Fire Department Photos Shot in 1978

 First postd Mar 17, 1988
Last update Mar 22, 2008
Between 1978 and 1980, I was a member of the McLean Volunteer Fire Department in McLean, Virginia. Most of these photos were shot in 1978 during 3 house burnings, while I was still in training. A couple were shot later at training exercises.

When a house is scheduled for demolition, sometimes the owner will donate the old structure to the local fire department for training. A fire will be set and a crew will go into the burning house and put it out. Another fire is set in a different room, and it too put out. And so on for as long as the structure is reasonably safe to enter. Then the building is allowed to burn completely. This process of repeated setting and extinguishing allows as many firefighters as possible to get involved.

418 x 550, 53.6 k 700 x 467, 43.1 k 700 x 368, 49.9 k 383 x 550, 43.9 k 497 x 550, 46.4 k 383 x 550, 46.7 k 689 x 550, 93.2 k 674 x 550, 72.9 k 438 x 550, 54.9 k 413 x 550, 36.5 k 471 x 550, 37.1 k 519 x 550, 56.1 k 654 x 550, 60.4 k 700 x 513, 67.1 k 390 x 550, 54.9 k 600 x 289, 36.4 k 448 x 550, 27.6 k 700 x 258, 44.4 k 530 x 550, 53.6 k 700 x 528, 67.6 k 700 x 505, 97.1 k 689 x 550, 98.7 k 689 x 550, 92.7 k 440 x 550, 49.1 k 700 x 432, 66.2 k 700 x 364, 50.2 k 700 x 418, 60.2 k 446 x 550, 41.6 k 700 x 537, 89.6 k 459 x 550, 51.6 k 700 x 479, 54.8 k 700 x 367, 56.5 k 613 x 550, 57.8 k 555 x 414, 53.5 k 700 x 494, 58.7 k 435 x 550, 46.3 k 700 x 465, 57.2 k 367 x 550, 46.6 k 388 x 550, 45.5 k 366 x 550, 37.1 k 389 x 500, 31.6 k 359 x 500, 33.2 k 332 x 550, 44.6 k 689 x 550, 97.6 k 416 x 550, 41.4 k 700 x 443, 69.8 k 700 x 469, 45.7 k 480 x 550, 52.9 k 700 x 444, 68.2 k 700 x 392, 57.2 k 700 x 501, 87.6 k 460 x 550, 37.3 k 441 x 550, 29.8 k

Visit McLean Volunteer Fire Department's web site

Check out these RealVideo clips made in 1980, 82 while I was in the fire department.
The one on the left has the best image, will work over a 28k dial up connection, but works best over a cable or DSL connection.
Requires Real Player G2, 8 or later from Real.com (look for the free one)