Media coverage of the 5-11 fire at 3757 S. Ashland Avenue in Bridgeport, featuring two special units on January 22nd.
The first report comes from Fox32, which highlights Turret Wagon 6-7-1 “Little Mo,†a historic piece of firefighting equipment that was brought back into service during the fire:
A major warehouse fire in Bridgeport reignited on Thursday, prompting firefighters to bring out an iconic piece of equipment that hasn’t been used in decades.
The Chicago Fire Department’s deluge units are well-known in firefighting circles and have even appeared in classic videos. Most of these units are now retired, but one remains active: Little Mo.
“It’s the last of the big pieces of apparatus we have left,†said CFD Commander Dan Swift. “There used to be Big John and Big Mo, but now only Little Mo remains.â€
Firefighters deployed Little Mo after the fire flared up again on Thursday morning. This vintage truck, dating back to the late 1960s, is equipped with two turret water guns and can carry up to ten hoses. It delivers up to 5,000 gallons of water per minute—far more than the 1,500 gallons from a regular engine truck.
“It’s one of a kind,†Swift said. “It’s the last one around, but it still works and has proven useful today.â€
To date, firefighters have pumped over a million gallons of water onto the smoldering building—enough to fill a football field-sized pool ten feet deep.
You can read the full article with video here.
The Chicago Tribune also covered the incident, focusing on the cause of the fire:
Investigators have determined that the fire that destroyed a nearly 100-year-old warehouse in Bridgeport started due to an open flame igniting combustible materials. However, this does not necessarily mean the fire was intentional.
The Office of Fire Investigations concluded that the fire originated from an open flame coming into contact with flammable materials. According to Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford, this means something like a match or a candle came into contact with something that could catch fire.
The building had no gas or electricity, and no one was known to be living there. However, Fire Commissioner Jose Santiago mentioned that in the past, the warehouse had been the scene of small fires caused by squatters lighting fires for warmth.
A battalion chief spotted smoke from the fire around 9 p.m. on Tuesday, and nearly a third of the department's personnel were called to the scene. The fire was fueled by century-old wooden supports, and crews have remained on site, dousing the smoldering debris.
Records show that the building is owned by 3737 Ashland LLC, which is controlled by North Development. Its president, Calvin Boender, is currently in federal prison for bribing a former Alderman.
In 2011, city officials sued the owners for leaving the vacant structure unsafe, but the owners registered it as vacant and corrected code violations.
You can read the complete Chicago Tribune article here.
Thanks, Chris.
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