2 5 alarm fires

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mack

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I remember when SI had three 5-alarms burning at the same time. Black Saturday, April 20, 1963.

www.silive.com

Black Saturday: One of the largest fires in Staten Island history in photos

On April 20, 1963, three brush fires devastated multiple Staten Island neighborhoods, burning down more than 100 houses.
www.silive.com www.silive.com

My family was relocated 3 times during the day. My father was a engine company lieutenant and spent the day and the following night fighting the fires. The brush fires destroyed over a hundred structures and required Mutual Aid from Jersey City. I remember seeing 6 JCFD pumpers responding along the old Drumgoole Blvd. High winds, dry weather, poor water supply, kids off from school, no street signs, no maps, a lot of new construction. Frustrating day for fire companies with no water.
 

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F

FDNYSTATENISLAND

Joined
Apr 13, 2012
Messages
9,383
mack said:
I remember when SI had three 5-alarms burning at the same time. Black Saturday, April 20, 1963.

www.silive.com

Black Saturday: One of the largest fires in Staten Island history in photos

On April 20, 1963, three brush fires devastated multiple Staten Island neighborhoods, burning down more than 100 houses.
www.silive.com www.silive.com

My family was relocated 3 times during the day. My father was a engine company lieutenant and spent the day and the following night fighting the fires. The brush fires destroyed over a hundred structures and required Mutual Aid from Jersey City. I remember seeing 6 JCFD pumpers responding along the old Drumgoole Blvd. High winds, dry weather, poor water supply, kids off from school, no street signs, no maps, a lot of new construction. Frustrating day for fire companies with no water.
Click to expand...
At first I found it interesting they called for mutual aid from NJ before other FDNY companies from other boroughs but then realized this was over a year before the Verrazzano Bridge opened. Must have been easier to have JCFD companies cross the Goethals or Outerbridge Crossing opposed to taking ferry from BK.
 
M

mack

Administrator
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FDNYSTATENISLAND said:
At first I found it interesting they called for mutual aid from NJ before other FDNY companies from other boroughs but then realized this was over a year before the Verrazzano Bridge opened. Must have been easier to have JCFD companies cross the Goethals or Outerbridge Crossing opposed to taking ferry from BK.
Click to expand...
There were many Brooklyn and Manhattan companies operating. Manhattan companies took the SI Ferry or went through NJ. Brooklyn companies took the 69th Street Ferry. It was a memory to see the JCFD companies convoy in while we were being evacuated. SI did have extra companies staffed (called Brush Patrol companies) but there was not enough units or manpower without an operating water supply that failed. Engine companies found ponds and creeks to draft water from where possible. There were actually 3 or 4 days of heavy brush fires in addition to this Saturday.
 
grumpy grizzly

grumpy grizzly

Joined
Jun 27, 2007
Messages
3,470
mack said:
I remember when SI had three 5-alarms burning at the same time. Black Saturday, April 20, 1963.

www.silive.com

Black Saturday: One of the largest fires in Staten Island history in photos

On April 20, 1963, three brush fires devastated multiple Staten Island neighborhoods, burning down more than 100 houses.
www.silive.com www.silive.com

My family was relocated 3 times during the day. My father was a engine company lieutenant and spent the day and the following night fighting the fires. The brush fires destroyed over a hundred structures and required Mutual Aid from Jersey City. I remember seeing 6 JCFD pumpers responding along the old Drumgoole Blvd. High winds, dry weather, poor water supply, kids off from school, no street signs, no maps, a lot of new construction. Frustrating day for fire companies with no water.
Click to expand...
11 multiple alarms from 11:47 until 3:15. 4 in SI, 5 in Brooklyn including a fifth alarm, 1 in Bronx and Queens. Every company minus one was engaged in firefighting.
 
grumpy grizzly

grumpy grizzly

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Messages
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I believe that the incidents of April 20 on Staten Island led to the birth and construction of the Super Pumper System. William Gibbs was monitoring the situation and analyzed the events. He believe that a land fireboat would have been able to supply large amounts of salt water at the Tottenville waterfront. He approached FDNY with his idea and they accepted it. On December 3 1963 FDNY signed a $875,000 with Mack Trucks for its construction. Info from Calderone's book on the SPS.
 
R

REDDEVIL_59

Joined
Nov 4, 2008
Messages
200
As a Boy Scout in the early sixties---while my troop was hiking to Camp Pouch from the Ferry Terminal---we became engaged in stamping out a newly started area of burning brush at Castleton Corners.

All this was of course due to being in the middle of a 5-Year drought.

Now just 8 days after this fiery Saturday, on April 28, 1963 there was the 8-Alarm fire in Coney Island. This was probably not the result of the drought, however.
 
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fdhistorian

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Sep 25, 2013
Messages
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mack said:
View attachment 15035
Click to expand...
04/23/1962 Staten Island Pleasant Plains

15 engines and 10 ladders already working

E151/L76, E152, E153/L77, E154, E155/L78, E156, E157/L80, E158, E159, E160, E161/L81, E162/L82, E163/L83, E164/L84, E165/L85, L79

0930 88-100 South Ferry Terminal Manhattan – Respond by ferry to Richmond
E10, E31, E24
Relocations E203-10, E2-24

1049 88-22-100 2nd Alarm South Ferry Terminal Manhattan – Respond by ferry to Richmond
E32, E13, E27
Relocations E205-32, E14-13

1206 88-4552 BC23 – 3rd alarm on arrival
1212 88-33-4552
E6, E7, E9, E203/10, E205/32
Relocations E2/24-6, E209-7, E28-9

1214 88-44-4552 4th Alarm
(E27), E55, E14/13, E17, E15, E18
Relocations E21-17, E26-18

1226 88-44-200 4th Alarm 69th Street Ferry Terminal Brooklyn – Respond by ferry to Richmond
E241, E284, E278
E242, E228, E247
E201, E282, E243
E239, E240, E279

1231 88-5-4552-33, 88-5-4552-16
E33, E16

1243 15-31-39, 15-33-40, 15-16-22
Relocations E39-31, E40-33, E22-16

1246 88-55-4552 5th Alarm
E2/24/6, E209/7, E28/9

1258 88-4552-66-22-943 Simultaneous Call
(E40), E23, E54
E74, (E2), E65, E34
Relocations (E14)-23, (E24)-54, E47-74, (E27)-2, (E55)-65

1300 88-5-4552-8, 88-5-4552-1
E8, E1

1318 15-65-91, 15-2-80, 15-8-36, 15-26-67
Relocations E91-65, E80-2, E36-8, E67-26

1330 15-1-69, 15-69-41, 15-23-84, 15-84-43
Relocations E69-1, E41-69, E84-23, E43-84

1400 Mutual Aid requested from Jersey City (1st time ever) 3 engines
E19, E9, E11, BC2

1417 Mutual Aid requested from Jersey City 3 engines
E1, E5, E18

1428 15-151-6, 15-164-9, 15-165-5, 15-153-18
Relocations E2/6-151, E28/9-164, E5-165, E26/18-153

1438 15-6-26
Relocation E67/26-6

1444 Request Mutual Aid from Manhattan to Jersey City for General Alarm – Advised to call Hudson County
Harrison, Kearney, Hoboken

1508 99-22-4314

1619 66-419 2nd St & Ave B, 5 story brick, 2 stories fully involved
66-75-419
(E28), E21/17 L11, (L18) S5 BC4, DC1

1631 66-22-419 2nd Alarm requested

1631 66-44-419 Dispatchers 4th Alarm struck
(E15), CD TU/55, (E13), (E5) L9 R1
(E9), E39/31, (E18), (E24) L6 BC36
E22/16, E209/7, E69/1, E221, E216 L20

29 Manhattan engines to Richmond, Training Proby Units/CD (CD TU) Engines to E39, E54, E55

1910 77-2121 Ditmas Ave near Rockaway Pkwy, Canarsie, Box Factory and lumber yard

1912 77-22-2121 2nd Alarm

1913 77-33-2121 3rd Alarm

1935 77-44-2121 4th Alarm requested
77-55-2121 Dispatchers 5th Alarm struck

2010 Fire Under Control

2005 99-7557 Ditmars Blvd & 33rd St, Astoria A&P Supermarket
E312, E263, E262 L117 BC49
99-75-7557
DC14

2025 99-22-7557 2nd Alarm
E261, E307, E260 L116 R4

2042 99-33-7557 3rd Alarm
E325, E292, E258 L163 BC36 MSU, A2

2125 99-44-7557 4th Alarm
E259, E289, E287

2138 99-55-7557 5th Alarm
E83, E35, E36, E39, E8

2145 Special Call 2 engines
E53, E37

2237 Fire Under Control
 
jlab

jlab

Joined
May 10, 2019
Messages
484
"1444 Request Mutual Aid from Manhattan to Jersey City for General Alarm – Advised to call Hudson County
Harrison, Kearney, Hoboken".

Did these other NJ municipalities also respond to NYC ? Was Jersey City, etc, able toconnect to the NYC hydrants ?
 
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