Chicago 5-11 at 1520 S Indiana in 1974 (more)

This is a follow-up from Steve Redick regarding the 1974 Chicago 5-11 fire at 1520 S. Indiana Avenue. He recently shared some new information that adds more depth to the story.

I originally posted this a while back, but I’ve just received some additional details to share. A long-time fan named Chuck Bleck was working in the insurance industry at the time and created a detailed diagram of the fire. He was kind enough to send it over. In addition, he included a copy of the report from Turnout magazine covering the incident, along with some other historical CFD (Chicago Fire Department) documents.
CFD Big John turret wagon

Warren Redick photo

information from historic 5-11 Alarm fire in Chicago

information from historic 5-11 Alarm fire in Chicago
information from historic 5-11 Alarm fire in Chicago

map by Chuck Bleck

** A note to our younger readers who might be wondering about the unusual appearance of the two summaries above… they were actually typed on a typewriter back in the day.

These materials offer a rare glimpse into how firefighters and investigators documented such events before digital tools became standard. It's fascinating to see how much effort went into creating these reports manually, especially for a fire as significant as the 5-11 alarm in Chicago. If you're interested in the history of firefighting or the evolution of emergency response, these documents are a valuable resource.

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