Ladder Co 31 of the South Bronx, the men of the Brooklyn Companies, the men in Los Angeles during the Watts Riots, all of these guys made our country safe from those that sought to tear it apart because they were not happy with their lives or because they were not happy with their landlords, or the landlords that wanted to tear the building down who would hire thugs to torch the place.
Each one of these fires were fires that touched people in many ways, some lost their homes, for some it was a way to rebel against the machine and the "Man", and for some these fire cost them a great deal. I remember reading in "Report From Engine Co 82" about guys the would hire kids to light off the buildings and then throw a match in and lock the door trapping the kids along with the residents of the buildings. In one of the forums that I am in I read where it was not unusual for the Companies to pull up to a building and residents would have their stuff out front knowing that the building would be getting torched that day, and that the members would know it too due to the sheer number of False Alarms called into that area on that day.
The first in this thread will the "Great Knickerbocker and Bleecker Street Fire of 1977"
JULY 18, 1977:
This fire was started by three juveniles who sheer goal was to get their pictures in the paper, and if my research is correct one of them was sentenced to 25 years in prison for this particular fire. It is also noteworthy that nobody was killed in this fire, which in itself is a miracle since this fire could have easily killed many.
I have read a few accounts of the fire and from all that I can gather 23 buildings were destroyed in the fire, 50 people including firefighters were injured in the fire, and 7 blocks of Bushwick were destroyed or severely damaged in the fire.
The following is a quote from City Noise-- Bushwick 77: Burning out the Heart of Bushwick
"It was like many other fires that occurred during the firestorm years of Bushwick, except for the old tank of Kerosene in the basement. When it exploded, a fireball exploded out of the building. It took about 3 to 5 hours for 55 units of firefighters from Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn to put out the fire. The fire hydrants were no use to the firefighters because they were low on water."
There are many comments on the fire from those that were there as firefighters, below is one that appeared in City Noise Bushwick '77: The All Hands Fire Article first published on Tuesday, May 1st, 2007
"TFSCharlie: 29th Mar 2009 - 01:39 GMT
When L-124 pulled up, the heat was intense; Chauffeur went back into rig to reposition it. Windows were melting & he burned his hands on the steering wheel. Buildings 50 to 90 feet away from original fire building spontaneously combusted & burst into flames due to the heat waves. I got OTJ in November 1977 & heard about this fire from many senior members since I was assigned to a company nearby."
"mike: 13th Jun 2009 - 22:50 GMT
I was involved in this fire I lived at 248 Bleecker St.It was the saddest day of my life.We lost everything,all I had left were the clothes on my back and many of my friends ended up losing there homes that day.It was over 100 degrees and no water in the hydrants that knitting mill was abandoned for years and once that went up it was all over.It was a rough time for everyone.It was the neighborhood that time forgot."
With this said it is time to get to the pictures:
CREDIT FOR ALL PICTURES GO TO THE ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHER, AND FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT WERE THERE ARE KNOW ABOUT THIS FIRE PLEASE CHIME IN AND IF I HAVE SOMETHING WRONG PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
I HAVE MORE PICTURES FROM THE FIRE AND THEY CAN BE FOUND AT MY PHOTO ALBUM PLEASE CHECK IT OUT.
23 January 2011
9/11 Hero Leaves Legacy Following Cancer Battle
An FDNY firefighter and 9/11 response hero passed away on Jan. 9 after battling bone-marrow cancer believed to be caused by his time at Ground Zero.
Roy Chelsen of Engine 28 is credited by his colleagues for saving numerous members of his company by ushering them out of the North Tower before its collapse. He was also known by many in the fire service for his efforts to establish a registry of potential bone-marrow donors both for himself and for others.
The date of his death was 1/9/11, a poignant coincidence, noted friend and colleague Kevin Murray.
"Personally, he saved my life on 9/11 so I have a different feeling about Roy than most guys. He was probably the toughest guy in the firehouse," Murray said. "To see him get stricken was a big deal to us."
Chelsen retired in 2006 due to the cancer, and his death came despite the discovery of a long sought-after match and transplant administered on Dec. 3, 2010. He was 51.
"We thought he would pull out of it but it didn't work out that way," Murray said.
Fellow firefighter Bob Alverson added, "He fought harder than I ever saw anyone fight for anything, and never complained about anything." He would get chemotherapy one day and be out chopping wood the next, Alverson said.
Chelsen had wanted the registry efforts to continue on to help others, so those friends and family involved hope to do so in some form, Murray said. There are a few thousand people on the registry now, he said.
Chelsen was also on the forefront of trying to get legislation passed so other people wouldn't have to go through what he did, Alverson said. His death came just eight days after the signing of President Obama's 9/11 bill to provide five years of free healthcare and compensation to thousands of sick responders and survivors.
Within weeks after Sept.11, FDNY had established an office to track personnel health for those worried about what they may have came in contact with, said Jim Long, an FDNY spokesman.
To date, Chelsen and 25 other FDNY firefighters and one FDNY EMS provider who were sickened at the World Trade Center site are receiving benefits from the department. Two other cases are pending, he said.
On Monday, Chelsen's name was added to the USFA on-duty firefighter database -- a first for a firefighter cancer death.
"Some people use the word 'hero' very easily," Murray said, "but Roy definitely was a hero."
FDNY Firefighter Who Worked at WTC Site Dies
A retired FDNY firefighter who spent two months in the remains of the World Trade Center following the 9/11 terrorist attacks died of lung disease Tuesday, according to The Daily News.
William Quick, 55, worked at Ground Zero every day from Sept. 12, 2001 until mid-November that year after he blew out his knee.
The USFA has listed Quick's death on its memorial database. This year the agency has begun to announce illness-related deaths attributed to time spent working the WTC following the attacks. The death of former FDNY Firefighter Roy Chelsen also was listed after he succumbed to cancer on Jan. 9.
Quick's family told The Daily News that shortly after he returned to work in January 2002, he started to develop lung infections.
By the next year, the lung disease forced the 23-year veteran into retirement.
"They told him he had to retire, which he never wanted to do," his wife, Lisa Quick, told the newspaper.
She said she is glad Congress passed the 9/11 Health Bill last month.
"I hope that maybe it will help my children, because I don't know what happens now."
Before his death, William Quick was hooked up to an oxygen machine around the clock.
Quick is survived by his wife and twin sons.
A wake will be held Thursday, Jan. 20 and Friday, Jan. 21 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Macken Mortuary in Island Park on Long Island.
His funeral is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 22 at 9 a.m. at St. Ignatius Martyr in Long Beach on Long Island.
22 January 2011
Rest In Peace Lt. Richard Hamilton - FDNY (RET)
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS POST IS VERY LATE IN COMING, I DID NOT KNOW UNTIL YESTERDAY THAT LT HAMILTON HAS PASSED AWAY. I HAVE READ HIS BOOK "20000 ALARMS" AT LEAST TWENTY TO FIFTY TIMES AND LOVE THE BOOK. HE MADE AN IMPRESSION ON ME AS A YOUNG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT AND AS A VOLUNTEER FF.
REST IN PEACE LOU, YOU ARE MISSED.
LT RICHARD HAMILTON-FDNY (Ret)
KeepItSimple78 on Lt. Richard Hamilton FDNY (ret) - Nassau FD Rant
Lt. Richard Hamilton FDNY (ret) Go to Top
This man saved my Grandfather from certain death at a fire 40 years ago in the city. Luckily for this man, my family and I got to enjoy the presence of my grandfather for another 39 years after that fire.
To a well respected gentleman, thank you for your time and dedication to the city of NY. Your experience will not go unnoticed.
May you rest in eternal peace & Thank You
I HAVE READ MANY COMMENTS LIKE THAT FROM MEMBERS THAT KNEW THE MAN.
REST IN PEACE LOU, YOU ARE MISSED.
LT RICHARD HAMILTON-FDNY (Ret)
Lieutenant Dick Hamilton (F.F. L-17, R-3, R-4 & Lt. R-2) has passed away with his family by his side. Lt Hamilton was the most decorated FF in the F.D.N.Y. when he retired. He was the author of the absolutely outstanding book “20,000 Alarms”-now out of print and much in demand. He was also a WW 2 Naval Veteran.
Borrowed from the Secret List.
One of the best stories of out the book I use almost daily is something like this……..
There was a new Lieutenant assigned to the Rescue and they responded to a fire in a taxpayer. Dick Hamilton and another firefighter jumped out of the truck when it arrived and went into an adjoining store and began pulling down the vents to stop the fire spread. The Lt. chewed their ass.
Apparently this Lt got promoted to Capt and was assigned to a truck. His truck responded to a fire several years later and he ordered two of his men to go to the roof.
When the fire went to a multiple alarm, the Chief tried to figure out what went wrong. He discovered that the two firefighters assigned to the roof had never vented. So he asked them, in front of their Capt., why they didn’t vent. They stated, we received no order to vent Chief. We were ordered to go to the roof.
The Chief then asked, “You need an order to perform such a basic function?”
They replied, “Chief, in this company you need an order to go to the bathroom.”
So much for the Captain……
Strong SOPs and pre-determined assignments should avoid situations like the one described above from happening. Unfortunately some Officers are unable to let go of the “Mother May I” mentality and feel they must micro manage even the most basic functions of their crews.
This leads to the Officers becoming over loaded with minor details and a crew that is unaccustomed to making it’s own decisions based on their size up and responsibilities.
THE FOLLOWING QUOATE IS BORROWED FROM NASSAUFDRANTKeepItSimple78 on Lt. Richard Hamilton FDNY (ret) - Nassau FD Rant
Lt. Richard Hamilton FDNY (ret) Go to Top
This man saved my Grandfather from certain death at a fire 40 years ago in the city. Luckily for this man, my family and I got to enjoy the presence of my grandfather for another 39 years after that fire.
To a well respected gentleman, thank you for your time and dedication to the city of NY. Your experience will not go unnoticed.
May you rest in eternal peace & Thank You
I HAVE READ MANY COMMENTS LIKE THAT FROM MEMBERS THAT KNEW THE MAN.
CCFD RESCUE 11
CLARK COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT RESCUE 11 ASSIGNED TO STATION 11 ON THE SOUTH STRIP AT RUSSELL ROAD. SORRY ABOUT THE QUALITY OF PICTURES NEVER HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CATCH THIS RIG PARKED
CCFD RESCUE 218
RESCUE 218 IS ONE OF TWO PARAMEDIC AMBULANCES THAT THE COUNTY OPERATES OUT OF STATION 18 ON FLAMINGO JUST EAST OF PARADISE ROAD.
21 January 2011
CCFD TRUCK CO 18
MORE PICTURES FROM MY VISIT TO CLARK COUNTY STATION 18. THESE ARE OF TRUCK 18. THE ENGINEER OF ENGINE 18 SAID THEY COULD NOT PULL TRUCK 18 OUT DUE TO THE SHOP VEHICLE BEING THERE AND THEY DID NOT WANT TO BLOCK THE ENGINE. WHICH WAS OK WITH ME I WAS JUST HAPPY THAT THEY PULLED ENGINE 18 OUT. I NEVER ASK FOR THEM TO PULL THE RIGS OUT BECAUSE I KNOW JUST WHAT THEY HAVE GOING.
CCFD UNKNOWN RIG
I WAS AT THE GOLD COAST CASINO AND HOTEL A COUPLE WEEKS AGO AND SAW THIS UNMARKED CCFD ENGINE AT THE HOTEL. SORRY ABOUT THE PICTURES I WAS GOING TO TAKE A FEW MORE BUT ONE OF THE SECURITY GUARDS FROM THE HOTEL DECIDED TO BE A JERK AND GIVE ME ISSUES ABOUT IT.
CCFD ENGINE CO 18
I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TODAY TO VISIT CCFD STATION 18 AND GET SOME PICTURES OF THE RIGS. IN THIS POST IS ENGINE CO 18. THE LAST TIME I WAS BY STATION 18 WAS IN 2004 AND AT THAT TIME THERE WAS ENGINE 18 AND 218, ALONG WITH TRUCK 18 AND RESCUE 18 AND RESCUE 218. IT WAS DIFFERENT SEEING JUST ONE ENGINE IN THE HOUSE.
THE GUYS WERE FANTASTIC AND ANSWERED A FEW QUESTIONS.
THE GUYS WERE FANTASTIC AND ANSWERED A FEW QUESTIONS.
20 January 2011
19 January 2011
HENDERSON FIRE DEPARTMENT TRUCK CO 98
ONE OF THE AREAS AROUND THE LAS VEGAS VALLEY IS THE CITY OF HENDERSON AND THEY RUN A COMPLETELY CAREER DEPARTMENT AND LIKE CLARK COUNTY, THE CITY OF LAS VEGAS, AND CITY OF NORTH LAS VEGAS THEY RUN A MOSTLY PEIRCE RIGS.
RECENTLY WHILE AT THE DOCTORS OFFICE IN HENDERSON I WAS ABLE TO GET A COUPLE OF QUICK PICTURES OF TRUCK 98 AND OF STATION 98. SORRY ALL I WAS COMING BACK FROM THE DOCTORS OFFICE WITH A CAST AND DID NOT FEEL UP TO TRYING TO CROSS THE STREET AT THAT TIME.
LAS VEGAS METRO POLICE VEHICLES
LAS VEGAS METRO BLACK AND WHITE PATROL CAR
LAS VEGAS METRO POLICE MOTOR BIKE PATROL UNIT
ANOTHER LAS VEGAS METRO POLICE MOTOR BIKE PATROL UNIT, THIS ONE HAD LESS THAN A THOUSAND MILES ON IT WHEN I TOOK THE PICTURE.
LAS VEGAS MARSHAL'S OFFICE VEHICLE THESE GUYS HANDLE THE COURTS.
CLARK COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT POLICE.
THERE ARE NUMEROUS POLICE DIVISIONS IN THE LAS VEGAS METRO AREA. THESE INCLUDE METRO, LAS VEGAS POLICE, NORTH LAS VEGAS POLICE, AND THE HENDERSON POLICE DEPARTMENT. CLARK COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT ALSO HAS IT'S OWN POLICE DEPARTMENT, ALONG WITH THE FOUR DIFFERENT DIVISIONS OF THE CONSTIBLE OFFICE WHICH INCLUDES LAS VEGAS TOWNSHIP AND OTHER AREAS, ALSO UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA AT LAS VEGAS HAS IT'S OWN POLICE DEPARTMENT. I AM SLOWLY COVERING EACH OF THE DEPARTMENTS.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK EACH OF THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES FOR ALLOWING ME TO TAKE PICTURES OF THIER VEHICLES.
15 January 2011
1963--Fretz Building 12 ALARMS OF FIRE
PICTURE COURTESY OF STARTWATER FROM YOUNGSTOWNFIRE.COM
THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE IS A MEMBER OF THE PHILLIFIRENEWS.ORG FORUMS AND WAS PUBLISHED ON ON PHILLY FIRE NEWS AT THE FORTY YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THIS FIRE IN PHILLY. ARTICLE COURTESY OF MIKEPENCE.
I AM WORKING TO SEE IF I CAN COME UP WITH PICTURES OF THE FIRE AND AS SOON AS I CAN I WILL POST THEM WITH THE ARTICLE.
The Fretz Building
As the year 2003 and New Year’s day rapidly approach, we mark the 40th anniversary of one of perhaps the three worst fires in Philadelphia’s modern history. On January 1, 1963 the Philadelphia Fire Department faced probably its greatest 20th century challenge until that time, and has only been equaled on two other occasions since. In this “Out of the Past” we will turn the clock back forty years and revisit what was clearly a
major conflagration.
Our story begins by observing that the Philadelphia Fire Department was beginning its 12th year as a modern fire department under the City’s new Home Rule Charter adopted in 1951. Formerly known as the Bureau of Fire contained with the police department in a combined Department of Public Safety, the fire department
in 1963 was an independent city department headed by a fire commissioner and two deputy commissioners, one of whom also
served as Chief of Department. The next highest rank in the department was Assistant Chief of Department. Below this administrative tier, the fire fighting forces were divided into
two operational divisions headed by a deputy fire chief. Each
division, in turn, was subdivided into six battalions each of which were headed by a battalion chief. At the start of 1963 the Philadelphia fire department was comprised of sixty-eight engine
companies, thirty-one ladder companies, two heavy duty rescue
squads, eight “light duty” rescue squads, and three fully manned fire boat companies. In addition the department maintained a fleet of special service apparatus most of which was acquired in the 1950’s. This fleet included three chemical units, a floodlight wagon, a surplus army half-track which had been converted to a grass fire fighting unit, and a giant deluge gun modeled after a device used in mining.
Before 1963 the city was averaging approximately 70 extra alarm fires per year, the majority of which were two- and three-alarm fires with a decreasing number of four-, five, and six- or greater alarm fires. Until 1963 the greatest response in this era was a nine-alarm fire occurring on December 28, 1956 at 9th and Chestnut Streets at the I. Press building. In the preceding
three years the City had experienced an 8-alarm fire at the Gulf Oil Refinery in 1960, a 7-alarm fire in a South Philadelphia rag warehouse in 1961, and an 8-alarm fire in 1962 in a group of commercial buildings at 2nd and Arch streets in Old City.
The year 1963 also had the distinction of having 91 extra alarm fires, surpassing the previous record of 84 in 1956. So, perhaps it’s not surprising the ascent to this record began on the morning of January 1st. Shortly before 9:00 AM one of the members of Engine Company 26, located at 1010-12 Buttonwood street, noticed smoke coming from a building in the rear of the station at 1016-18 Hamilton Street. Upon notifying his company’s lieutenant, Engine 26 and Battalion Chief 4 “hiked out” and informed the fire alarm room of their response. Arriving at the Prokay Baking Supply Company, a 2-story brick building, firefighters found heavy smoke conditions in the structure’s basement. The heavy smoke conditions made getting to the seat of the fire very difficult and necessitated orders for a second alarm as first alarm companies took a beating from the smoke. In addition, the fire department’s air compressor was special called
So that “jack hammers” could be used to break a hole in a concrete floor above the basement. However, after 2 hours, firefighters got the upper hand and were able control and extinguish the fire.
New Year’s Day 1963 was a very cold and windy day with temperatures hovering near thirty degrees. Shortly after 5:00 P.M. as the late afternoon darkness fell upon the city, and the fire department prepared for its change of personnel at 6:00 P.M., the department began receiving reports of fire in the Fretz
Building located on the northwest corner of 10th and Diamond Streets. Among the numerous fire alarm boxes pulled by civilians to report this fire, fire alarm box 95 at 12th Street and Susquehanna was received and struck out at 5:17 P.M. bringing a first alarm response of four engine companies, two ladder companies and two battalion chiefs.
Built in 1903, the Fretz Building was an eight-story, irregularly shaped building which housed numerous manufacturing and commercial concerns as diverse as clothing and food preparation. The structure was bounded by Diamond Street on the south; by the rears of two-story row dwellings on Warnock street on the west; by Susquehanna Avenue on the north; and by the Reading Railroad on the east, which ran overhead diagonally from 10th and Diamond Streets, north westwardly towards Warnock Street and Susquehanna Avenue. The western perimeter of the building was over 500’ in length, from Diamond Street to Susquehanna Avenue.
Engine 2, Ladder 3, and Battalion Chief 6, Joseph Fortunato, were the first due companies responding from their station at 2031 N. 7th street. Traveling a block and a half north on 7th Street and three blocks west along Susquehanna avenue, the first arriving companies found the entire eighth floor of the building fully involved in fire and beginning to rapidly spread downwards. Without getting out of his car to further “size-up” the situation, Chief Fortunato ordered the second alarm at 5:19 P.M.
Numerous shafts and stairways throughout the building enabled the fire to spread with frightening speed. Within the next four minutes, the upper four floors were completely involved in fire. When Chief Fortunato ordered the third alarm at 5:23 P.M. he understood that the building was beyond saving, and that the major firefighting concern would be to curtail the spread of the fire in a densely populated and densely developed area.
Deputy Fire Chief Howard O’Drain, Deputy Chief 2, responding from his quarters at 6th Street and Lehigh Avenue, took command after the third alarm. Faced with an extraordinary exposure problem, as tongues of flame 500 feet long emanated from the building, he ordered the fourth, fifth, and sixth alarms at 5:29, 5:30 and 5:33 P.M. Boxcars and a railroad tower on the 10th Street side of the building were quickly consumed. A fuel oil depot and feed and grain warehouse, situated between the Reading Railroad and 10th Street, were the next major exposures in the fire’s eastern path. Although the fuel oil depot was destroyed, the feed and grain warehouse was saved by the building’s own automatic sprinkler system and firefighter operated streams.
Deputy Fire Commissioner and Chief of Department George E. Hink responded from his nearby Kensington home upon notification of the third alarm. By the time of his arrival, radiated heat and the fear of falling walls emerged as a major concern. Chief Hink ordered the seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth alarms between 5:35 P.M. and 6:29 P.M. Guided by an ever expanding orange and red glow in the sky, companies responding from as far away as the Somerton section of the city and Southwest Philadelphia were assigned to various positions surrounding the building.
The homes on Warnock Street behind the building were in eminent danger from both the heat and possible wall collapse. Firefighters initially working on the rooftops of these dwellings experienced sunburn like discomfort from the fire’s intensifying heat. Despite the commotion within the neighborhood, many of the residents on Warnock Street were unaware of the fire raging behind them as police and firefighters began to evacuate these homes. New Year’s revelers in a bar located on the northeast corner of Warnock and Diamond streets had to be strongly persuaded to move to a safer location. As one might expect, these evacuations were completed none too soon, as the western wall of the Fretz Building collapsed onto Warnock Street demolishing the homes in its path.
It is hard to convey in words the magnitude of this firestorm. As the fire continued, it burned with a white heat driven by a very strong wind blowing from the south. The building had the appearance of an 8-story blow torch. As the wind moved through the burning structure it produced an eerie, banshee-like noise that only magnified the frightening scene.
Despite the loss of the homes on Warnock Street, the beginning of the building’s collapse enabled firefighters to get the upper hand on the fire. As portions of the building began to collapse into the center and the fire consumed this material, the influence of the many master streams surrounding the structure began to take effect, enabling Fire Chief Hink to declare the fire under control at 8:29 P.M. As dawn broke over the area on the morning of Wednesday, January 2nd, the scene of devastation was clearly reminiscent of many European cities at the height of World War II.
Although Philadelphia firefighters were faced with one of their greatest challenges under adverse conditions, still some blessings accrued. First, there were no major injuries to civilians or fire department personnel. In fact the only minor injury befell Chief Hink as he slipped on a patch of ice and sprained his wrist. Second, by virtue of the fire occurring late in the tour of the day shift personnel, personnel from the on-coming night shift were readily available. In fact the entire day shift was held over until after 9:00 P.M., effectively doubling
the available manpower for both front line firefighting at 10th and Diamond Streets, and maintaining adequate fire protection throughout the city. Finally, the fire department operated with approximately twenty-five “high pressure” engine companies. These companies consisted of two pieces of apparatus, typically a hose wagon and a pumper, and carried 3½-inch hoseline. Because the fire occurred in the City’s high pressure fire fighting district, it was not necessary to keep both pieces of apparatus on the fireground. Thus, some pumpers were released to be manned by on-coming “C” platoon personnel, creating “make-up” companies.
The cause of this fire was determined over the course of the next few days. Because of the long New Year’s weekend, the heat in the building had been shut off. However, the absence of heat increased the risk of frozen water pipes in the building, and in fact, the building’s sprinkler system had been turned off as well. However, to prevent frozen pipes, and electric space heater had by rigged-up on the building’s eighth floor adjacent to an elevator penthouse. The space heater set fire to the flooring beneath it, which was considerably splintered. The splintered condition of the floor created a dry, tinder-like condition which accelerated the rapid spread of fire across the
eighth floor.
Tuesday, January 1, 1963 No.2
5:17 P.M. - Box 95, 12th Street and Susquehanna Avenue
Eng. 2, 50, 25, 27 Lad. 3, 12, B.C.6,3
5:19 P.M. - 2nd Alarm, b/o B.C.6 - Eng. 13, 30, 26, 6, Lad. 14, B.C.8, D.C.2, Rescue 1, Car 505(Light Wagon)
5:23 P.M. - 3rd Alarm, b/o B.C.6 - Eng. 34, 20, 59, 8, Lad. 1, B.C.4, Car 4(Chief McCarey),500(Mobile Communications)
5:29 P.M. - 4th Alarm, b/o D.C.2 - Eng. 4, 28, 43, 32, Lad. 22
5:30 P.M. - 5th Alarm, b/o D.C.2 - Eng. 11, 1, 55, 21
5:33 P.M. - 6th Alarm, b/o D.C.2 - Eng. 35, 7, 51, 44
5:33 P.M. - Special Call - SS-99 (Giant Deluge Gun)
5:35 P.M. - 7th Alarm, b/o Car 2 - Eng. 47, 10, 15, 57
5:37 P.M. - 8th Alarm, b/o Car 2 - Eng. 41, 9, 14, 61
5:50 P.M. - Special Call - Eng.17
5:59 P.M. - 9th Alarm, b/o Car 2 - Eng. 53, 38, 66, 36
6:03 P.M. - 10th Alarm, b/o Car 2 - Eng. 56, 58, 40, 16
6:21 P.M. - 11th Alarm, b/o Car 2 - Eng. 33, 54, 73, 64
6:28 P.M. - 12th Alarm, b/o Car 2 - Eng. 39, 12, 19, 49
6:39 P.M. - Special Call - Eng.29
7:15 P.M. – Special Call, b/o Car 2 – Eng.81 (Phila. Reserve Fire Force)
8:29 P.M. - Fire Under Control, b/o Car 2
Cover-ups:
6:16 P.M. - Eng.5 to Eng.20
6:17 P.M. - Eng.71 to Eng.30
7:35 P.M. - Eng.60(W) to Eng.35
Eng.39("B" Platoon) with Fire School pumper as Eng.39
Lad.9("B" Platoon) to Spare Ladder at Lad.12
Lad.7("B" Platoon) to Spare Pumper at Eng.21
8:34 P.M. - Eng.56 to Eng.15
Apparatus Relocated with "B" Platoon members:
8:30 P.M. - Eng.50
8:36 P.M. - Eng.64
8:46 P.M. - Eng.14 (Eng.36 from firegrounds as Eng.14)
9:14 P.M. - Eng. 4, 27, 58, Eng.36("C" Platoon) to Spare at Eng.36,
Eng.36("B" Platoon) to fire
11:06 P.M. - Eng.12 to Eng.34
12:30 A.M. - Eng.68 to Eng.21, Lad.5 to Lad.12
B.C.6: Joseph Fortunato
D.C.2: Howard O'Drain
Car 2: George E. Hink
Car 4: James J. McCarey
Occupants of the Fretz Building:
I.J. Knight Realty Co.
Ace Woodworking Corp.
Cherry and Co., Children’s Jackets and Snowsuits
Children Wear Limited, Inc.
Eastern Lithographing Corp.
Fashion Maid Knitting Mills, Inc.
Golden Brand Food Products, Inc.
Penn Quilting Products (Coat Linings)
Lamaze Food Sauce Co., Inc.
H.M. Levin Food Products (Mayonnaise)
Philadelphia Shoe and Leather Co.
See-Mar-Jac Industries Inc. (Vinyl suede women’s coats and jackets)
B.W. Woodbury Shoes
J. Greenstein Quilting
N.C. Hoffman
B. Micklin, Suits
Vogeler Co., Fashionrire Knitting Co.
Trim Salad Whip
J. Seidler Trimming Co.
B. and. G. Industries (Bank Furniture)
Extensions of Fire:
2103 to 2139 N. Warnock Street, (20) 2-story/brick dwellings, demolished
2100 to 2144 N. Warnock Street, (23) 2-story/brick dwellings, damaged
2101 N. Warnock Street, Lou’s Crystal Bar (and apartments), 3-story/brick, demolished
2146 to 2162 N. Warnock street, (9) 2-story/brick dwellings, demolished
2164 N. Warnock Street, 3-story/brick dwelling, partially demolished
SWC 10th & Diamond Streets, J.B. Hertzfeld Feed Warehouse, 5-story/brick, damaged
2042 N. 10th Street, Victorian Candy Co., 4-story/brick
1018-20 W. Diamond Street, Security Storage Co.
1000-16 W. Diamond Street, Glantz Luggage Co., 3-story/brick
SEC 11th and Diamond Streets, Norris Appartments
930 to 942 W. Susquehanna Avenue, (7) 3-story/brick dwellings
2137 to 2141 N. 10th Street (3) 2-story/brick dwellings
2119 to 2123 N. 10th Street,(3) 2-story/brick dwellings
2134-38 N. 10th Street, United Fuel Co.
2115-17 N. 10th Street, Plastering Contractor, 1- and 2-story/brick and 2 trucks
931 to 939 W. Edgeley Street, (5) 2-story/brick dwellings
930 to 938 W. Edgeley Street, (5) 2-story/brick dwellings
930 to 938 W. French Street, (5) 2-story/brick dwellings
SWC 9th and Diamond Streets, Philadelphia Gas Works, Welding Shop
919 W. Diamond Street, Master Fuel Oil Co.
NWC 9th and Norris Streets, Adams Coal Yard, 1-story/brick
1838 N. Darien Street
1832 Germantown Avenue
SWC 6th and Berks Streets, Bill Auto Rental
10th Street N.of Diamond Street, Reading Railroad Switching Tower, destroyed
8 Boxcars adjacent to building on Reading Railroad, destroyed.
12 Telegraph Poles
50 Automobiles
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