The first of what will be several posts on the 5-Alarm fire with multiple special alarms at 24 Rolling Hills Drive in Barrington Hills Saturday (4/18/15).
From a radioman911.com listener:
Barrington – Countryside FPD – House Fire – 24 Rolling Hills Drive
Full Response List:
Battalion 38, 3801, Engine 381, Engine 382, Engine 383, Tanker 381, Tanker 382, Palatine Rural Engine 36, Barrington Engine 361, Long Grove Tanker 55, Cary Squad 255, Carpentersvile Engine 91, Hoffman Estates Truck 22, East Dundee Tanker 41, Long Grove Battalion 55, Fox River Grove Engine 641, Buffalo Grove Ambulance 25, Palatine Rural Chief 701, Lake Zurich Engine 2, Algonquin Engine 141, Bartlett Tender 2, Rutland-Dundee Tender 52, Prospect Heights Tender 9, Wauconda Tender 341, a McHenry tender, a Barrington truck, Palatine Truck 85, a Bartlett chief, a Cary chief, a Lake Zurich chief, a Fox River Grove chief, Mess Canteen 5, Hanover Park Engine 361, Schaumburg Engine 54, West Dundee Engine 31, Fox Lake Tender 222, Crystal Lake Tender 371, Round Lake Tender 261, Countryside Truck 412, Libertyville Squad 462, Mundelein Ambulance 431, a Wauconda chief, ATV 5, South Elgin Tender 22, Nunda Rural Tender 1371, Grayslake Tender 271, Huntley Tender 973, Woodstock Tender 72, Hampshire Tender 1431 (unavailable), Elk Grove Township Tender 11.COQ: Wheeling Ambulance 24 / Deerfield Engine 19 to Station 1 – Rolling Meadows Ambulance 16 / Streamwood Engine 33 to Station 2
Interdivisional requests from Division 1,2,4,5. There was a speical request for a brush truck from Lake Villa.UCP 13 was also out there
This from Larry Shapiro:
Occupants that are currently renting the house were burning leaves this afternoon and the fire communicated to a tree sending embers onto the house. The wind caused the fire to spread rapidly. A 2nd Alarm was requested on arrival of Barrington & Countryside units followed quickly by an upgrade to a 4th Alarm for tenders only. The 5th Alarm was requested later and then Interdivisional Alarms for a Tender task Force from Divisions 2 and 5. The previous alarms were later filled out for the suppression companies which brought more personnel to the scene. Four counties were represented at this incident which included units from 6 MABAS Divisions.
The wind carried embers into the grass area behind the home igniting a prairie fire which spread to a large area near the electric transmission lines. This prompted a Special Alarm for brush fire assets.
In addition to the units listed above, there were engines from Buffalo Grove, Arlington Heights, Des Plaines, Rolling Meadows and Elgin.
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
#1 by Brian on April 25, 2015 - 6:51 PM
5 days later is in no way a rekindle.
#2 by BullNAxe on April 25, 2015 - 12:02 AM
Barrington-Countryside was back out at the scene yesterday by themselves for over 4 hours fighting a rekindle. Only they did not call it a rekindle, instead they called it “training” because they didn’t want their trustees, citizens, the press or any surrounding departments to know they were there. In fact they went so far to hide their presence that they did not have the call dispatched and did all their radio traffic on a fireground tac. They have also changed their response for fires so that their on duty Battilion Chief no longer establishes command, instead the Battilion Chief now takes operations and 1 of the higher up chiefs automatically responds to be command. Sounds to me like they don’t trust their Battilion Chiefs. What do you think? Also does anyone know the results from their union vote this week? All these towns that are trying to break or totally get rid of unions should take note that even a department that uses all private firefighters can still form a union! It’s not the IAFF but a union nevertheless a union. I’m interested in knowing the results because I heard the command staff had been illegally intimidating the firefighters to vote against starting a union because the chief is applying for chief officer positions at other departments. The chief doesn’t want anything looking bad on his resume, nevermind the fact that he has more skeletons in his closet than most cemeteries have? Scary part is if he leaves and they promote from within they will be in worse shape than they are now.
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#3 by Tyler Tobolt on April 19, 2015 - 7:11 PM
My other list up there that you posted needed a lot of updating so here is a better one.
Full List:
Chiefs: Battalion 38, 3800, 3801, Palatine Rural Chief 701, Bartlett Chief,
Cary Chief 203, Cary Asst Chief 204, Lake Zurich Chief, Fox River Grove Chief 630, Wauconda Chief.Engines: Engine 381, Engine 382, Engine 383, Carpentersvile Engine 91, Fox River Grove Engine 641, Algonquin Engine 143, Hanover Park Engine 362, Schaumburg Engine 54, West Dundee Engine 31, Elk Grove Village Engine 10, Rolling Meadows Engine 16, Elgin Engine 1, Des Plaines Engine 63, Arlington Heights Engine 2, Lake Zurich Engine 2
Trucks: Palatine Quint 85, Hoffman Estates Truck 22, Countryside Truck 412
Squads: Cary Squad 255, Libertyville Heavy Rescue 462
Ambulances: Buffalo Grove Ambulance 25, Hanover Park Medic 381, Mundelein Ambulance 432
Tankers: Tanker 381, Tanker 382, Long Grove Tanker 55, East Dundee Tanker 41, Bartlett Tanker 2, Rutland Dundee Tanker 52, Prospect Heights Tanker 9, Wauconda Tanker 341, Fox Lake Tanker 222, Crystal Lake Tanker 371, Round Lake Tanker 261, South Elgin Tanker 22, Nunda Rural Tanker 1371, Grayslake Tanker 271, Huntley Tanker 973, Mchenry Township Tanker 1273, Woodstock Tanker 473, Elk Grove Township Tanker 11, West Chicago Tanker 5, Spring Grove Tanker 1878, Wonder Lake Tanker 1471, Roselle Tanker 64, Pingree Grove Tanker 1221, Hebron – Alden – Greenwood Tanker 871, Richmond Tanker 1472
Brush Trucks: Lake Villa Brush 241, Hebron – Alden – Greenwood Brush 861
Special: ATV 5, Air 5, Command Post, Quad 2 Rehab, Mess, Light Tower 4, Light Tower 5, UCP 13,
COQ: Station 1: Wheeling Ambulance 24 / Deerfield Engine 19
Station 2: Rolling Meadows Ambulance 16 / Streamwood Engine 33
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#4 by BullNAxe on April 19, 2015 - 6:03 PM
This is the type of response that residents of Barrington Countryside should expect. They can thank Village of Barrington Mayor Karen Darch for breaking up an excellent joint fire department and fire protection district over her witch hunt to eliminate pensions.
The separation has created two weak fire agencies to provide fire/EMS services to the village and district instead of one strong service. This separation has already contributed (at least indirectly) to the death of a district resident in a house fire.
The village department is woefully understaffed and quickly wearing out their welcome with neighboring towns for mutual aid (more accurately “MOOCH-AL AID” because they don’t or more accurately can’t reciprocate).
BC is better staffed but all its members are former village unionized firefighters who think they still belong to the union or wannabe private firefighters. Their entire command staff, except the Chief (who has his own closet full of skeletons), is made up of people from both groups who are too busy fighting a civil war between each other instead of working together productively. They also have way too many Chiefs, each with their own agenda, and not enough indians.
I’m glad I no longer have family residing in either first due response area. Thank you Mayor Darch, hopefully her short sightedness does not get any firefighters or anymore residents killed!
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#5 by Tom Foley on April 19, 2015 - 3:08 PM
Does one’s home insurance take a hit when there are no hydrants nearby? I believe ISO has some metric for the level of water service available, but I’m not well-versed with this.
Different strokes, different folks. Our subdivision built 10 years ago has hydrants. And, our townhome units are selling for $150-200k… not the $2 million this house was probably worth.
The tender operation is very efficient and impressive to watch. Just seems hydrants would make it easier to try and safeguard property… and they’ve been around in some form for 200 years.
Great images! Did anyone see the drone footage? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMgptTaZwFI
#6 by Bobby Ferguson on April 19, 2015 - 1:32 PM
Hey Ken, how does one put a sprinkler on the roof? Pay attention. Fire started on roof. I guess the smarts one needs to recognize the wisdom of a sprinkler system is not the same wisdom one needs to amass the millions needed to live in Barrington Hills.
#7 by Drew Smith on April 19, 2015 - 12:18 PM
As one comment mentioned, Barrington Hills requires a minimum lot size of five acres this coupled with the nature of the road system would make a public water system very costly.
As much as I am a supporter of residential sprinklers (RS), these systems differ greatly from their commercial/industrial counterparts. RS are installed only in living areas for life safety purposes. Extinguishment is not the primary goal, allowing occupants to exit is. A fire that starts on the exterior and moves into the walls and attic will easily overpower the sprinkler system. There have been more than a few garage fires that have done the same. Again, it’s because of the nature and design of the RS. Using commercial codes versus the RS code would add substantially more cost, primarily in water supply.
#8 by FARTIN' FRED on April 19, 2015 - 11:18 AM
That’s 1 helluva response, from miles around
#9 by Tyler Tobolt on April 19, 2015 - 11:02 AM
I might have to update my list of rigs that’s up there, Have to add some more on there and also wonderful photos as always Larry.
#10 by Joe on April 19, 2015 - 10:06 AM
I think part of the problem is that people who have that much money and live in an area like that are living there at least partially in order to avoid high property taxes, or any property taxes at all. They don’t want or see the need for fire hydrants (until something like this happens) and they definitely don’t want to pay for the infrastructure that it takes to have hydrants in that area. It’s amazing how cheap the very rich can be.
#11 by Shayl on April 19, 2015 - 11:13 AM
Do you have any idea how high the taxes are I barrington hills? You’re a complete dolt! Subdivisions do not exist in barrington hills and it’s required to have 5acres of land or more.
#12 by moresno on April 19, 2015 - 8:40 AM
Tom, it is a much larger infrastructure expense. There are some spots that are still on a septic system. Those neighborhoods do not have water lines because each house has their own well. In order to get city water (which you have to pay for and well water you don’t), most neighborhoods have to vote and be in complete agreement they want it because the cost is $20,000 per home to put it in.
#13 by Eric Haak on April 19, 2015 - 8:27 AM
You would think that if you could afford to rent a place like that you wouldn’t have to rake and burn your own leaves.
#14 by Ken on April 19, 2015 - 6:58 AM
It is amazing how people who are smart enough to amass millions of dollars for a home, but do not see the wisdom of a residential sprinkler system.
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#15 by Tom Foley on April 18, 2015 - 10:41 PM
What is the criteria for hydrants? Is it dependent on a local municipality’s water source (if any)?
I just find it hard to understand how there’s money for large multi million dollar homes like this one, but a subdivision can’t install hydrants. So, its either very short-sighted or a much larger infrastructure expense. My guess is the latter.
#16 by Michael M on April 18, 2015 - 10:40 PM
talk about a major OOOPS!