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On August 11th at approximately 21:00 a call came in for a possible fire at Home st and portage ave. living a few blocks away I grabbed my camera and ran. As I turned the corner onto Portage I saw a header and got on scene with the second due engine and first in ladder and saw heavy smoke and flames from behind the building. the first in engine and rescue (5) were able to get a quick knock on a large tire fire behind the building (the address had been corrected to the auto shop across the street). crews began packing up within 15 minutes and overhaul was quickly completed. This was the first incident with my new 18-135 lens and I'm impressed with the results the say the least. this type of call where your not pushed back by tape is exactly why I bought this lens.

Units assigned: Engine 5, Rescue 5, Engine 11, Ladder 11, Squad 101, District Chief 4, Engine 4, Rescue 4, Safety 5, and Ambulance 31.

               

I have been talking with a few guys from St. Louis on Facebook and a few of them are guys I knew while with Gardenville Volunteer Fire Protection District and a few that are my age and who were firefighters. One of them Steve Arnold who retired as the Chief of Pattonville has a very large collection of St. Louis City and County Historical Pictures. I am in the process of downloading them and saving them and I am going to share them here. I hope you all like them. Any Comments or questions please ask.

First up is

12-12-1930 St. Louis Fire Department Fire engine and crew, Engine Company 24

CREDIT STEVE ARNOLD

On our last night out, the radio was very quiet.  We sat at I94 & Livernois with one radio on Detroit and one scanning the CB channels, as the Canadian Border Patrol, upset about stalled contract negotiations, had instituted a work action.  All trucks heading into Canada were subject to a "by the book" inspection.  This resulted in major backups on all highways in Detroit as truckers had to wait 8-10 hours to make the crossing.  The CB traffic was hilarious.

While watching and listening, Detroit stilled out companies for a motor vehicle collision at Vernor Highway and the I96 Service Rd.  I really didn't pay much attention until an update included information that a bus was involved and the bus was reportedly into a building.  By surface roads, it was a 6 minute ride.

   

Hamtramck Engine 3
   

After leaving the fire at Kirkland and Braden, we encountered I94 westbound closed at M39 and had to get off the highway.  While rerouting around what we later found out to be an accident scene with a fatality, I turned on WWJ 950, Detroit's news radio station.  Their lead story was a fire that had burned most of the night in an apartment complex at Joy Rd and Hix in Westland.  GPS told us 20 minutes and there was a little convincing of @emtchris67 but we started that way.  This is what we found.
   

After leaving the fire on Rosedale Court, we headed back to our spot at Livernois and I94.  After a while, it was getting late and we started back to the hotel....the loooong way.  We were in the extreme northwest corner of the city when a box alarm was transmitted for Seven Mile and Fleming.  GPS put us at 16 minutes out, by the time we got there it was completely under control and we didn't even get out of the car.  Start the ride back again and Engine 34 gets stilled out for a garage fire at Kirkland and Braden-5 minutes or less from the I94/Livernois spot.  We didn't even think about heading to it....until....Engine 34 requested a commercial box for two dwellings and a garage well involved.  18 minutes by GPS.  Here's what we arrived to.
   

Proof of how good these guys are.  A box alarm was transmitted for a building fire in the vicinity of Oakland and Rosedale Court.  The GPS said 16 minutes from where we were, I made it in about 14.  The first arriving Engine's report was that the second due should be ready to dump their monitor.  Here is what we arrived to.
   

After watching the Red Sox lose, we were sitting at Livernois and I-94 when we heard an engine and truck stilled out to a shed fire.  I put the address into the GPS and it showed 5 minutes away.  I figured "what the heck?' and we were off.  Definitely worth the ride.  The fire was in a one story garage.
   

While leaving the fire on Farnsworth, a box alarm was sent for State Fair and Yacama.  It was 15 minutes away, but eneded up being about a 20 minute ride because of ramp closures.  The building was behind some trees and had been the site of a previous fire.  Chief 8 reported that the building was going throughout upon his arrival and theat the first company would be stretching.  The Chief updated that the building was the scene of a previous fire and that a defensive stance would be employed.