Current:Home > MyWild video of car trapped in building confuses the internet. It’s a 'Chicago Fire' scene. -Zenith Money Vision
Wild video of car trapped in building confuses the internet. It’s a 'Chicago Fire' scene.
View
Date:2025-04-13 15:37:25
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 elagatta@gannett.com
veryGood! (767)
Related
- B.A. Parker is learning the banjo
- Rugby Star Rob Burrow Dead at 41: Prince William and More Pay Tribute
- Monica McNutt leaves Stephen A. Smith speechless by pushing back against WNBA coverage
- GameStop shares skyrocket after 'Roaring Kitty' reveals $116M bet on the company
- Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie return for an 'Encore,' reminisce about 'The Simple Life'
- Horoscopes Today, June 2, 2024
- Mother of airman killed by Florida deputy says his firing, alone, won’t cut it
- Rural pharmacies fill a health care gap in the US. Owners say it’s getting harder to stay open
- What to watch: O Jolie night
- Wendy’s launches 'saucy' chicken nuggets in 7 flavors. Here’s how to try them first.
Ranking
- Krispy Kreme offers a free dozen Grinch green doughnuts: When to get the deal
- Pro-Palestinian protesters set up tent encampment outside Los Angeles City Hall
- Sandy Hook families ask bankruptcy judge to liquidate Alex Jones' media company
- Pat McAfee walks back profane statement he made while trying to praise Caitlin Clark
- Alex Murdaugh’s murder appeal cites biased clerk and prejudicial evidence
- Why jewelry has been an issue in Shilo Sanders' bankruptcy case: `Don’t wear it'
- Biden prepares a tough executive order that would shut down asylum after 2,500 migrants arrive a day
- Old Navy’s Most Popular Items Are on Sale – Tennis Skorts, Mom Jeans & More, Starting at $7
Recommendation
Who's hosting 'Saturday Night Live' tonight? Musical guest, how to watch Dec. 14 episode
The US is hosting Cricket World Cup. Learn about the game
USWNT's Korbin Albert booed upon entering match vs. South Korea
Three boys found a T. rex fossil in North Dakota. Now a Denver museum works to fully reveal it
Costco membership growth 'robust,' even amid fee increase: What to know about earnings release
Spotify hikes price of memberships as it seeks to drive profits
Search for climbers missing in Canada's Garibaldi Park near Whistler stymied by weather, avalanche threat
Ex-US soldier charged in ‘international crime spree’ extradited from Ukraine, officials say