Chicago Fire Kills 2 Firefighters; How Do Residents Cope with Tragedy?

On Dec. 22, 1910, the streets and even the fire hydrants were frozen. An army of firefighters came out to battle a huge fire in the Union Stock Yards, a cattle marshaling yard. 21 firefighters died that day and the frozen hydrants hampering their efforts were partly to blame.

Exactly 100 years later, to the day, on Dec. 22, 2010, a warehouse in Chicago went up in flames; 17 firefighters were injured and two died. The warehouse was abandoned, and four firefighters had gone in to search for possible homeless people who might have been living in the building, trying to survive the cold. As always, the firefighters who sacrifice their lives do so for the sake of others.

There is no question that the community will pull together to support the families of the brave souls who gave it all. Collections of money and support, prayers and fundraisers. In the moment of public tragedy, Americans love to unite for the common good. This sentiment has been battered recently, but still it lives on.

A Personal Fire Experience

I grew up in Selden, NY, a small community out on Long Island. Most people think of Long Island and see the mansions of the "holy rich city people" on the beach. Selden, however, is not one of these types of communities and could have been somewhere in the plains of Indiana if you didn't know any better.

When I was young, maybe about 4 or 5 years old, there was a fire in a townhouse near where I lived. The guy who lived in the home with his family loved motorcycles and kept his in the living room. The fire broke out suddenly and the neighbors were out in a shot. People brought blankets, as it was a winter night, and they were also used to encourage the family to leap from the second story window that was not far off the ground; the blankets covered them afterwards. Possessions were thrown to waiting arms, and the only problem was the infighting over whose home the family was moving into.

The fire was eventually put out and the townhouse was fixed up. The family moved back in - so did the motorcycle. The father took up his rightful place at the local pub and life faded back to normal. However, the people of the community never forgot the incident and even years later the story was told at least once on a Friday night in the bar. People were just that much friendlier and more willing to help. Tragedy cannot be stopped entirely, but when this is the result, even the victims recognize the value.

The loss of firefighters is always an irretrievable tragedy, and there will no doubt be an outpouring of support and sympathy, something that we can only hope might extend to the homeless who desperately sought shelter in an abandoned warehouse. This was the act of courage that they-the firefighters-made their last act. We should all remember like the people of Chicago no doubt will.