Roofing Material Makes Difficult Fire in Chicago

Roofing Material Makes Difficult Fire in Chicago

The Chicago, Ill., department had as disagreeable a task as often falls to its lot, in the recent fire at the Becker Asphaltum Roofing Company’s plant in the northwestern part of the city. The fire started about 1:33 a.m. in a garage adjoining, probably from a spark striking gasoline, and although the department, under command of Fire Marshal Thomas O’Connor, was quickly on the spot, the flames had spread with such rapidity that the fire was practically beyond control when it arrived. The unloading platform and sheds of the roofing plant, which were of frame construction, were close to the garage and became involved immediately, and the fire then swept through open doors into the brick building. There was no private fire protection of any kind on the premises and “the flames were going through the roof fifty feet and fire spreading faster than you could run when the department arrived,” as Battalion Chief Charles N. Heaney reports. The 136 men engaged employed every resource to prevent the fire from attacking the elevated railroad structure close to the plant, and succeeded in doing so. They used fourteen steamers (Metropolitan and Ahrens-Fox made), six motor pumpers (Ahrens-Fox and Seagrave), one White, three motor ladder trucks and a squad wagon. Many hydrants were available, mostly 2 1/2-inch double, and about 200 feet apart, supplied from street mains varying from 8 to 16 inches in size. Of the 7,500 feet of cotton-rubber lined hose that were laid, three lengths burst. No hydrant streams were thrown, but twenty engine streams were at one time directed on the fire from 1 1/2-inch nozzles. It required three hours for the department to get the fire under control, as the asphaltum, paper and other roofing materials produced heavy smoke as well as intensly hot flames and demanded all the pluck of the men to face. The loss on the building, valued at $50,000, was $40,000, and that on the contents, which were valued at $75,000, was estimated at $60,000.

The Chicago, Ill., department had as disagreeable a task as often falls to its lot, in the recent fire at the Becker Asphaltum Roofing Company’s plant in the northwestern part of the city. The fire started about 1:33 a.m. in a garage adjoining, probably from a spark striking gasoline, and although the department, under command of Fire Marshal Thomas O’Connor, was quickly on the spot, the flames had spread with such rapidity that the fire was practically beyond control when it arrived. The unloading platform and sheds of the roofing plant, which were of frame construction, were close to the garage and became involved immediately, and the fire then swept through open doors into the brick building. There was no private fire protection of any kind on the premises and “the flames were going through the roof fifty feet and fire spreading faster than you could run when the department arrived,” as Battalion Chief Charles N. Heaney reports. The 136 men engaged employed every resource to prevent the fire from attacking the elevated railroad structure close to the plant, and succeeded in doing so. They used fourteen steamers (Metropolitan and Ahrens-Fox made), six motor pumpers (Ahrens-Fox and Seagrave), one White, three motor ladder trucks and a squad wagon. Many hydrants were available, mostly 2 1/2-inch double, and about 200 feet apart, supplied from street mains varying from 8 to 16 inches in size. Of the 7,500 feet of cotton-rubber lined hose that were laid, three lengths burst. No hydrant streams were thrown, but twenty engine streams were at one time directed on the fire from 1 1/2-inch nozzles. It required three hours for the department to get the fire under control, as the asphaltum, paper and other roofing materials produced heavy smoke as well as intensly hot flames and demanded all the pluck of the men to face. The loss on the building, valued at $50,000, was $40,000, and that on the contents, which were valued at $75,000, was estimated at $60,000.