Chicago Fire Dept. 4-11 Alarm Fire - Level I HAZMAT - EMS Plan I @ 4425 West 16th Street [12.10.20]

The first call for this fire came as a Still & Box Alarm shortly before 9 AM for a 300-foot-by-100-foot warehouse containing large amounts of flammable liquids with fire showing through the roof - it was almost immediately raised to a 2-11 Alarm, then a 3-11 Alarm and elevated to a 4-11 Alarm around 10:20 AM, finally struck out at 12:03 PM. This is a commercial building, an auto parts supplier, that caught fire and spread to the 2 buildings immediately adjacent to it on either side: a steel processing plant to its East and a brick manufacturer to the West.
As you can see, when I arrived, the structure was fully involved and the "surround & drown" method was in full effect here, with no fewer than 12 lines pouring water on the fire from the tower ladders or from street level as well as at least 1 deck gun. Right before I showed up to record video, I heard over the radio that they were having water problems. Idlndeed, I observed that water was being run in from several blocks away.
Watch out for the cameo appearance from "Big Blow," 9-2-3, the vehicle-mounted Mobile Ventilation Unit, or MVU
Thank you for taking the time to watch this video.
Recorded on Thursday, December 10th, 2020 with a Samsung Galaxy S9+

[@marcbolland6992]

Thank you , your few minutes of upload showed so much more of firefighter interaction and in much better quality than the previous video I'd just watched of the same fire . 1 1/2 hrs of aerial footage , I skipped a lot !! But there was a good interview at the end with Deputy Fire Commissioner.

[@ChicagoAirportSpotter]

Lol, you must've been watching the aerial footage from the news helicopters. That's how I found out about this one. I wasn't gonna go, but it was too close to miss it. I'm glad I went. I knew a few FFs there and, being the large blaze that it was, they were taking turns working the lines and I got to walk up to them and talk for a bit. This was the biggest fire I've ever personally seen. I'm glad I went. Went home smelling awesome, too, haha. Thanks for watching.

[@sawyermalinowski1719]

@@ChicagoAirportSpotter hello I see your video here it was a good one. Can you start doing more because I don't see alot of good videos from the Chicago Fire department. Please get videos of up close shots of the firefighters working and the scenes of each Fire. Thank you for your time to make these videos.

[@abrahamweiss5827]

At last. I saw the smoke cloud miles away drifting by in the morning and had no idea what it was. Thankyou.

[@ronbradley5631]

7:31. Now that’s positive pressure ventilation.... lol

[@jelracer98]

That is cooking. I love big water with big fire

[@paulthomsen3788]

👌 NICE, THANKS

[@robinblitz5213]

To all CFP firefighters great work but for the sake of your families ware your breathing gear!

[@billkraus9631]

And your helmets

[@debrabyrne7671]

Where are those firefighters SCBAs with all that thick toxic smoke they should have them on and why isn’t the Chief making them put them on

[@b17bass59]

Who’s the lucky guy assigned to the ventilation truck 😂

[@Fernando-zm2uq]

1:11 otis?

[@petelajoie913]

Holy Fudgeballs

[@maryboehm9375]

Was there any pictures in the newspapers need for my scrapbook if you have extras fuzzy12 ferrets is my gmail

[@mel40jos1]

Did you ever find out what caused the fire x

[@ChicagoAirportSpotter]

I haven't heard anything other than OFI (Office of Fire Investigation) was focusing on a back storage room at the auto parts warehouse where combustible fluids were stored.

[@benjaminmendenhall3104]

What kind of a vehicle was that at 729 in the video I never seen one before

[@ChicagoAirportSpotter]

That is a movile ventilation unit (MVU, or "Big Blow"), basically a giant fan on wheels to clear out any remaining smoke after a fire or ventilate an area. They're frequently brought up to subway train station entrances when there's a fire down there.

[@genickzwiebel5110]

Did they really put a Mercedes star on that grill 8:17 Hahahaha

[@ChicagoAirportSpotter]

Yeah, lmao...I was told they took it off a heavily-damaged car from a wreck they responded to.

[@gzair6895]

I thought the plane fell more then; -;

[@ChicagoAirportSpotter]

If that were the case, the video title would mention an "aircraft fire" or "aircraft crash."

[@dnovids]

Sounds like a silly question...but are you ex CFD? How were you able to get so close?

[@ChicagoAirportSpotter]

@@dnovids Nah, not a silly question at all. I'm not CFD nor have I been, but I did know a few people at the scene today. As long as I stay out of their way and behind the water hoses, it's all cool. It looks like I was a lot closer than I actually was.

[@dnovids]

@@ChicagoAirportSpotter I'm about to post my video...not as fancy, just had my cell phone. But you got some great footage!!!

[@ChicagoAirportSpotter]

@@dnovids Thank you, I appreciate it. I'll look for your video when I get home tonight or tomorrow morning. I did this with just my cell phone, I didn't have time to run home for my video camera. Hey, some cell phone video tips, keep your lens clean and hold the phone horizontally with both hands. I have friends often tell me they love my cell phone videos. I've taken clips at weddings that the couples liked more than what their pro videographers did. Just gotta work with what you got and capture what looks right to you.