Historical Fires & Rigs Galleries

Old CFD and Insurance Patrol Houses : How Many Can You Identify??

Old CFD and Insurance Patrol Houses

How Many Can You Identify??

Updated: Jan 26, 2008 1:10pm PST

Classic Milwaukee Rigs :

Classic Milwaukee Rigs

Updated: Aug 16, 2007 8:37am PST

GD Searle : *** UPDATE**** I have added several new images from the collection of Jerry Burke, retired Chief, Skokie FD..I'm not sure who actually took these photos but they are a great addition to the gallery This was a very famous fire in Skokie in the late 70s.(June 27 1977).The GD Searle Company..Several Explosions occurred and 55 gallon drums were going off like rockets..This fire ocurred only days after the 5th alarm at Skokie Lumber.(June 23, 1977)..you can see the ruins from that fire in one of the photos

GD Searle

*** UPDATE**** I have added several new images from the collection of ...

Updated: Jul 20, 2007 8:00am PST

CFD Stockyards Fire Monument :

CFD Stockyards Fire Monument

Updated: Jun 30, 2007 6:37pm PST

My First Fire Images :

My First Fire Images

Updated: Jun 30, 2007 8:58am PST

Tanya's 2600 Milwaukee : This fire was in the 80's..anyone remember the exact date??

Tanya's 2600 Milwaukee

This fire was in the 80's..anyone remember the exact date??

Updated: May 30, 2007 6:25am PST

Evanston Box Main & Pitner : Evanston Main & Pitner..In the late 70s as I recall

Evanston Box Main & Pitner

Evanston Main & Pitner..In the late 70s as I recall

Updated: May 29, 2007 7:34pm PST

Still More Old CFD Rigs!!! :

Still More Old CFD Rigs!!!

Updated: Apr 20, 2007 7:13am PST

Even More CFD Classic Engines!!! :

Even More CFD Classic Engines!!!

Updated: Jan 12, 2007 6:30am PST

Old Time Suburban Rigs :

Old Time Suburban Rigs

Updated: Dec 08, 2006 12:50pm PST

The Little People :

The Little People

Updated: Nov 29, 2006 9:47am PST

Classic CFD Engines :

Classic CFD Engines

Updated: Nov 07, 2006 6:52am PST

Squads!!! :

Squads!!!

Updated: Oct 02, 2006 6:02am PST

Snorkels : Ya gotta love these old snorkels...my Dad took most of these shots when he drove snorkel 5 and snorkel 2

Snorkels

Ya gotta love these old snorkels...my Dad took most of these shots whe ...

Updated: Sep 18, 2006 7:48am PST

FWD Apparatus CFD :

FWD Apparatus CFD

Updated: Aug 23, 2006 3:00pm PST

Fire Insurance Patrol : Some misc shots from my Dad's archive

Fire Insurance Patrol

Some misc shots from my Dad's archive

Updated: Aug 21, 2006 5:11pm PST

Misc Fires VI :

Misc Fires VI

Updated: Aug 02, 2006 3:08pm PST

Misc Fires V : A coupla nuggets from my Dad's archives....these shots were dated March 1963 and show a fire at Ohare Field military side officer's club....the silver suited members may be military personnel..I'm not sure...interesting tidbit..if you look closely at the squad you will see the spray cap on the side being used for protection against the radiant heat..my dad said it was a special perforated port cap ..I've never seen a photo of this being used before The other shots are from about 1962 and depict a fire at Grand & Kildare..the Mister Softee Ice Cream company...

Misc Fires V

A coupla nuggets from my Dad's archives....these shots were dated Marc ...

Updated: Jul 30, 2006 5:18pm PST

Misc Fires IV :

Misc Fires IV

Updated: Jul 28, 2006 5:48am PST

Misc Fires III : Some more classics...some I can identify...need help with some of the others

Misc Fires III

Some more classics...some I can identify...need help with some of the ...

Updated: Jul 27, 2006 8:12am PST

Old & Unusual Rigs : Some old and unique rigs...betcha never seen some of these.....

Old & Unusual Rigs

Some old and unique rigs...betcha never seen some of these.....

Updated: Jul 14, 2006 7:23pm PST

Misc Fires II : More fires of which I am unsure of the location...anyone recognize any of these??

Misc Fires II

More fires of which I am unsure of the location...anyone recognize any ...

Updated: Jul 09, 2006 6:56am PST

May 1959 Garfield & Normal : this was a fire in some kind of tireyard or junkyard..the pictures of engine 64's Pirsch were very underexposed..so in order to recover the image the quality was compromised somewhat..but it still gives a good view as you can clearly read the old street signs!!

May 1959 Garfield & Normal

this was a fire in some kind of tireyard or junkyard..the pictures of ...

Updated: Jul 07, 2006 7:08am PST

Watertower Vs Snorkel : Absolutely classic...the old and the new..my Dad says this is one of the few fires where he saw the tower and snorkel working together...I also like the clear shots of the "Corrigan Pipe" working...anyone recognize the location??

Watertower Vs Snorkel

Absolutely classic...the old and the new..my Dad says this is one of t ...

Updated: Jul 02, 2006 5:01pm PST

Misc Unidentified Incidents I : Some various shots..if anyone can identify the locations feel free to jump in..see the captions for what little I have on each image

Misc Unidentified Incidents I

Some various shots..if anyone can identify the locations feel free to ...

Updated: Jul 02, 2006 4:49pm PST

5-11 54 E Hubbard Jan 58 : Sorry for the quality of these images, but my Dad said he bought the camera this very day and these were his first photos..remember there were no light meters..he had to manually set the exposures..I was able to greatly improve these shots with photoshop..These are some of the best ice shots I've ever seen (except for Bill Noonan's Plant shoe factory shots)I believe several members including insurance patrolmen were killed here.

5-11 54 E Hubbard Jan 58

Sorry for the quality of these images, but my Dad said he bought the c ...

Updated: Jun 30, 2006 11:42am PST

4-11 Lawrence & Broadway July 1958 : I love the details in these shots..the rear of the pressure wagon, did you notice the 2 cylinders that housed the springs on the aerial in the same photo? The overall scene shots are classic

4-11 Lawrence & Broadway July 1958

I love the details in these shots..the rear of the pressure wagon, did ...

Updated: Jun 30, 2006 11:10am PST

5-11 43rd & Marshfield : This fire was in the stockyards area in the late 50s...some beautiful shots of the Seagrave water tower working..My Dad climbed into one of the adjacent warehouses to get the aerial shots

5-11 43rd & Marshfield

This fire was in the stockyards area in the late 50s...some beautiful ...

Updated: Jun 28, 2006 6:50am PST

4-11 6319 Kenwood Feb 58 : This was an interesting series of photos..you can see the wooden aerial broke in 2 due to ice load..I imagine this was truck 16's rig..judging by all the ladder placement this must have been a real rescue job..lots of incidental rigs in the background to see

4-11 6319 Kenwood Feb 58

This was an interesting series of photos..you can see the wooden aeria ...

Updated: Jun 28, 2006 5:55am PST

3-11 1420 Morse Feb 1958 : This was an interesting fire..basement of a row of stores. The men in the red helmets were "patrolios" or fire insurance patrol patrolmen...there is a great shot of my grandfather, Ray Redick..he's in the red helmet by the parking meter. You can also see the basement pipe being used..a very rare site indeed. I love the shot of the mack pumper and the pressure wagon

3-11 1420 Morse Feb 1958

This was an interesting fire..basement of a row of stores. The men in ...

Updated: Jun 27, 2006 6:08am PST

2-11 Higgins & Canfield : A 2-11 Alarm on the far northwest side January of 1959

2-11 Higgins & Canfield

A 2-11 Alarm on the far northwest side January of 1959

Updated: Jun 26, 2006 3:44pm PST

Thrill Show : CFD thrill show from about 1960..taken at Soldier Field..many great views of older rigs

Thrill Show

CFD thrill show from about 1960..taken at Soldier Field..many great vi ...

Updated: Jun 26, 2006 3:20pm PST

5-11 26th & Rockwell : This fire was in the early 1970s and was a 5-11 and numerous specials..The old International Harvester Plant...this remains one of the largest fires I have ever seen

5-11 26th & Rockwell

This fire was in the early 1970s and was a 5-11 and numerous specials. ...

Updated: Jun 25, 2006 7:00pm PST