MetaFilter posts tagged with fire

"Ladder 2 to command we're done..."

rollbiz — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 06:37:37 -0800

Box 5-1438: Report of a structure fire at 266 Franklin St. 10 years ago this evening in Worcester, MA, the Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse Fire started when two people living in the abandoned building, Julie Barnes and Thomas Levesque, knocked over a candle during an argument and then fled. Upon arrival at the quickly growing fire, reports were received about two people living in the building, and firefighters entered the building to rescue them. During the primary search, Rescue 1 firefighters Paul Brotherton and Jeremiah Lucey were the first to report trouble. They were lost on the 4th floor and running out of air. Soon after, a four man rescue crew of Lt. Thomas Spencer (Ladder 2), firefighter Timothy Jackson (Ladder 2), Lt. James Lyons (Engine 3), and firefighter Joseph McGuirk (Engine 3) reports that they have also become disoriented while searching the 5th floor. All six men died that night, they are known as the Worcester Six or W6. Barnes and Levesque, both homeless and mentally ill, were charged with manslaughter. Charges were later dismissed. Firetraps in Worcester are now marked, and procedures have been altered. After much deliberation about how to memorialize the fallen and what to do with the fire site, a new fire station, serving as a working memorial, was built on the land where the fire occurred. USFA report, and slideshows from the fire and immediate aftermath, further recovery and services, the following years, and the new fire station.

Ultramarines!

fearfulsymmetry — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 12:32:34 -0800

In the Grim Darkness of the Far Future, There is Only ~~Skulls~~ War... the movie!

I am gravely disappointed. Again you have made me unleash my dogs of war.

Smedleyman — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 03:59:53 -0800

From out of the shadow a red sword leapt flaming...Fire swords and how to make them (from scratch if you like). For performance or flaming sword fights. More fire performances here. Also fire whips for all your Balrog needs. And fire floggers. Maelstrom has some other interesting homemade stuff (Mae Soks) and background and history on Pekiti-Tirsia kali and other southeast Asian weapons (some stuff on the Dog Brothers in there as well).

A Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight

mattdidthat — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 09:04:12 -0800

Time-lapse video of the Southern California wildfires. Another image of the fires, as seen from space. Google Map.

Iron Man Jr.

boo_radley — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:15:14 -0800

Everitt is a pyro.

Headbanging while making fire

mr.marx — Sun, 10 May 2009 07:43:08 -0800

Headbanging while making fire. SLYT

"We cannot hold a torch to light another's path without brightening our own."

quin — Mon, 04 May 2009 08:44:46 -0800

Stuck in the dark without a flashlight and want to impress your friends? Make your own torch! Too complicated? Here's an easier one. Alternatively, you could go with a more traditional approach, though you may find modern designs to be a bit safer. Still not enough? How about adding some color to the flames?

The Other White Heat

Eater — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 06:48:58 -0800

Theodore Gray, author of the new book Theo Gray's Mad Science, has a personal collection of thousands of samples of elements [previously on MetaFilter]. In his Popular Science column, he has smelted his own titanium and dissolved aluminum. Now, he cuts through steel with bacon.

Fire towers

Upton O'Good — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 23:43:19 -0800

The fire tower, or fire lookout, was one of the main wildfire-fighting tools of forest services across the world for much of the 20th century. Most are small cabins, alone or placed on 80-foot steel towers; these are then placed on top of peaks, giving them an unobstructed view of the surrounding countryside. (There are some exceptions, of course.) Operators in the towers, equipped with binoculars and firefinders, spent their days searching for smoke or lightning strikes, which would be pinpointed and radioed in for firefighters. (The lookout operators, who staff the towers for a season at a time straight, have a life that is generally pretty solitary and quiet, though sometimes rather intense.) At peak, there were thousands of fire towers across North America; while most of these no longer exist, a few hundred are still active. The FFLA maintains a fairly comprehensive list of most towers, active or historical, in the US, with pictures and notes. In addition, many active lookouts maintain their own pages: Rex Kamstra has a good list. For more contemporary photography, there's also a gallery on Flickr.

A Bad Start to the Year of the Ox

hawkeye — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 04:32:01 -0800

At about 9:00PM last night, the nearly completed 40 story Mandarin Oriental Beijing caught fire. By midnight the entire building was engulfed in flames. The hotel was situated next to the CCTV Building, a new Beijing landmark known to locals as "The Big Underpants". Early reports suggest that illegal fireworks launched for the Lantern Festival, the last night of the Chinese New Year holiday, were the cause.

Victoria's Bushfires

mosessis — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 23:41:43 -0800

Many places in Victoria are on fire. Victoria's Bushfires can help you keep track of the current situation around Melbourne. The death toll is rising and the media is calling this the worst disaster since the horrific Ash Wednesday fires of 1983.

A hellish cacophony, as if a herd of dinosaurs were roaring between bursts of artillery fire

jessamyn — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 07:55:05 -0800

Pyrophones are organs where the notes are sounded via explosions or other forms of combustion. Often beautiful just to look at, they also make otherwordly noises (open up all these links at once for a real wake-up). Unlike other fire-based instruments, they can even play recognizeable melodies. Here's how to make one. They've become quite popular at events (7 MB video, more videos) like Burning Man, but they've been around since the 17-1800's. If you're new to experimental instruments, a read/listen through Gravikords, Whirlies and Pyrophones should be your next stop. Related: chemical harmonica, burning harmonica, singing tubes. [via & prev.]

Earth, Water, Air and Fire Art

homunculus — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 21:18:40 -0800

42 Works of Modern Earth and Land Art. 42 Works of Water, Snow and Ice Art. 30 Works of Air, Sky and Wind Art. 42 Works of Fire Art and Design.

Causing false public alarm

tkolar — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 21:53:11 -0800

As those of you on the wrong email lists can probably guess, Snopes is overflowing with gang initiation rumors. What you may not know is that the New Jersey police recently arrested someone spreading those stories for "causing false public alarm." On one hand, I'm having a hard time equating this directly with yelling fire in a crowded theater. On the other hand, I'm not sure I would miss Aunt Betsy if she was deprived of her email privileges.

999 Call Transcripts

roofus — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 10:01:11 -0800

JS (Aged 5) She can't wake up.
Operator No? Is she breathing? Can you see her chest go up and down?
JS I can see her shoulders going ... I can see her doing [Makes breathing noises]
Operator She's breathing, is she? But you think she's having a fit.
JS Yeah, I think she is and ... I don't know what to do.

6 transcripts of 999 operators helping people cope with emergencies: a mother giving birth alone, a 5 year old whose mother is fitting, a mother and son trapped in a house fire, a brother and sister resuscitating their father, a husband saving his choking wife, and a neighbour saving his friend with an amputated arm

Yelling Fire! in a crowded asylum.

bitmage — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 07:04:20 -0800

The fire you kindle for your enemy often burns yourself more than them. For want of water, a house burns down. The hydrants were off. Why? Well to prevent terrorism, obviously.

Why the West is ablaze.

clearly — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 20:56:30 -0800

Why the West is ablaze. Wildfires are burning throughout the western United States, charring roughly 3 million acres thus far this year and covering the west in smo ke. Campaigns such as Smokey Bear have molded public opinion to believe that wildfires are always harmful to nature. However, fire is an integral component to the function and biodiversity of many communities. To help address the potential for catastrophic fires, the House just passed the FLAME act, which will fund firefighting efforts and requires the development of a comprehensive strategy to address wildfires.

Sitting With Fire

whir — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:29:59 -0800

Sitting With Fire is a blog running from Tassajara, one of the oldest Zen monasteries in the US. It provides information on the status of Tassajara's residents who have stayed behind to combat the Basin Complex fire. Other blogs covering the Basin Complex fire include Sur Fire 2008, Big Sur the Scoop, and Wildfire Today; the Ventana Wilderness forum provides a way for locals to communicate. The Ventana Wildlife Society maintains a blog focused on the fire's effects on endangered condors in the region, and Firefighter Blog covers many of the California wildfires of 2008, including but not limited to the Basin Complex fire.

You too can play with fire.

Mitheral — Fri, 23 May 2008 18:49:08 -0800

Plans for a Simple Atmospheric Gas Forge that can be constructed using mundane tools. Zoeller forge is also a parts source for speciality items you may not be able to source locally.

I wish my commute was this fun...

allkindsoftime — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 06:59:57 -0800

Happy birthday, firehouse pole.

The Door to Hell

homunculus — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 13:00:12 -0800

The Burning Crater of Darvaza. [Via.]

Fire and Ice underground

Kirth Gerson — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 08:47:20 -0800

Weird scenes inside the ~~gold~~ mica mines Russians photograph and play in an abandoned mine.

The Great Baltimore Fire of 1904

dhammond — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 01:31:29 -0800

"To suppose that the spirit of our people will not rise to the occasion is to suppose that our people are not genuine Americans. We shall make the fire of 1904 a landmark not of decline but of progress."

Frozen fire-gutted building

baphomet — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 09:48:50 -0800

It's never a happy occasion when a 130 year old brick building goes up in flames. But when the fire crews have to spray down the building (and the surrounding city block) in sub-zero temperatures, the end result looks stunning. From 10:30AM to around 1PM yesterday, firefighters in downtown Minneapolis worked to contain the blaze that consumed Maxwell's American Cafe, a popular local lunch spot, and the adjacent Scandia Furniture store. While these buildings were neither historic nor especially remarkable, their sudden drenching and subsequent rapid deep-freezing made for some very unique and striking photographs.

Prairie photos by Larry Schwarm

sleepy pete — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 16:05:50 -0800

Larry Schwarm is best known for his photographs of prairie fires and landscapes in the Flint Hills of Kansas. On May 5, 2007, he visited his hometown of Greensburg, Kansas to take photos of what was left after an F-5 tornado leveled the town the day before. There's some browser resizing, just so you know... or at least there is for me.