The Countryside FPD received a call reporting a basement fire with explosions at 4 Keuka Court in Hawthorn Woods Saturday night (5/20/17). The homeowner stated that there were model cars with batteries in the basement which might have explained the explosive sounds. A moderate to heavy fog encompassed the area and firefighters arrived to light colored smoke escaping from the house.
The working fire was upgraded to a Full Still and the a Box Alarm for change of quarters companies only. Interior companies had difficulty locating the seat of the fire within the basement and the need for more substantial water supply required an upgrade to a Box Alarm for tenders. This incident occurred within the early stages of the 2-Alarm fire being fought by the Wauconda FPD in an adjacent district. As such, several of the units due to the Countryside fire were already committed at the Wauconda fire which required substituting companies from the next levels off the box card.
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
As the fire grew in intensity and compromised a section of the first floor, all crews were ordered out of the building as the tactics changed to a defensive attack. The alarm was upgraded to a 2nd Alarm roughly 35 minutes into the incident. The fire was contained shortly thereafter allowing firefighters to reenter the house to extinguish the remaining hot spots.
The simultaneous extra-alarm fires resulted in some long responses to the fire in Hawthorn Woods including units from Northbrook, Antioch, Newport Township, North Chicago, Hoffman Estates, Prospect Heights, Zion, Fox River Grove, and the Great lakes naval Training Center. By one unofficial count there were eight tenders at this fire.
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
more photos at Shapirophotography.net
#1 by Shane on May 22, 2017 - 5:14 PM
Forgot to add something. As the Wauconda incident was wrapping up, most of the tankers from Wauconda were sent over to Countryside to assist.
#2 by Shane on May 22, 2017 - 5:12 PM
No Wisco towns came in. About an hour or 2 before the Wauconda fire, Round Lake had a box alarm fire so it was indeed a busy night for Division 4. Round Lake also had a box early this morning.
This was the Wauconda Response:
Due 2nd Alarm 34D2: Algonquin-Lake In The Hills Engine, McHenry Engine, Palatine Engine, Round Lake Tanker 261, Palatine-Rural Tanker 36 (Unavailable), Fox Lake Tanker 222, Nunda-Rural Tanker 1371, Cary Tanker 270, Mundelein Quint 431, Deerfield-Bannouckburn Squad 19, Libertyville Heavy Rescue 462, Richmond Ambulance 1451, Lake Villa Ambulance 244, Grayslake Chief, Fox Lake 2201, McHenry Chief, Countryside 4100, Air 5, MESS Canteen. COQ: Grayslake Engine 271 St 1, Buffalo Grove Ambulance St 1, Barrington-Countryside Chief St 1, Woodstock Engine St 2, Marengo Ambulance St 2
This was the Countryside Response
Countryside Engine 411, Countryside Engine 412, Mundelein Engine 432, Countryside Truck 412, Libertyville Truck 461, Countryside Ambulance 412, Countryside Battalion 41, Countryside 4100, Countryside 4102, Countryside 4106, Libertyville 4601, Countryside 4180, Countryside 4195Lake Zurich Engine 324, Round Lake Tanker 261, Grayslake Tanker 271 (Unavailable), Countryside Tanker 411, Barrington-Countryside Tanker 37 (Unavailable), Barrington Ambulance 361 Palatine Engine (Unavailable) St 1, Wheeling Ambulance 24 St 1, Deerfield-Bannouckburn Ambulance (Unavailable) St 2, North Chicago Ambulance 1547 St 2, Highland Park Engine 34 St 2, Lake Forest 4200 St 2, Arlington Heights Engine 4 Mundelein St 2 Knollwood Engine 44, Lake Bluff Engine 4520, Gurnee Engine 1312, Barrington-Countryside Tanker (Unavailable), Grayslake Tanker 271 (Unavailable), Lake Villa Tanker 242, Fox Lake Tanker 222, Lake Forest Tower 421, Grayslake 2700, Round Lake 2600 (Staging), MESS Canteen, Mundelein Investigator Great Lakes Naval Base Engine 1911, Northbrook Engine 10, Prospect Heights Tanker 9, Newport Tanker 1461, Palatine Rural Tanker 36, Antioch Tanker 211, Fox River Grove Tanker 670, Beach Park Tanker 1265, Zion Truck 1832, Waukegan Squad 1, Lake Zurich Chief (Unavailable), Wauconda Chief, Lincolnshire-Riverwoods Battalion 51, Libertyville Investigator (Held Up), Command 2
#3 by Michael M on May 22, 2017 - 4:37 PM
Does anyone know how well Mundelein’s KME engine is holding up? I heard that they have another Pierce engine on order.
#4 by Michael M on May 22, 2017 - 11:33 AM
Looks like Division 4 had a busy Saturday night! Any idea which companies were assigned to which fires? Did any departments from Wisconsin come to help?