|
Tech Plywood, 1041 Dixwell Avenue
Wednesday, October 18, 1972
|
 |
| The New Haven Register, Thursday, October 19, 1972 (Chan Brainard) |
|
|
Platoon 4 was finishing its third day. The initial call came in right after 5 p.m. Firefighter Robert "Ace" Callahan was the dispatcher at Headquarters. The first alarm brought Engines 1 and 2, Ladder 1, and Rescue 1.
The Tech Plywood Company was only a short distance up Dixwell Avenue from Station 2. As soon as the apparatus cleared the fire station they could see the flames. The second alarm brought Engine 3, Engine 6 and Truck 2, all out of new Station 3.
|
 |
| October 18, 1972 - Tech Plywood Co, 1047 Dixwell Avenue (Photo by John Mongillo, Jr.) |
|
|
In the above photo, the men on the right are moving the 2-1/2" lines to one side to make way for Truck 2, which Doug Yocher (in the foreground) is directing toward the driveway. The driver backed the truck in along side the building. The truck crew attached the ladder pipe to the top fly of the aerial, raised the aerial, charged the ladder pipe, and began deluging the flames. The main concern was City Fuel, the exposure immediately south of the fire building.
Doug recalled that the radiant heat was so intense on the firefighters manning 2-1/2" lines on the ground, that some of their bunker coats caught fire. But a quick repositioning of the ladder pipe stream took care of that.
|
 |
| Below, the caption for this John Mongillo Jr. photo, from the New Haven Register, Thursday, October 19, 1972: |
|
|
Lumber Blaze Belches Fireball
A huge fireball bursts skyward at the peak of a two-alarm fire Wednesday evening at the Tech Plywood and Lumber Co., at 1041 Dixwell Ave., Hamden. The blaze destroyed the company's stock and about a dozen automobiles at an adjoining repair shop. The dense smoke was visible for miles and at one point flames also were seen miles away. More than 1,000 spectators gathered at the scene and traffic was rerouted around the area at the height of the commuter homeward bound period.
|
 |
| October 18, 1972 - Tech Plywood Co., 1047 Dixwell Avenue (Photo by John Mongillo, Jr.) |
|
|
 |
| New Haven Register, Thursday, October 19, 1972 (Page 1 - Chan Brainard) |
|
|
|