Chicago Still & Box Alarm fire, 4-4-16

On Monday morning, April 4th, 2016, at around 2:00 AM, Chicago firefighters were dispatched to a laundromat located at 5130 W. Fullerton Avenue. Upon arrival, they discovered intense fire burning inside a one-story commercial building measuring 60 by 100 feet, featuring a bow-string truss roof. The structure had no immediate adjacent buildings, with parking lots on both sides. Firefighters began by ventilating the roof and then transitioned to a defensive operation. Tower Ladder 14 was positioned to the west, while Squad 2A was set up to the east. A second tower ladder, Tower Ladder 23, was called in to assist from the front of the building. Two multi-purpose units and three elevated master streams worked for over two hours, drenching the building with water. As the fire burned, heavy flames burst out of the front of the building, igniting a car parked near the curb. The utility company was quickly notified to shut off the gas supply, as the fire was fueled by gas lines near the entrance. Steve Redick and Larry Shapiro were present at the scene, capturing the event on camera. Hereâ€™s a brief cellphone video clip from Steve Redick, with more footage expected to follow:

Larry Shapiro also shared some photos and a video from the scene:

Below are several images captured by Larry Shapiro, showing the response and aftermath: