THE USUAL True Tales from the South Bronx "war years"

Not very long ago, the Bronx was burning. Day after day, night after night, firefighters responded to vacant and occupied five and six story apartment buildings, rows of attached wood-frame houses, single story commercial buildings, and anything else that greedy and unscrupulous arsonists could set on fire. Taking in up to 1,000 runs in a month, these men waged a desperate fight to save life and property with limited resources and manpower, putting their lives on the line to maintain some degree of order during one of our nation's most chaotic and destructive periods. It was unprecedented. It was exceptional. It was . . . The Usual.