Tim Olk has submitted several images from the brush fire in Potawatami Woods in Prospect Heights.
More images can be viewed HERE.
Mar 12
Posted by bgshap in Brush Fire, Fire | Comments off
Tim Olk has submitted several images from the brush fire in Potawatami Woods in Prospect Heights.
More images can be viewed HERE.
Tags: Alexis Fire Apparatus, brush fire in Potawatami Woods, firefighters fight large flames, large brush fire, Prospect Heights Fire Department, tall grasses burning in forest preserve, Tim Olk, wildland fire
Mar 11
Posted by bgshap in Apparatus on-scene, Brush Fire, Fire, Fire Department History | 7 Comments
RED Center, who dispatches for the Prospect Heights Fire Department, received a call around 4PM this afternoon reporting a large brush fire in the Potawatami Woods Forest Preserve off Portwine Road in the Prospect Heights Fire District. They dispatched the call as an upgraded working fire based on the caller telling them that an area roughly the size of a football field was involved.
The first units reported a header and found a significant fire in the forest preserve. They realized that the fire covered a vast area and would require more manpower than what was on the initial response. Firefighters from Prospect Heights, Wheeling, and Lincolnshire-Riverwoods walked back into the woods with a brush rig from Long Grove. Much of the ground was soft which resulted in several vehicles becoming stuck during the operation.
Larry Shapiro was at the scene and submitted several images. Tim Olk was also at the scene. His images will be in a subsequent post.
The alarm was elevated to a MABAS Brush Fire Box Alarm which brought additional companies including water tenders, brush units, and engines from the Countryside Fire District, Buffalo Grove, Grayslake, Elk Grove Township, and Fox River Grove.
As the wind carried the fire into the tall grasses, high flames produced intense heat and thick black smoke that cold be seen for miles.
Complicating matters for dispatchers was that simultaneously the Barrington Fire Department had a large brush fire at the box alarm level which called for some of the same companies that would have been due into Prospect Heights.
No injuries were reported at the scene and as the fire was contained, the Cook County Forest Preserve Conservation Team (wildland firefighters) arrived to complete the mop-up.
More images can be found HERE and HERE.
Larry Shapiro will provide a video from the fire when it is assembled.
Tags: brush fire in Potawatami Woods, brush rig, Buffalo Grove Fire Department, Cook County Forest Preserve brush fire, Fox River Grove Fire Department, Grayslake Fire Department, large brush fire, Larry Shapiro, Long Grove Fire Protection District, Prospect Heights Fire Department, Prospect Heights Fire Department fights brush fire, Tim Olk, Wheeling Fire Department
Mar 10
Posted by bgshap in Apparatus on-scene, Brush Fire, Fire | Comments off
Saturday, the Palatine Fire Department was called for a brush fire in the Cook County Forest Preserve area roughly bordered by Lake-Cook Road and Rand Road. Setting up on Dee Road which is west of Rand off Lake-Cook, Palatine’s Battalion 8 arrived with Engine 82 and Lake Zurich Engine 4. They found fire burning in tall grass through an area which is largely marshland with almost two feet of soggy ground covering much of the area.
These conditions prevented the use of brush rigs and access was gained on foot until the Cook County Forest Preserve District Wildland Team arrived. Several pickups with skid-mounted-units came to the scene along with an ATV equipped with a small tank and booster line.
The Palatine and Lake Zurich companies stretched several hundred feet of attack line to hit what they could reach and to protect potential residential and commercial exposures.
Larry Shapiro spent a couple of hours at the scene and submitted several images.
Heavy winds complicated extinguishing the flames and constantly pushed the fire to new fuel. After Palatine had committed all of their suppression companies to the scene and they had been working the incident for over three hours, they initiated a MABAS Brush Fire Box Alarm for additional personnel to the scene and for others to cover their town.
Firefighters were able to prevent communication to any structures and struck out the box alarm shortly after 10PM.
More images will be available in a gallery on Sunday as well as a video from the scene.
Tags: brush fire, heavy winds fuel brush fire in Palatine, Lake Zurich Fire Department, large brush fire, MABAS Box Alarm, Palatine Fire Department, wildland fire
Martin Nowak sent us a photo of Roberts Park Ladder 31 on a lowboy on it’s way for some type of repairs.
Tags: FDNY truck from the TV show Rescue Me, Martin Nowak, Roberts Park Fire Department, Roberts Park Fire Protection District
Mar 9
Posted by bgshap in Fire Service News, MVA | 2 Comments
Jeff Rudolph also took in the semi crash in Lake Bluff yesterday:
 Came across Lake Bluff semi pin in yesterday.  Noon time accident, northbound rt. 41 north of 176. 2 fast moving semi’s approached a slow moving semi stuck behind a dumptruck turning. 1st semi swung to the inside lane and passed the slow truck, the second did not see the slower one in time and struck the left rear of the semi. One pt. the driver was pinned and required extensive extrication. Lake Bluff and Knollwood, with Lake Forest ambulance all dispathed. m/a to scene from North Chicago with an engine, Great Lakes with a truck. Libertyville to Knollwood station. Driver was transported to Lake Forest hospital, the other driver was not injured.
Tags: accident on Route 41 at Rt 176, ambulance at accident scene, Ernie's Wrecker Service, extended extrication of truck driver, extrication of truck driver, Great Lakes Naval Training Center Fire Department, heavy wrecker tow truck, Jeff Rudolph, Knollwood FIre Department, Lake Bluff Fire Department, Lake Forest Fire Department, Pierce Saber pumper, route 41 closed near Lake Bluff for truck crash
An over the road tractor-trailer rear-ended another tractor-trailer yesterday morning in the northbound lanes of Route 41 just north of Route 176. The crash occurred almost directly in front of the Knollwood Fire Station after the second driver apparently failed to see the first truck slowing down. The driver of the first tuck was unhurt and the other driver was trapped in his truck for almost an hour as firefighters from Knollwood, Lake Bluff, North Chicago, and Great Lakes worked to extricate him.
Tim Olk was at the scene and submitted several images.
He was later transported to Condell Hospital by Lake Forest paramedics.
A large gallery with more images can be found HERE.
Tags: accident on Route 41 at Rt 176, extended extrication of truck driver, extrication of truck driver, Great Lakes Naval Training Center Fire Department, Knollwood FIre Department, Lake Bluff Fire Department, Lake Forest Fire Department, North Chicago Fire Department, route 41 closed near Lake Bluff for truck crash, Tim Olk, truck collision, two trucks collide trapping the driver
Andy Hilk sent us a link to an article in the NapervilleSun which states that:
The owner of a Naperville pancake house destroyed in an explosion more than three years ago admitted in court Tuesday he set it on fire.
Peter H. Ladias, 72, of Palos Hills pleaded guilty to arson for the Oct. 29, 2008, fire at GiGi’s Restaurant near 111th Street and Route 59 in Naperville. Will County Judge Daniel Rozak set a May 24 sentencing hearing.
Ladias faces as many as seven years in prison.
Shortly after the fire, police said they found traces of gas in the ruins of the restaurant. But it took nearly two years for prosecutors to file charges against Ladias
Louis Pagonis, the other man hurt in the explosion, also sued Ladias in 2009. He said in his suit Ladias invited him to the restaurant at 10:53 p.m. the day of the explosion. He said he parked his car behind the building and opened the back door just as the eatery blew up.
Tags: Andy Hilk, charges filed in 2008 Naperville Arson, Naperville Fire Department, Peter Ladias admits to arson of his restauratn, restaurant owner admits to setting restaurant fire in Naperville
A previous post mentioned that the Wheeling Fire Department had been awarded a FEMA grant. The department informs us that:
We were awarded $34,200 for training classes. We plan to use the money to bring our firefighters up to the new Advanced certification level.
Tags: FEMA grant award, FEMA grant for training, Wheeling Fire Department, Wheeling gets FEMA grant
Bill Friedrich found the following:
Wheaton Supports Fire/Rescue AllianceIn order to improve cooperation among the Wheaton Fire Department and West Chicago, Carol Stream and Winfield Fire Protection Districts, the City Council approved a resolution supporting the establishment of the West Suburban Fire/Rescue Alliance. The four entities have been working together to make their training and operations more uniform and to better combine resources in order to enhance public health and safety.
Tags: Bill Friedrich, Carol Stream Fire District, DuComm North, West Chicago Fire Protection District, Wheaton Fire Department, Winfield Fire Protection District
The Schaumburg Fire Department listing for Station 53 on Wright Boulevard has been updated to reflect the newer ambulance that is assigned to Ambulance 53. This is one of two Type I units received in 2010 that were built by Medtec on 2009 IHC 4300 chassis. The other unit is assigned to Ambulance 51.
Tags: IHC 4300 Type I ambulance, Larry Shapiro, Medtec Ambulance, Schaumburg Ambulance 53, Schaumburg Fire Department, Type I ambulance
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