Revealing mistake: At the apartment complex fire, after Johnny is knocked unconscious by the explosion, when the Pasadena fireman finds him and has to lift him up, it's funny how even though Johnny's unconscious we can see that he actually helps to stand himself up, so the fireman can lift him up and carry him out.
Revealing mistake: At the apartment complex where the jet fighter had crashed there's an explosion, and when one of the firefighters becomes engulfed in flames his helmet falls off, and the special fireproof headpiece that the stuntman is wearing is visible.
Revealing mistake: When Johnny and Roy are crawling on the balcony, during the fire at the apartment complex, when they pass under a window we can see the FX tubes from which the flames shoot out.
Revealing mistake: After Station 51 is dispatched to the 'plane crash into a structure', when Engine 51 pulls over to lay the dual lines at the hydrant, we can see up the block on the left, the back side of the apartment complex where they are headed, and most of the back windows are boarded up. The following scene takes place at the front doors of those apartments, where people supposedly live. The show used some real locations (not just Universal's sets) where there had been real fires, to film carefully controlled fire scenes.
Revealing mistake: During the fire at the apartment complex, there are strips of black material nailed to the tops of windows where the FX fire shoots out from below, and the doorway Roy passes when he's pulling on the hose has a fake ceiling and wall nailed directly into the door jamb, to control the strip of FX fire at the side.
Revealing mistake: At the apartment complex fire, just as Chet climbs the ladder and Marco holds the top of the ladder on the second floor balcony, we see the plumes of FX smoke spurting from the side inside the doorway behind them, and even see something quickly fanning the smoke.
Answer: I believe you are speaking of the old man, Mr. Wilson. He's played by J. Pat O'Malley.
Bishop73
Correct, it was J. Pat O'Malley...he also played the grandfather with his grandson when their rocket exploded, and also played "Old Bill" in the episode with Ann Prentiss, where Gage saves the little girl from the burning tree house, and her mother falls in love with him.