Current:Home > ContactWild video of car trapped in building confuses the internet. It’s a 'Chicago Fire' scene. -OceanicInvest
Wild video of car trapped in building confuses the internet. It’s a 'Chicago Fire' scene.
Will Sage Astor View
Date:2025-04-09 05:43:55
A series of dramatic videos showing a car improbably lodged high up in a building and a Chicago firefighter attempting a daring, if ill-advised, rescue set social media ablaze this week.
If the videos seemed to defy reality and be something straight out of Hollywood, there's good reason.
Many users on TikTok speculated in the comments that the seeming emergency had to be staged as part of a film set for NBC series "Chicago Fire." Turns out, they were right.
The show confirmed Thursday to USA TODAY that "Chicago Fire" was indeed filming a scene that day for an upcoming episode. No other details about the scene or when viewers will be able to see it appear in an episode of the long-running drama have been revealed.
Music:Paul McCartney gushes about Beyoncé’s version of 'Blackbird' on her new 'Cowboy Carter' album
TikTok videos show car in building, firefighter jumping on it
Videos began circulating Thursday on social media that both showed a blue sedan trapped in the building and a firefighter dislodging the vehicle by jumping on it from an aerial ladder.
Another silver two-door car can also be seen pancaked on the street in front of a Chicago Fire Department truck.
"Somebody gave this man his keys," said TikTok user @mat_the_wumbo in one video that garnered more than 6 million views.
What appeared to be a drastic emergency and a dramatic rescue was quickly debunked by many users who took to the comments to theorize that it was just a "Chicago Fire" film set. The procedural, which follows firefighters, rescue personnel and paramedics at Chicago Fire Department's fictional Firehouse 51, is in its 12th season on NBC.
For fans of the show, there was one telltale giveaway: Some of the clips show Squad 3 emblazoned on the truck, the number of the unit depicted in the series.
Chicago FD reacts to the viral video: 'Would never have happened'
The Chicago Fire Department also confirmed to USA TODAY Thursday that the video circulating was not real.
As commenters pointed out, there's no way that the fictional squad could be confused with the real Chicago Fire Department, as the agency has no Squad 3, department spokesman Larry Langford told USA TODAY.
Plus, the rescue method depicted in the videos is also not exactly ... standard procedure.
Had a firefighter attempted that kind of stunt, that person would almost certainly have faced some measure of disciplinary action for being "in direct violation of standing orders," Langford said.
"The TV show takes liberties with our techniques in the name of time efficiency and drama," Langford said. "Had this been a real event, what you see in the video would never have happened."
How Chicago FD really would have handled that situation
Langford went so far as to verify the fire department's procedures with its special operations team before providing an explanation that may sound far more mundane.
Had a car managed to careen into a building so high up, rescuers would first have first stabilized it by attaching lines to the frame and securing those lines to an internal anchor point, such as a suitable column in the structure. If the building's integrity had not been compromised, firefighters would then have used a winch system to pull the vehicle back into the building, using care to make sure that it was not leaking gasoline.
Only then would victims inside the car be removed and treated for any injuries, Langford said. An aerial ladder, such as the one used in the "Chicago Fire" film shoot, would not have been used at all for a rescuer to use to climb onto the vehicle.
"Exciting to watch but not backed up by reality at all," Langford said.
But real life doesn't always make for the most thrilling television, as Langford admitted.
"We are often amused at how TV shows portray our techniques," Langford said. He added that officials with the department have in the past been invited to set as advisers to offer their expertise, which is sometimes ignored in favor of the "most dramatic effect."
Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected]
veryGood! (7884)
Related
- Grammy nominee Teddy Swims on love, growth and embracing change
- Morocco debates how to rebuild from September quake that killed thousands
- What Britney Spears' book taught me about resilience and self love
- The alleged theft at the heart of ChatGPT
- 'Squid Game' without subtitles? Duolingo, Netflix encourage fans to learn Korean
- What the Melting of Antarctic Ice Shelves Means for the Planet
- Arab American comic Dina Hashem has a debut special — but the timing is 'tricky'
- How researchers, farmers and brewers want to safeguard beer against climate change
- Federal hiring is about to get the Trump treatment
- Why Taylor Swift Is Canceling Argentina Eras Tour Concert
Ranking
- Jorge Ramos reveals his final day with 'Noticiero Univision': 'It's been quite a ride'
- A teenager taken from occupied Mariupol to Russia will return to Ukraine, officials say
- Khloe Kardashian Gives Inside Look at 7th Birthday Party for Niece Dream Kardashian
- 5.0 magnitude quake strikes Dominican Republic near border with Haiti
- Realtor group picks top 10 housing hot spots for 2025: Did your city make the list?
- State Department rushes to respond to internal outcry over Israel-Hamas war
- Kelsea Ballerini and Chase Stokes Deserve an Award for Their Sweet Reaction to Her 2024 Grammy Nomination
- Joe Jonas, Sophie Turner and the truth about long engagements and relationship success
Recommendation
Meta donates $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund
Tensions running high at New England campuses over protests around Israel-Hamas war
David and Victoria Beckham and how to (maybe) tell if your partner is in love with you
Who’s running for president? See a rundown of the 2024 candidates
Bill Belichick's salary at North Carolina: School releases football coach's contract details
The alleged theft at the heart of ChatGPT
Remains of infant found at Massachusetts recycling center for second time this year
USC quarterback Caleb Williams addresses crying video after loss to Washington