1976--THE FIRE THAT COULD HAVE BURNED THROUGH ST LOUIS

ONE OF MY FASCINATIONS IS THE HISTORY OF THE FIRE SERVICE AND SOME OF THE MAJOR FIRES. GROWING UP IN ST LOUIS I SAW MY SHARE OF MAJOR FIRES AROUND THE CITY. I REMEMBER ONE SUNDAY GOING TO MY GRANDMOTHERS HOUSE AND THE BUILDING ATTACHED TO HER WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE WITH PART OF THE FRONT WALL LAYING IN THE YARD. SHE LIVED IN WHAT THEY CALL FLATS OR BROWNSTONES IN ST LOUIS ON THE NORTH SIDE AND WHERE SHE LIVED AT YOU COULD HEAR SIRENS ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT.

ON 2-APRIL-1976 THE CITY OF ST LOUIS FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS FACED WITH ONE OF ITS WORSE FIRES IN YEARS. AT ONE POINT AND TIME THE FIRE CHIEF CONSIDERED BLASTING BUILDINGS TO HELP KEEP THE FIRE FROM SPREADING ANY FURTHER.

THE FIRE DESTROYED SIX BUILDINGS, DAMAGED FOUR OTHERS, AND MANY SMALL FIRES WERE STARTED BY FLYING BRANDS ON ROOFS AND GRASS FIRES.



THE PICTURES BELOW ARE FROM THE ST LOUIS POST DISPATCH.

AS SEEN ABOVE UNION STATION

FIREFIGHTERS TOO CLOSE TO THE FIRE TRYING TO HIT IT WITH LARGE CALIBER LINES

A WALL OF FIRE

WALLS COMING DOWN

YOU CAN SEE THE TOP PART OF THE WALL COMING DOWN

FALLING EVEN MORE..... LUCKILY NOBODY WAS KILLED



FIRE FROM THE FIRST FLOOR TO ROOF

JUST HAPPY TO BE ALIVE AFTER OUT RUNNING A FALLING WALL
ENGINE FIVE BURING AFTER A WALL CAME DOWN ON IT
MORE FIRE AND RIGS

SMOKE AND DEBRIS FLYING ACROSS THE STREE IN FRONT OF ONE OF THE ST LOUIS ENGINE COMPANIES

COOLING DOWN A BROTHER AFTER A EMBER WENT DOWN HIS COAT YOU CAN SEE OTHERS PULLING HIS COAT OFF WHILE ANOTHER WETS HIM DOWN

BURNING RIG AND BUILDING AS A FIREFIGHTER WALKS AWAY.

WALKING THROUGH THE RUBBLE

WORKING ON WETTING DOWN A GRASS FIRE STARTED BY FLYING EMBERS

THE CRUSHED REMAINS OF ENGINE CO 5 AFTER A WALL CAME DOWN ON IT

FIREFIGHTERS CONTINUE TO POUR WATER ON SMOKING REMAINS THE NEXT DAY

FIREFIGHTERS CONTINUE TO POUR WATER ON THE THE SMOKING REMAINS OF THE FIRE

THE DETESTATION

ST LOUIS FIRE USES A HEAVY WRECKER TO PULL THE BURNED OUT REMAINS OF ENGINE CO 5

A ONCE PROUD RIG NOW DESTROYED.

THE LAST THREE PICTURES WERE SUPPLIED TO ME BY A FRIEND IN THE FIREPIX.NET BOARD AND WERE ADDED TO THIS POST WITH HIS PERMISSION.

Longtime Scottsbluff fire investigator retiring

By: MAUNETTE LOEKS
Staff Reporter
Published: Thursday, January 6, 2011 9:25 AM CST
For Scottsbluff Fire Capt. Bob Cover, fighting fires was a second career.

Cover had been in his 40s when he started volunteering with his local fire department. Fifteen years and three months later, he’ll leave the Scottsbluff Fire Department, putting an end to a career filled with battling fires and investigating the causes.

“The excitement is what got me into the career,” he said.

He estimated that he has been involved in fire service for almost 40 years. He got his start in fire service working with a manufacturing company in Klamath Falls, Ore. Cover worked in the company’s warehouse, and had been trained in fire protection of the plant. Staff was also trained to assist local crews with wild land fires. Cover remembers going on two wild land fires.

OLD AND NEW TOGETHER

I SERVED AS A VOLUNTEER WITH THE CITY OF SCOTTSBLUFF FIRE DEPARTMENT, WE HAD TWO OLD RIGS ONE THAT BELONGED TO THE CAREER SIDE AND ONE THAT THE VOLUNTEERS OWNED.

I LOVE THE ANTIQUE RIGS AND ONE THING THAT HAS ALWAYS AMAZED ME IS HOW FIREFIGHTERS LIKE MY FATHER KEN BUTCHER (VOLUNTEER WITH THE GARDENVILLE VOLUNTEER FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT IN THE LATE 60'S AND EARLY 70'S) DID WHAT THEY DID AND FOUGHT THE FIRES THEY DID WITH THE RIGS THAT THEY HAD.

PICTURED IN THIS PICTURE IS ENGINE ONE OF THE CITY OF SCOTTSBLUFF BOTH THE OLD AND THE NEW.

BLAST FROM THE PAST--1946 EGYPTIAN THEATRE FIRE

THE EGYPTIAN THEATRE WAS BUILT ON WHAT IS NOW THE MIDWEST THEATER SITS ON. THE EGYPTIAN THEATRE WAS BUILT IN 1923. BELOW ARE A COUPLE OF PICTURES TAKEN BEFORE THE FIRE WHEN IT WAS IN ITS PRIME.





On March 5, 1945 , the Egyptian Theater (site of Midwest Theater) was destroyed by a fire. THE PICTURE BELOW IS FROM THE COLLECTION OF THE CITY OF SCOTTSBLUFF FIRE AND WAS TAKEN BY THE SCOTTSBLUFF STAR-HERALD. IT IS THE ONLY PICTURE THAT I EVER FOUND OF THIS FIRE.

BLAST FROM THE PAST--SCOTTSBLUFF FIRE PT 3

THE LAST BLAST FROM THE PAST PHOTO IS OF AN OLD ENGINE 1, A 1966 MACK WITH THREE GUYS WORKING ON HER IN FRONT OF THE CURRENT STATION 1

PICTURE COURTESY OF THE SCOTTSBLUFF FIRE DEPARTMENT AND CHIEF DANA MILLER

BLAST FROM THE PAST--SCOTTSBLUFF FIRE PT 2

NEXT UP ARE TWO RIGS POSED IN FRONT OF THE FIRST FIRE STATION, WHICH IS ACTUALLY STILL STANDING IN SCOTTSBLUFF. ALTHOUGH NOW IT IS A STORE.

I HAVE NO FURTHER INFORATION ABOUT THESE RIGS AND THIS PICTURE WAS TAKEN IN 1922

PICTURE COURTESY OF THE SCOTTSBLUFF FIRE DEPARTMENT AND CHIEF DANA MILLER.

BLAST FROM THE PAST--SCOTTSBLUFF FIRE PT 1

THIS PICTURE SHOWS THE CITY OF SCOTTSBLUFF FIRE DEPARTMENTS FIRST FIRE TRUCK. PICTURE WAS TAKEN IN 1917 NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ABOUT THIS RIG.

PICTURE COURTESY OF THE SCOTTSBLUFF FIRE DEPARTMENT AND CHIEF DANA MILLER.

BLAST FROM THE PAST--CENTRAL FIRE TRUCK CORP PT 6

Scottsbluff NE
1958 Central Diamond T 636 750-500

THE CITY OF SCOTTSBLUFF RAN THIS BEAUTIFUL RIG ON THE CITY SIDE. NEVER DID SEE ANY PICTURES OF IT AROUND STATION ONE, STATION TWO, OR THE TRAINING CENTER.

PICTURE COURTESY OF FRANK B FROM FIREPIX.NET

BLAST FROM THE PAST--CENTRAL FIRE TRUCK CORP PT 5

St. Louis, MO
Foam 2
1964 FWD/Central 1000/500/foam
Foam 1 was identical
Photo by Mark A. Redman 1977

BLAST FROM THE PAST--CENTRAL FIRE TRUCK CORP PT 4

Mehlville Missouri
Central IH V-220 1000 3stg Waterous 500gwt

PICTURE COURTESY OF FRANK B FROM FIREPIX.NET.

BLAST FROM THE PAST--CENTRAL FIRE TRUCK CORP PT 3

Lake Ozark Missouri
1958 Central IH A-170 500-500

NEXT UP FROM FRANKS COLLECTION IS THIS CENTRAL RIG FROM LAKE OF THE OZARKS IN MISSOURI. THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN FRANK FOR ALLOWING ME TO USE YOUR WORKS.

PICTURE COURTESY OF FRANK B FROM FIREPIX.NET

BLAST FROM THE PAST--CENTRAL FIRE TRUCK CORP PT 2

NEXT UP IS CRESTWOOD FIRE DEPARTMENTS CENTRAL UNIT. A CENTRAL FORD C ASSIGNED AS ENGINE 2. DON'T EVER REMEMBER SEEING THIS RIG AT THEIR STATION, AT THE TIME I WAS HANGING AROUND THEY HAD SEAGRAVES AND THE RIGS WERE YELLOW.

PICTURE COURTESY OF FRANK B FROM FIREPIX.NET

BLAST FROM THE PAST--CENTRAL FIRE TRUCK CORP PT 1

CENTRAL FIRE TRUCK CORPORATION WAS BASED IN ST LOUIS AND PRODUCED SOME FANTASTIC FIRE RIGS. HERE ARE A FEW THAT I HAVE FOUND AND I ASKED PERMISSION OF THE ORIGINAL POSTER OF THESE FROM FRIEPIX.NET TO POST THEM.

TY FRANK B FOR ALLOWING ME TO USE THESE ON MY BLOG.

Affton MO Central Ford C-850 750 Sponco 50'

THE FIRST TWO PICTURES WERE TAKEN IN FRONT OF AFFTON'S OLD NO 1 HOUSE ON GRAVOIS AVE IN ST. LOUIS COUNTY MISSOURI.

THE BELOW INFORMATION CAME FROM YOUNGSTOWNFIRE.COM AND IS COURTESY OF BOX2565.

Central built apparatus in St. Louis from 1935 until 1970. Along the way they moved their factory to suburban Manchester, Missouri. After Central went out of business their former building in Manchester housed an automobile dealership.

LFR TRUCK CO 1

TRUCK 1 IS OUT OF STATION 1, AND TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH ABOUT HALF THE TIME IT WAS OUT OF SERVICE WITH TRUCK 21 FILLING IN.

ENGINE CO 225

OK ENGINE 225 IS ASSIGNED TO THE SHOPS AND TRAINING CENTER. SINCE THAT IS CONSIDERED A STATION TECHNICALLY