Courtesy NewsWorking.com. At 0850 Whitehall engines 1, 2, squrt 3, tower ladder 6 and chief 35 (Benner) respond to a report of "smoke in the building." On arrival, Chief 35 reports "smoke showing." A maintenance man reports a heater malfunction and that he turned it off, with that report, chief 35 signals all companies to "proceed with caution."

Engine 1 crew investigates the utility room on the 3rd floor balcony where the heater is located and finds moderate smoke but no fire. A firefighter goes down to the second floor apartment to investigate and finds heavy smoke and a bedroom and laundry room well-involved. A second alarm is struck and a line is stretched in.

A second line is stretched to the original 3rd floor apartment and firefighters find the apartment "flashed."

Chief 35 special-called more companies. The fire rapidly extended in the walls vertically and before firefighters knew it, the fire extended into the cockloft. Chief 35 special-called more companies.

As companies were responding in on a "smoke in the building" call, they never knew they were headed for a working fire. A "working fire" was never signaled by a chief officer and a size-up was never transmitted to comm center and a command system was never established. The special-called companies are equivalant to a fourth alarm fire in Whitehall. Why box alarm assignments were never used is anyone's guess.