Fire Department

On an almost forgotten lot outside of Detroit, in a ‘cul de sac’ of sorts, sits the remnants of everything that represented “law and safety” to a very proud community. Three civil buildings once stood, a Fire Department Headquarters (featured below), the Municipal Building (pics) and a Police Station (demolished in 2012 and replaced with a brand new Fire Station in 2013).

The Fire Department Headquarters were constructed in 1917. In 2001 both the police department and municipal buildings were abandoned when the city turned over its operations to the state, due to lack of city finances necessary to maintain them. The Fire Department remained open for a few more years, until it was deemed uninhabitable in 2005. At that time, it was moved to a temporary warehouse location. In 2009 the city received a $2.7 FEMA grant (made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) to be utilized for the construction of a new fire station facility. The new station was built on the grounds of the demolished police station, across the street, and opened on September 3rd, 2013.

The abandoned headquarters sits quietly, left to decay. Not much is left in the building…not even the super cool fire pole 😦 In mid 2011, a rear corner of the building began to collapse into a mound of bricks.

The hubby and I were out and about yesterday on our way to San Francisco for some night shots, that he needed for a photography competition, when we stumbled across this huge 5-alarm fire in China Basin, down the street from AT&T park. We first noticed the black smoke rising up from the city skyline, driving down 880 toward Oakland, on our way to 80/Bay Bridge. The fire had been blazing for a little over an hour by the time we got across the bridge and into SF. Luckily we were able to get close enough to feel mist from the firefighter’s water hoses and see/feel the ash fall, all around us. It was hot and smelt like the 4th of July or a campfire.

Huge props to the San Francisco Fire Department for doing such a tireless and heroic job, putting out this blaze. Hope the firefighter that got hurt, will be better soon.