Archive for August, 2011

Buffalo Grove house fire 8-31-11

Neighbors called the Buffalo Grove Fire Department this afternoon reporting smoke from a house at 710 Farrington Drive. Police arrived and confirmed smoke from the house. The response was upgraded to a Code 4 for the working fire before the fire units arrived. Engine 26 was not far away on their way back from a fire alarm and arrived within minutes. They entered with a line and found the kitchen fully involved with fire. Heavy fire was venting out of the kitchen windows in the rear.

The fire was extinguished with one line and contained to the kitchen although thick smoke filled the entire house and attic. The homeowner was not home but two dogs were in the house. One survived and the other died. Buffalo Grove was assisted by Long Grove, Wheeling, Palatine, Arligton Heights, and Lincolnshire-Riverwoods.

Buffalo Grove house fire on Farrington Drive 8-31-11

Smoke vents from the house after firefighters knock down a fire in the kitchen on Farrington Drive in Buffalo Grove. Larry Shaoiro photo

Buffalo Grove house fire on Farrington Drive 8-31-11

A firefighter administers oxygen to one of two dogs that was inside the house. Larry Shapiro photo

Buffalo Grove house fire on Farrington Drive 8-31-11

Firefighters ventilate the roof as others fight the fire from inside the house. Larry Shapiro photo

 

A gallery with many images can be viewed HERE.

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O’Hare gets MVU

A new piece of apparatus is on the roster at O’Hare Airport. 9-2-4, though not yet in service, is a Tempest mobile ventilation unit with similarities to 9-2-3 at Engine 106’s house. 9-2-4 has a fan unit with a smaller volume and is mounted on a Ford F-250 chassis with a small body. Whereas the 9-2-3 has the Tempest MVU-60 (60″ fan), 9-2-4 has the Tempest MVU-125 lightweight model.

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9/11 Anniversary – Chicago Fire Department

9/11 Stair Climb in Chicago

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9/11 Anniversary – Lincolnshire Riverwoods FPD

Lincolnshire Riverwoods 9/11 remembrance

The fire department will be unveiling their WTC memorial as well. LRFPD acquired a steel beam from the WTC and will be unveiling their memorial to those who perished that day.

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Northfield house fire 8-28-11

updated 10AM

Late Sunday night, residents called the fire department in Northfield reporting smoke in the area of the 300 block of Eaton Street. When the fire department arrived in the area, they had smoke from an undetermined source throughout the block. Firefighters were walking the block when the engineer took the rig to the next block over and found heavy smoke pushing out of a one-story, brick, ranch house at 344 Wagner Road.

Northfield Fire Department house fire 8-28-11 Wagner Road

Winnetka firefighters ventilate the roof as firefighters from Glencoe enter the house on Wagner Road with a second line. Tim Olk photo

Northfield Fire Department house fire 8-28-11 Wagner Road

Smoke dissipates as interior companies hit the fire and ventilation is complete. Tim Olk photo

Northfield Fire Department house fire 8-28-11 Wagner Road

As Glencoe firefighters enter the house, Northfield firefighters search the garage where they found the lights on a vehicle were illuminated. Tim Olk photo

The alarm was upgraded to a Code 4 for the working fire and Northfield companies went to work. Mutual aid responded from Winnetka, Northbrook, Glenview, Glencoe, and Wilmette. The fire was extinguished quickly. The occupants of the house were not home at the time, but the family dog perished during the fire.

Northfield house fire on Wagner Road 8-28-11

Northfield Squad 29 was the first unit on the scene. Firefighters can be seen on the roof after completing vertical ventilation. Larry Shapiro photo

Northfield Squad 29 was the first unit on the scene. Firefighters can be seen on the roof after completing vertical ventilation. Larry Shapiro photo

Squad 29 had a primary and backup line going into the house. Larry Shapiro photo

Northfield house fire on Wagner Road 8-28-11

Glencoe Squad 30 provided supplemental lighting in front of the house. Larry Shapiro photo

Northfield house fire on Wagner Road 8-28-11 Glencoe firefighter

A Glencoe firefighter prepares to remove his personal protective equipment (PPE) after exiting the house. Larry Shapiro photo

Northfield house fire on Wagner Road 8-28-11

Almost no damage was visible from the street. Firefighters cut a hole in the roof and broke several windows to ventilate the house while fighting the fire. Larry Shapiro photo

Northfield house fire on Wagner Road 8-28-11 Glenview Fire Department Engine 13

Glenview Engine 13 was one of the Code 4 companies. Larry Shapiro photo

Northfield house fire on Wagner Road 8-28-11 Northfield Engine 29

After additional staffing was available, firefighters brought Engine 29 to the scene. Larry Shapiro photo

Larry Shapiro and Tim Olk were at the scene.

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Wilmette dive box 8-27-11 update

Tim Olk submitted the following images of the recovery efforts at Gillson Park in Wilmette last night.

Wilmette Fire Department MABAS Division 3 divers recover swimmer that drowned 8-27-11

Chicago helicopter 6-8-2 flies overhead in an effort to spot the missing swimmer. Tim Olk photo

Wilmette Fire Department MABAS Division 3 divers recover swimmer that drowned 8-27-11

Evanston Fire Department divers are met with rough waves as they search for the swimmer. Tim Olk photo

Wilmette Fire Department MABAS Division 3 divers recover swimmer that drowned 8-27-11

Divers scan the area from the breakwater in addition to others woking in the water. Tim Olk photo

Wilmette Fire Department MABAS Division 3 divers recover swimmer that drowned 8-27-11

Divers receive instructions from the dive master on the beach regarding the search efforts. Tim Olk photo

Wilmette Fire Department MABAS Division 3 divers recover swimmer that drowned 8-27-11

An Evanston diver riding a sled pulled by the waverunner is ready to enter the water if they find the lost swimmer. Tim Olk photo

Wilmette Fire Department MABAS Division 3 divers recover swimmer that drowned 8-27-11

Divers are also stationed on the southern breakwater bounding the area where the swimmer was last seen. Tim Olk photo

Wilmette Fire Department MABAS Division 3 divers recover swimmer that drowned 8-27-11

The rescue/recovery operation took place over an hour at dusk in Lake Michigan off the beach at Gillson Park near the Wilmette/Evanston border. Tim Olk photo

Wilmette Fire Department MABAS Division 3 divers recover swimmer that drowned 8-27-11

A Wilmette diver rests after searching in the choppy waters for an hour. Tim Olk photo

Wilmette Fire Department MABAS Division 3 divers recover swimmer that drowned 8-27-11

The swimmer was found roughly an hour into the rescue operation and was attended to by several paramedics. He was transported from the beach to a waiting Wilmette Fire Department ambulance on a 6x6 ATV and then transported to Evanston Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Tim Olk photo

Tim has a gallery with more images HERE.

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FDNY Rescue 4 in Prospect Heights – update

FDNY Rescue 4 is no longer at Frie’s Automotive in Prospect Heights as was reported HERE and HERE. Rescue 4 is currently in DesPlaines, at Denny G’s Automotive for repairs & paint.

FDNY Rescue 4 was sold to a private owner

FDNY Rescue 4 as it was received by Chris Gantz.

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Wilmette dive box 8-27-11

updated 9:30PM

The Wilmette Fire Department received a call before 6PM this evening about a swimmer in Lake Michigan who was caught in the heavy currents and disappeared new Gillson Park. When the fire department arrived, they requested divers from throughout Division 3 plus the Coast Guard and a helicopter from the Chicago FIre Department. The helicopter was initially unavailable as Chicago had a rescue of their own in progress. The helicopter was able to make one pass over the area before returning to Midway Airport to refuel.

Wilmette Fire Department swimmer drowns in Lake Michigan 8-27-11

Chicago Fire Department Helicopter 6-8-2 makes a pass over the lakefront in Wilmette trying to spot a swimmer that was in distress. Jeff Rudolph photo

The water was deemed to choppy for divers, so firefighters walked the breakwater and into the surf looking for signs of the swimmer. Evanston responded with their jet skis which enabled divers to venture into the lake. The swimmer’s body was spotted by firefighters walking the beach after more than an hour on-scene, and the jet skis were used to bring the swimmer’s body to shore.

Wilmette Fire Department swimmer drowns in Lake Michigan 8-27-11

Fire department divers in swift water gear walk in the waters off the beach in Wilmette searching for a missing swimmer. Jeff Rudolph photo

Wilmette Fire Department swimmer drowns in Lake Michigan 8-27-11

Divers wade through rough waves as others walk the breakwater looking for a swimmer who was overcome by the current. Jeff Rudolph photo

Tim Olk and Jeff Rudolph were on the scene and photographed the operation.

Jeff Rudolph provided the following description:

At the Wilmette Code 4 and dive box at Gillson Park today, a 15 year old male was pulled under by a strong current. Conditions where too severe to put divers under the water, so instead they did walking patterns using pike poles to locate the victim. After 1.5 hrs, the victim was spotted in the surf break by a spotter on shore. The victim was pulled out unresponsive. ALS care was started on the beach and the patient was transported up to Wilmette Ambulance 27. Medics from Wilmette, Deerfield, and Skokie worked on the victim and transported him to Evanston Hospital where he was pronounced. The waverunners used belong to the Evanston FD. Chicago FD Air 1 assisted with an overhead look, but the churned up water was to murkey to see anything.
Wilmette Fire Department swimmer drowns in Lake Michigan 8-27-11

The Evanston Fire Department wave runner tows a diver along the shoreline in Wilmette on Saturday. Jeff Rudolph photo

Wilmette Fire Department swimmer drowns in Lake Michigan 8-27-11

A staging officer manages resources as they arrive at Gillson Park to assist the Wilmette Fire Department with rescuing a swimmer in distress. Jeff Rudolph photo

The Chicago Tribune has an article HERE.

A 14-year-old boy died after being pulled from Lake Michigan this evening off of Gillson Park in Wilmette.

The search began sometime after 6 p.m. in the water off the beach near Sheridan Road and MichiganAvenue in the North Shore suburb, and the search ended about 7 p.m. when a male of unknown age was pulled from the water.

A witness saw officials pull the person from the water and put him onto a stretcher while performing CPR. The person was then placed into a Wilmette fire ambulance and taken from the scene.

Wilmette Fire Department swimmer drowns in Lake Michigan 8-27-11

Wilmette Battalion 26 took command of the scene. Jeff Rudolph photo

Wilmette Fire Department swimmer drowns in Lake Michigan 8-27-11 Wilmette Fire Department Squad 26

Wilmette Squad 26 carries gear for the department divers. Jeff Rudolph photo

 

Glencoe Fire Department Ambulance 30

Glencoe divers responded with Ambulance 30. Jeff Rudolph photo

 

Des Plaines Fire Department Dive Unit

The Des Plaines Fire Department Dive Squad 78 and boat. Jeff Rudolph photo

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CFD 3-11 8-27-11

update 8PM: The Chicago Tribune has a photo gallery HERE with several images submitted by neighbors including the four shown below:

Chicago 3-11 alarm fire on Cornelia 8-27-11

from the ChicagoTribune.com

Chicago 3-11 alarm fire on Cornelia 8-27-11

from the ChicagoTribune.com

 

Chicago 3-11 alarm fire on Cornelia 8-27-11

from the ChicagoTribune.com

 

Chicago 3-11 alarm fire on Cornelia 8-27-11

from the ChicagoTribune.com

Also from the Chicago Tribune:

Staff report2:49 p.m. CDT, August 27, 2011
A 2-11 alarm was called this afternoon for a blaze on the North Side.The extra alarm was called around 2 p.m. for a building on the 800 block of West Cornelia Avenue, bringing more than 100 firefighters to the scene, according to preliminary information from Fire Media Affairs.
Chicago Fire Department 3-11 alarm fire 87 W. Cornelia

ChicagoTribune.com photo

Before this alarm was struck out, it was elevated to a 3-11 and there was an EMS Plan I.

About 3 p.m. the alarm was raised to a 3-11 alarm, and added an Emergency Medical Services Plan 1 mostly as a precaution, said fire spokesman Quention Curtis.

At least one firefighter was checked over because of the extreme heat, but there were no immediate reports of other injuries, he said.

The fire has affected at least two buildings, including one 3-story courtyard apartment building.

The Tribune posted a submitted video HERE.

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3 CFD firefighters injured at 2-11 on 8-27-11

update 5:10PM the Chicago Tribune updated the article as follows:

At least one firefighter was checked over because of the extreme heat, but there were no immediate reports of other injuries, he said.

update at 2:50PM From the Chicago Tribune:

Three Chicago firefighters were hospitalized for heat-related issues as they fought a fire on the South Side this afternoon, officials said.

The three men were battling the fire at a 2 1/2 story frame structure on the 6900 block of South Ada Street which began at about 1 p.m. and was under control about an hour later, said Quention Curtis, a Chicago Fire Department spokesman.

Two of the firefighters were taken to a hospital in serious-to-critical condition, and another firefighter was taken in fair-to-serious condition, according to Curtis.

Initial information indicates the injuries were heat exhaustion-related and appeared to be non-life-threatening, according to media affairs.

 

2:30PM From the Chicago Tribune:

At least three firefighters have been reported injured at a fire this afternoon on the 6900 block of South Ada Street.

Two firefighters were taken to a hospital in serious-to-critical condition, and another firefighter was taken in fair-to-serious condition, according to preliminary information from Fire Media Affairs.

Initial information indicates the injuries were heat exhaustion-related and appeared to be non-life-threatening, according to media affairs.

The alarm was called about 1 p.m. and struck out about 2 p.m.

 

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