Breaking: High Rise Fire Chicago 12/06/04

12/06/04 | GRRRRR

[GRRRRR]

A high rise in the Chicago Loop at 135 S. LaSalle has at least one floor on fire. Live shots show a raging fire through the windows.

This is the LaSalle Bank Building. Began just after 1830h.

G

[Velveeta]

I only see the red x

[PAR35]

This looks like a remarkable well built building, considering it has survived a ferocious fire for two hours without extension to the next floor.

Older buildings that haven't been 'upgraded' have lots of effective asbestos fireproofing. There was a high rise bank building in San Antonio that had a whole floor completely burn out. Concrete and asbestos was all that was left. They shut off the elevators to that floor, and continued to use the one above and below.

[FMS5]

Here is the approximate order of alarms in Chicago

Still Alarm = 2 Engines; 1 Truck; Battalion Chief and Squad

Still and Box = Additional 2 Engines; 2 Trucks; 1 Battalion Chief; 1 District Chief; Snorkel (Chicago has fewer snorkels now uses Ladder Towers)

2-11 = Additional 4 engines; 2 Trucks; 2 Battalion Chief; Deputy Chief Special Apparatus such Communications, Air Mask, Fuel

3-11 = Additional 4 engines; 2 Trucks; 2 Battalion Chief; Deputy Chief Special Apparatus

4-11 = Additional 4 engines; 2 Trucks; 2 Battalion Chief; Deputy Chief as needed and Special Apparatus

5-11 Additional 4 engines; 2 Trucks; 2 Battalion Chief; Senior chief possibly the Fire Commissioner or a Deputy

All other request become special call so if the Chief asks for 2 more Trucks or engines it will be 1 Special

On top of that an Emergency Plan 1, 2 etc. will be for a certain number of ambulances and medical personal depending upon the nature of the emergency

[Piranha]

wow. I read that so many years ago

[Jackrabbit Slim]

There is more fire on the 30th floor, a room blew up

I am listening to 154.1300

Am I missing anything on any other freqencies (SP)

[flutters]

I Googled and couldn't find anything. I appreciate that you found and posted the information. Thanks!

[Right_Handed_Writer]

Truck co #52 reports fire just broke through to the 30th floor. Calling for additional hoses to fight the fire.

[virgil]

I financed my first new car through Lasalle

[all4one]

[usconservative]

45 floors in the building.

Built in 1935, no sprinklers.

We had fire drills last week, undoubtedly that saved lives.

I worked on the 30th floor in that building until a few months ago when I was moved to the new facility across the loop. Know alot of good people on that floor. Hope they all made it out ok.

Our Trust Department, some Wealth Management and the bank's Chief Economist were all housed on that floor.

[budman_2001]

Helo should be back on-scene soom.

I wish Ch2 would put up a Live/Earlier chyron. They've confused me more than once.

[virgil]

"It's a baboon, not a duck."

I think it was supposed to be a rendering of Picasso's wife.

[usconservative]

There is more fire on the 30th floor, a room blew up

I used to work on 30, right above the Trust Dept. Thank God I'm not in that building anymore.

[CindyDawg]

Probably just an accident but with the crazy things going on in the world I pray nothing else happens with all the responders on site.

[flutters]

Yes, thank God. I hope all your friends are safe as well.

[finnman69]

[AlexW]

"Here is the approximate order of alarms in Chicago"

Interesting info...

When I lived in Memphis, we had the best rated fire department in the country...back in the 60s and 70s.
The national firefighters convention was always held in Memphis, and when a city wanted to spec a new fire truck, they made it easy and said "like Memphis"
I had an office on Front Street, across from the main station.
It was always exciting when you heard the bell, and the PA
blasting out "Alarm, a Fire"...Memphis also had a system to turn every traffic light, in downtown, to red in all directions, so fire trucks moved with no problem.

Sad to say, Memphis is not the city that it once was :(

[TexKat]

WBBM-TV/DT Chicago Live Stream linked from story at http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/local_story_341202525.html

[July 4th]

I'm watching on WGN. It appears that the Chicago Fire Dept. has gotten hoses to the tops of the buildings across the street. For the past 10 minutes, they've been attacking the fire from the nearby buildings. Lots of steam produced, it looks to almost be out.

[finnman69]

http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/F/FieldBuilding.html

The vertical profile and stepped silhouette of its facade, together with a sleek two-story lobby, make the Field Building one of the city's most distinctive Art Deco buildings. Built by the estate of department store founder Marshall Field, it was the last major office building completed prior to a two-decade construction hiatus caused by the Great Depression and World War II. Its site formerly was occupied by the Home Insurance Building (1884), a pioneer in metal-frame skyscraper technology.