Another dollar store fire has taken place, this time on September 12th at Jackson and Kedzie. The building was constructed with lightweight materials, and I believe this same mall had a major fire several years back. The location was tricky to access due to its proximity to a large CTA bus barn and the Eisenhower Expressway, which caused significant traffic congestion. At the height of the fire, we had TL 5, TL 14, Squad 2, Engine 44’s deck gun, 661, the turret wagon, and the hose wagon all responding.
Squad 2's Snorkel was caught in a fireball when part of the roof collapsed, and the crew suffered minor injuries. The rig became immobilized, so they used the winch from the pie-wagon piece of Squad 2 to try to pull the Snorkel away from the structure—an unusual and intense operation to witness. The photo showing the reserve Snorkel alongside the new TL 14 highlights the contrast between the oldest and newest rigs in the fleet—kind of cool to see them working side by side. All the photos and video are available for viewing here.