@truckstopchic In 1972, the South Bronx was engulfed in an epidemic of fires, many set by arson for insurance scams or to drive out tenants. Overworked and under-equipped, firefighters battled daily infernos in crumbling buildings, sometimes responding to dozens of calls in a single shift. Engine companies dubbed it “war zone duty,” as entire blocks vanished in smoke and flame. The city’s fiscal crisis only made it worse—firehouses were shut down or “relocated,” leaving skeleton crews to fight a