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Chicago Firefighters Trapped In Vacant Building Fire Collapse; Two Dead, Others Critical
Updated:
The fallen firefighters are Firefighter Edward Stringer and Firefighter Cory Ankum.
Chicago Sun-Times Fireground Images
CARLA K. JOHNSON
Associated Press
Chicago Fire Department
CFD Official website
Chicago IAFF Local 2
5-11 Club: Department Info.
Additional
ABCNews: Chicago Firefighters Killed
4 Firefighters Trapped in Vacant Building on South Side
Two Fires: One person killed; Two Firefighters Reportedly Trapped
4 firefighters trapped in wall collapse
ABC Photos: Firefighters Trapped in Wall Collapse
Firefighters Trapped After Building Collapse
FireEMSBlogs Updates:
Ash 'n Dreams: Prayers for Chicago
Firegeezer: Firefighters Trapped In Chicago
Fire Daily: Video, Audio, Chicago Collapse
Medic Three: May God Have Mercy...
STATter911: Wall Collapse Traps Chicago Firefighters
The Fire Critic: Chicago Firefighters Trapped
FireRescue Magazine:
Chicago Union Stockyards Fire, Dec. 22, 1910
Keokuk, Iowa - December 22, 1999
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Associated Press
CHICAGO - The burning building had been vacant for years, but the firefighters went in anyway - just in case squatters started the blaze and were trapped inside. Then the heavy-timbered roof and a wall collapsed.
In this frame grab made from WGN-TV, Chicago firefighters work to save firefighters that were trapped when a wall collapsed Wednesday Dec. 22, 2010 in Chicago's South Side while they were fighting a blaze at an abandoned commercial building. Fire Media Affairs Director Larry Langford confirmed that firefighters were unaccounted for at the scene on Chicago's South Side and that rescue crews were working to save them. (AP Photo/Courtesy WGN-TV)
Firefighters and officials stand near the scene of a fire at a one story building where fire officials say a wall collapsed killing two men and injuring more than a dozen firefighters, Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2010, in Chicago. Wednesday is the 100th anniversary of the Union Stock Yards fire that killed 21 Chicago firefighters. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)
Four firefighters were trapped under debris, and two of them died on a day that already was among the most somber on the Chicago Fire Department's calendar. Exactly 100 years ago, 21 Chicago firefighters died when a wall collapsed at the Union Stock Yards fire, one of the nation's worst tragedies for firefighters before 9/11.
"We were ringing the bell and calling out the names," said retired fireman Bill Cosgrove, who was at a service honoring the anniversary. "We heard a mayday on the radio that a wall had fallen in."
Most of the firefighters at the service broke down in tears when they found out about the collapse, he said.
"It was beyond disbelief," Cosgrove said. "It was a matter of a few hours and a hundred years later we have the same type of incident."
He said two firefighters at the memorial left to help dig out their colleagues. Other off-duty firefighters rushed there as well, said Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford.
They joined more than 170 other firefighters on duty who responded to a 911 call about the burning building just before dawn Wednesday, Langford said.
He said no one expected the call to be anything more than a routine winter fire.
Although the one-story building had been vacant for years and the utilities had been turned off, firefighters searched the building out of concern that homeless people might be inside trying to stay warm.
The cause of the fire was under investigation, Authorities speculated that squatters might have been burning debris to keep warm.
"The fire had no other way of starting," Langford said.
He said the only people injured were firefighters.
The men killed were Edward Stringer, 47, a 12-year department veteran, and Corey Ankum, 34, who joined the department a little over a year ago. They and two others were trapped under the roof debris.
Two firefighters were pulled out quickly but rescuers had to use extrication equipment to reach the other two.
Every firefighter at the scene on Wednesday "did the best they could to save their brothers," said Robert Hoff, the city's fire commissioner.
Hoff and firefighter's union chief Tom Ryan spoke at an emotional news conference hours after the blaze.
"No matter how much experience you have on the job," Ryan said, "a morning like this still takes you by surprise." Ryan said the victims' families "can take solace in knowing that their husbands, their fathers, their brothers are heroes."
Mayor Richard Daley was out of town but issued a statement offering condolences to the victims' families. He was cutting his trip short to return home and address the city.
"Our prayers go out to the families of these two firefighters and to their brothers and sisters in the Chicago Fire Department, who put their lives in danger every day to keep Chicagoans safe," Daley said.
Ankum's brother, Gerald Glover, said he had been with the department for about a year and had a wife and three children.
"He was a great young man. He would do anything for anybody. He would give you the shirt off his back," Glover said.
It was unclear why the building's roof and wall collapsed. Hoff said snow, ice, and the building's age could have contributed.
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Associated Press writer Lindsey Tanner contributed to this report.
Local Coverage:
WLS TV: Friends, Family Mourn Fallen Firefighters
Chicago Tribune: Firefighters Died Doing A Job They Loved
Chicago Sun-Times: Ex-Cop Among Firefighters Killed
Chicagoist: 2 Firefighters Dead In Southside Blaze
MyFoxChicago: What Went Wrong?
Chicago Tribune: Collapse Traps Firefighters
WXOW: 2 Firefighters Killed
13ABC: Two Firefighters Killed
In this frame grab made from WGN-TV, Chicago firefighters work to save firefighters that were trapped when a wall collapsed Wednesday Dec. 22, 2010 in Chicago's South Side while they were fighting a blaze at an abandoned commercial building. Fire Media Affairs Director Larry Langford confirmed that firefighters were unaccounted for at the scene on Chicago's South Side and that rescue crews were working to save them. (AP Photo/Courtesy WGN-TV)
Firefighters and officials stand near the scene of a fire at a one story building where fire officials say a wall collapsed killing two men and injuring more than a dozen firefighters, Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2010, in Chicago. Wednesday is the 100th anniversary of the Union Stock Yards fire that killed 21 Chicago firefighters. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)
Four firefighters were trapped under debris, and two of them died on a day that already was among the most somber on the Chicago Fire Department's calendar. Exactly 100 years ago, 21 Chicago firefighters died when a wall collapsed at the Union Stock Yards fire, one of the nation's worst tragedies for firefighters before 9/11.
"We were ringing the bell and calling out the names," said retired fireman Bill Cosgrove, who was at a service honoring the anniversary. "We heard a mayday on the radio that a wall had fallen in."
Most of the firefighters at the service broke down in tears when they found out about the collapse, he said.
"It was beyond disbelief," Cosgrove said. "It was a matter of a few hours and a hundred years later we have the same type of incident."
He said two firefighters at the memorial left to help dig out their colleagues. Other off-duty firefighters rushed there as well, said Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford.
They joined more than 170 other firefighters on duty who responded to a 911 call about the burning building just before dawn Wednesday, Langford said.
He said no one expected the call to be anything more than a routine winter fire.
Although the one-story building had been vacant for years and the utilities had been turned off, firefighters searched the building out of concern that homeless people might be inside trying to stay warm.
The cause of the fire was under investigation, Authorities speculated that squatters might have been burning debris to keep warm.
"The fire had no other way of starting," Langford said.
He said the only people injured were firefighters.
The men killed were Edward Stringer, 47, a 12-year department veteran, and Corey Ankum, 34, who joined the department a little over a year ago. They and two others were trapped under the roof debris.
Two firefighters were pulled out quickly but rescuers had to use extrication equipment to reach the other two.
Every firefighter at the scene on Wednesday "did the best they could to save their brothers," said Robert Hoff, the city's fire commissioner.
Hoff and firefighter's union chief Tom Ryan spoke at an emotional news conference hours after the blaze.
"No matter how much experience you have on the job," Ryan said, "a morning like this still takes you by surprise." Ryan said the victims' families "can take solace in knowing that their husbands, their fathers, their brothers are heroes."
Mayor Richard Daley was out of town but issued a statement offering condolences to the victims' families. He was cutting his trip short to return home and address the city.
"Our prayers go out to the families of these two firefighters and to their brothers and sisters in the Chicago Fire Department, who put their lives in danger every day to keep Chicagoans safe," Daley said.
Ankum's brother, Gerald Glover, said he had been with the department for about a year and had a wife and three children.
"He was a great young man. He would do anything for anybody. He would give you the shirt off his back," Glover said.
It was unclear why the building's roof and wall collapsed. Hoff said snow, ice, and the building's age could have contributed.
___
Associated Press writer Lindsey Tanner contributed to this report.
Local Coverage:
WLS TV: Friends, Family Mourn Fallen Firefighters
Chicago Tribune: Firefighters Died Doing A Job They Loved
Chicago Sun-Times: Ex-Cop Among Firefighters Killed
Chicagoist: 2 Firefighters Dead In Southside Blaze
MyFoxChicago: What Went Wrong?
Chicago Tribune: Collapse Traps Firefighters
WXOW: 2 Firefighters Killed
13ABC: Two Firefighters Killed
Chicago Fire Department
CFD Official website
Chicago IAFF Local 2
5-11 Club: Department Info.
Additional
ABCNews: Chicago Firefighters Killed
4 Firefighters Trapped in Vacant Building on South Side
Two Fires: One person killed; Two Firefighters Reportedly Trapped
4 firefighters trapped in wall collapse
ABC Photos: Firefighters Trapped in Wall Collapse
Firefighters Trapped After Building Collapse
FireEMSBlogs Updates:
Ash 'n Dreams: Prayers for Chicago
Firegeezer: Firefighters Trapped In Chicago
Fire Daily: Video, Audio, Chicago Collapse
Medic Three: May God Have Mercy...
STATter911: Wall Collapse Traps Chicago Firefighters
The Fire Critic: Chicago Firefighters Trapped
FireRescue Magazine:
Chicago Union Stockyards Fire, Dec. 22, 1910
Keokuk, Iowa - December 22, 1999
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by David Francis on
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Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families from my family at home and at the station to the families in Chicago. You will be remebered always.
To all brothers and sisters here, remember that with this hectic winter season, nothing is routine, please be carefull.
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Permalink Reply by Charles Ray Knuckles on
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They were inside looking for homeless people who were trapped & gave their lives & also were injured to make sure others were safe. Fire Fighters make this a part of their life. Just as NY Fire Fighters werfe going in a burning collapsing building to save lives as others were running out. Fire Fighters are brave Heroes & I include all in my Prayers every day. Even though our President removed National Prayer day..
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Permalink Reply by agim on
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Prononi ngushllimet e mia me te perzemerta per humbjen e jetes te ketyre dy zjarrfiksave .zoti i bekofte dhe u prefshin ne paqe.
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Permalink Reply by capcityff on
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I agree. Heather, how would you have known that no one was inside unless you searched? You wouldn't and there's no argument you can make for that. These guys were doing their jobs. Maybe your department isn't aggressive and doesn't do thing like this but some of us do. So don't judge anything they did like you would have done better, instead just pay respect to them. These guys died as heroes. RIP brothers. We were just mopping up at a 3-alarm job in DC when we heard the news. Stay strong CFD.
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Permalink Reply by Patti Walz on
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I don't think this is the time to jump on someone for their comments.
Two good men lost their lives, two families lost their loved ones, the city of Chicago lost two brave men. Can we not set aside what we think of other peoples remarks and give praise to those men and their families, to their department, their city. These men went above and beyond and made the greatest sacrifice of all and we should be honoring them. My heart and my prayers are with their families and their department as they work through this tragedy.
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The comment was about THEM. My point was there is no need to bring up the fact that these guys went in a vacant structure. They did it because it was their job. I thought it was a pointless comment and a little disrespectful to say that. It wasn't directed at you so don't worry about it. I'm done talking about it with you now.
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Permalink Reply by Robert Nichols on
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Rest in Peace Brothers Job Well done you did what we are here to do Life safety then Property Conservation.With a Rear door being open and the weather You would have to think some inside.God Bless you and Our Prayers will be that God send His Peace and Comforter to the Families.In this Great time of need to help them in the coming days.
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Permalink Reply by Dan Martin on
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My family's thoughts are with their families and the brave brothers of the Chicago FD. God bless you all.
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Permalink Reply by Norm Tindell on
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Sure saddens all who only moments earlier were in the Christmas spirit. May our brothers rest in peace. Our hearts go out to their families and to The Department.
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Permalink Reply by Sam Cooper on
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My thoughts and prayers go out to the families.
This what we really go through each time our pagers or radios go off. We do this job to help save people and it is worth it and is a very rewarding knowing you have saved someone's life.
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Permalink Reply by Muzaffer GÜVEN on
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God Bless all Chicago Fire fighter Brothers and Sisters
from turkish firefighters
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Permalink Reply by Jacqui NiaNia on
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Arohamai to our Fallen brothers & their families & The Chicago Fire Department, Blessings to you all from the Tokomaru Bay & Te Puia Springs Fire Service Department East Coast New Zealand. Safe Journey our brothers xx
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