First Alarm Restaurant Fire

At approximately 15:30 today a call went out for an unknown fire at 32nd st. and Van Buren. Engine 29 responded and reported a working fire in an empty Mexican food restaurant (Formerly a Denny's). A second call went out at 15:35 for a first alarm Working fire. I immediately left the house and headed that way. It took me about 5 to 7 minutes to get there because of rush hour traffic. Thankfully I beat the police to the scene and was able to walk around the restaurant unimpeded. The fire was being fought offensively until about 13:50 when due to fears of a roof collapse the emergency traffic tone was sounded and all firemen evacuated the building.

As the Saying goes "When the ladder goes up,
the building comes down". Well not in this case, at about 16:06 after a few minutes soaking from ladder 11 the firemen again went offensive.
It was about this time I had to leave.

The fire appears to have started in a storage room in the back of the building possibly by "houseless people". Speaking of which, this guy:
was sleeping in the restaurant parking lot and didn't stir until someone woke him up. He then tried to pick a fight with the guy who woke him. Here are the rest of the Pics:

Second Alarm Structure Fire (in HDR)

This morning Mike came over to look at my spa. We left my house at about 09:55 to get a new GFCI cord for the spa. We had just turned south on 32nd street when I saw a large column of smoke in south Phoenix. I mentioned to Mike that it looked like it had just started as the column had not flattened, of course I did not have my camera and neither did Mike. So we raced back to the house and grabbed my camera and scanner and headed to the fire.

The fire was at Frontier Emergency Products 16th street and Victory. I later learned that this is where the city of Phoenix repairs it's Fire engines. The Fire started some time before 09:45. We attempted access from 7th street but were stopped by the usual over zealous cop.

I took a few quick pictures and then we left to try our luck elsewhere.

We had much better luck on 16th street and we were able to get near the front of the building (after being cautioned by another cop about the hazardous smoke). While taking pictures we were filmed by news channel 3. However we did not appear on the video shown on TV. There were 3 ladders directing water on the building so of course it was a total loss. We left when the fire was mostly out and, because we were soaked with sweat from the humidity. I apologize for the darkness of the pictures I could not see how they were turning out due to the overcast and my glasses going dark form the UV light.

First Alarm Structure Fire (in HDR)

You couldn't keep away from it My Precious. It calls to us.Whatever....

At 11:38 the call went out "structure fire at 24th street and Roosevelt" at Photography studio. I almost didn't go (because of the day before yesterday). I changed my mind, grabbed my bag and ran out the door. I got to 32nd st. and McDowell when I heard them call the balance of a first alarm. I got on the the freeway and off again at 24th st. thus skipping several lights. I managed to get there within 5 minutes, and before the cops. I parked about a half block away, grabbed my scanner, and camera then walked the rest of the way in. Engine 8 was parked by the front door and several crews were already inside fighting offensively. There were several off duty firemen who showed up, then the news people showed up. At approximately 11:55 the emergency tone was sent out and everyone was ordered out of the building. Engine 8, and the building owners car were moved from the buildings entrance an unmarked ladder began setting up. Ladder 11 to the east in a parking lot, and the other ladder to the south of the building. Around 12:00 there were several small explosions coming from the broken windows near the entrance on the east side, at 12:09 the fire began to roll out of the collapsing roof. The walls on the west side started collapsing inwards and the firemen began evacuating houses to the west. While I was watching and taking pictures a fireman (possibly a Battalion commander) was standing next to me all excited and said to me "Are you getting this!!", "Have you seen anything like this!!", "WOW look at that!!". I wanted to say "not since the day before yesterday", but I just said "not in a long time". Around 12:30 Chris called to ask if I knew what the smoke was from at 24th st. south of the freeway. I told him I was there. At 12:35 I was quite hot and tired and the police were starting to rope everything off and being general butt heads, plus the majority of the fire was knocked down. I got to my car drank a very warm bottle of water (mmmm warm water) and took off. At 13:38 command was terminated. While at the scene I overheard one of the battalion commanders talking to another fireman and saying that the buildings owner suspected arson, as he was there and saw someone doing something (I could not hear all of the conversation). Here are the pics:









Update: this picture taken the day after.