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Smoke was pushing from every opening in the building making the concrete canyons of the Garment District of Manhattan a smoke filled labyrinth. Traffic and news copters filming the fire from the sky report that the plume reached altitudes of 2,000 feet. Fire buffs at the scene indicated that the fire was only visible in the rear of the building. Vehicular traffic became a nightmare in Midtown as 8th Ave was closed from 34th to 42nd Sts and 35th through 40th Sts were closed between 7th and 9th Aves.
The fire fighting effort was hampered by the building construction. The fire communicated via the duct work from the Chinese restaurant and eventually consumed the 2nd floor. Built in 1905, the ceilings were double hung, and the rear windows were bricked up making it a labor intensive effort. Eventually all interior fire fighting ceased. An exterior attack began using tower ladders from the front, and hand lines in the rear via windows and roofs of adjacent buildings. A large HVAC unit that spanned the roof of the fire building and an adjoining building became a source of concern as the realistic possibility of collapse became evident. To reduce the risk of collapse, the subway running under 8th Ave was ordered to reduce speed through the area.
No civilians were injured but 8 fire fighters suffered minor injuries. The most severe injury was a broken ankle when a fire fighter slipped on ice. The remainder were mainly smoke inhalation. The fire building most likely will be demolished.
In order to meet the demand for fire fighting companies, and to maintain adequate fire coverage, 2 staging areas were set up. Engine and ladder companies assembled at the quarters of engine 54 at W 47 St & 8 Ave. When additional companies were needed at the fire, they responded from this location. A second staging area was set up in Brooklyn at engine 279's quarters. This location was selected due to their proximity to the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel. As companies were taken from engine 54, they were replaced with those from engine 279. This gave the Manhattan dispatchers the ability to continue to supply companies to the fire without seriously affecting remaining fire coverage. The only borough that did not supply companies was Staten Island.
This fire is officially a 6th alarm. In reality it was a 10th alarm with an extra engine and 15 extra ladders.
| 0324 BOX TRANSMITTED | E026 E034 L024 L021 BC09 RS01 |
| 0329 10-75 | E001 E065 BC08 |
| 0334 S/C | DC02 |
| 0336 PROGRESS REPORT | WE HAVE A HEAVY SMOKE CONDITION ON THE TOP FLOOR. TRANSMIT A SECOND ALARM. |
| 0336 2-2 | E054 E003 E021 E014 L004 L007 BC07 FC01 E009 ST01 SB01 TS01 RH03 |
| 0339 S/C | L002 L003 |
| 0350 PROGRESS REPORT | WE HAVE FIRE ON THE FIRST FLOOR OF A 6 STORY BRICK 60 X 80 USED AS A CHINESE RESTAURANT. REQUEST CONSOLIDATED EDISON FOR A GAS PROBLEM. DOUBTFUL WILL HOLD. |
| 0353 3-3 | E016 E023 E008 E018 BC06 E207 MW01 E284 ST03 MK01 |
| 0358 S/C | BC02 BC04 |
| 0404 PROGRESS REPORT | HEAVY FIRE ON THE FIRST AND SECOND FLOOR REAR. HEAVY SMOKE CONDITION THROUGHOUT. A TOWER LADDER IS SET UP, BUT NOT YET IN OPERATION. BACKING UNITS OUT TO VENT THE BUILDING. |
| 0415 S/C | L009 L015 |
| 0424 PROGRESS REPORT | FIRE ON THE FIRST FLOOR KNOCKED DOWN. HEAVY FIRE AND SMOKE ON THE SECOND FLOOR. SEARCHES ARE IN PROGRESS. |
| 0425 PROGRESS REPORT | WE HAVE FIRE IN THE WALLS OF THE SECOND FLOOR, TRANSMIT A FOURTH ALARM. |
| 0426 4-4 | E005 E040 E033 E055 |
| 0428 S/C | L018 L025 BC01 |
| 0444 PROGRESS REPORT | 6 LINES STRETCHED AND OPERATING. 1 TOWER LADDER OPERATING. HEAVY FIRE ON THE SECOND FLOOR. MAKING SLOW PROGRESS DUE TO EXTREME HEAT. |
| 0456 5-5 | E074 E022 E039 E024 |
| 0500 S/C | L035 L020 |
| 0506 S/C | RH02 |
| 0520 S/C | L023 L011 BC12 BC32 |
| 0527 S/C | L026 L016 |
| 0529 S/C | L001 L006 |
| 0531 PROGRESS REPORT | STILL HAVE HEAVY FIRE ON THE SECOND FLOOR. SEARCHES ARE BEING DELAYED DUE TO DOUBLE HUNG CEILINGS AND BRICKED UP WINDOWS IN THE REAR. |
| 0548 PROGRESS REPORT | TRANSMIT A SIXTH ALARM CONSISTING OF 3 ENGINES AND 2 TRUCKS. |
| 0548 6-6 | E259 E204 E015 L010 L015 |
| 0601 PROGRESS REPORT | SPECIAL CALL A 95 FOOT TOWER LADDER AND HAVE THEM REPORT AND OPERATE ON THE EXPOSURE 2 SIDE OF THE BUILDING. |
| 0601 S/C | L131 |
| 0609 PROGRESS REPORT | ALL MEMBERS HAVE BEEN WITHDRAWN. GOING TO AN EXTERIOR ATTACK. 3 TOWER LADDERS OPERATING. A FOURTH TOWER LADDER IS BEING SET UP. 1 HAND LINE OPERATING FROM EXPOSURE 3. |
| 0612 S/C | L045 |
| 0615 S/C | E044 |
| 0621 PROGRESS REPORT | SPECIAL CALL A 100 FOOT TOWER LADDER AND 2 ADDITIONAL ENGINES. |
| 0621 S/C | L014 E006 E258 |
| 0643 S/C | BC35 BC11 |
| 0656 S/C | BC50 |
| 0733 S/C | RS04 |
| 0750 S/C | E325 E289 E252 E206 |
| 0803 S/C | BC12 |
| 0831 S/C | E250 |
| 0838 PROGRESS REPORT | 5 TOWER LADDERS OPERATING IN FRONT OF THE FIRE BUILDING. 1 TOWER LADDER AND 3 HAND LINES OPERATING FROM THE EXPOSURE 3 SIDE, AND 4 HAND LINES FROM THE EXPOSURE 4 SIDE. |
| 0909 S/C | E010 |
| 0916 S/C | L012 |
| 0918 S/C | L024 |
| 0934 S/C | E025 E224 E262 E294 E043 E073 E037 E093 |
| 0942 S/C | BC52 BC26 BC16 BC31 |
| 0947 S/C | DC01 |
| 1052 S/C | L152 L119 L033 |
| 1054 S/C | SQ01 |
| 1118 PROGRESS REPORT | PROBABLY WILL HOLD |
| 1131 S/C | L035 |
| 1230 S/C | E055 |
| 1332 PROGRESS REPORT | UNDER CONTROL |