4-11 Alarm fire in Chicago, 2-14-62

Here's a message from Eric Haak:

The images below capture the scene from Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1962. A 4-11 Alarm fire broke out at 1365–75 East 70th Street around 11:15 a.m. Just over an hour later, firefighters were inside the building on the third floor when the structure began to collapse around them. At approximately 12:45 p.m., Fire Commissioner Quinn ordered all personnel to evacuate as the roof started sagging. As they made their way out, the west wall and roof suddenly gave way, trapping three firefighters beneath the debris.

Fifty-two-year-old Robert O’Brien, Chief of the Fire Prevention Bureau, and 43-year-old Battalion Chief Thomas Hoff were buried under the rubble in the basement. Hoff’s driver, Edward Stack, was also caught in the collapse but managed to escape unharmed by rolling through a first-floor doorway. An inquest into the cause of the two chiefs’ deaths concluded that the origin of the fire remained unclear, though it was initially believed to have been caused by a faulty furnace in the basement.

O’Brien, who had known Mayor Richard J. Daley since childhood, lived just five doors down from the Daley family on Lowe Street. The tragedy marked a dark day for Chicago’s fire department and highlighted the dangers faced by those who risked their lives to save others.

historic Chicago fire scene photo

4-11 Alarm fire at 1365–75 East 70th Street in Chicago, February 14, 1962. Photographer unknown, from the collection of Eric Haak.

historic Chicago fire scene photo

4-11 Alarm fire at 1365–75 East 70th Street in Chicago, February 14, 1962. Photographer unknown, from the collection of Eric Haak.

historic Chicago fire scene photo

4-11 Alarm fire at 1365–75 East 70th Street in Chicago, February 14, 1962. Photographer unknown, from the collection of Eric Haak.

historic Chicago fire scene photo

4-11 Alarm fire at 1365–75 East 70th Street in Chicago, February 14, 1962. Photographer unknown, from the collection of Eric Haak.

historic Chicago fire scene photo

4-11 Alarm fire at 1365–75 East 70th Street in Chicago, February 14, 1962. Photographer unknown, from the collection of Eric Haak.

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