Excerpts from Fox32chicago.com:
A fire in Des Plaines that killed four children and their mother in January likely started at least seven minutes before anyone called 911. Firefighters were challenged by a rapidly evolving scene that included more victims than initially expected and fire blocking the only stairwell to the family’s apartment, according to a 43-page report released Tuesday by the Des Plaines Fire Department that provides a timeline and video of the city’s response to the blaze at 714 W. Oakton St.
The cause of the Jan. 27 fire remains undetermined, but the report said the blaze began at the top of the only stairwell leading to the second-floor apartment where the family was found. A space heater and extension cord were found in the area. The apartment had a second exit — a small balcony — but it didn’t have stairs to the ground level, the report states.
According to a timeline of events, surveillance video shows a bright flash of light in the second-floor window at 10:03 a.m., indicting a possible fire. It wasn’t until 10:10 a.m. that a 911 call was received, and it took another two minutes until the caller could provide an address.
A Des Plaines police officer was the first to arrive, at 10:16 a.m., and survey the building and help remove two people safely from the building. An ambulance arrived at 10:17 a.m., and the first fire engine arrived at 10:19 a.m.
Firefighters, hearing that two children may be trapped on the second floor, encountered significant smoke and fire, and knocked down flames with a hose, the report states. Within seconds, crews found the first victim in a bedroom and four others in another room.
The fatalities were Cythaly Zamodio, 25, and her daughters: Grace Espinosa, 1; Allizon V. Espinosa, 3; Genesis A. Espinosa, 5; and Renata P. Espinosa, 6. At the time, a neighbor said their father was work during the fire.
The report states that the department’s response to the fire satisfied standards set by the National Fire Protection Association and Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
“Firefighters made a valiant effort to give those trapped a chance to survive by locating them and removing them from the hazardous conditions,” the report states. “The efforts of all those involved are to be commended.”
#1 by Mike on March 24, 2021 - 3:17 PM
Jobs, if you are on this job you would have an IQ high enough to know that myself and others aren’t criticizing the members of the department. And yes I read the report. The issue is that the city said there is no reduction in service when it took tower 63 out of service. Well it is a reduction because instead of 8 people being there all at once there was 6. Again if you are / were on this job you would understand the roles of each piece of apparatus . With tower 63 not there the engine and ambulance was tasked with doing fire suppression, search and removal of the victims. Why in this after action report was nothing said about tower 63 and the importance of the manpower that should have been there. Myself and I’m sure others aren’t whistleblowing. We are advocating against this because myself and others have been doing this for 20+ years and know that something like this will happen.. I know from the video and reading the reports there was a delay in reporting the fire so it was already heavily involved on engine 63’s arrival. You talk about me being a coward because I voiced my opinion on this site. I guess if I’m a coward what does that make you? because your original comment on this defending the chiefs and cities piss poor decision on taking companies out of service seems like you really have no clue on how fire departments work? (edited by administrator)
#2 by Paul on March 24, 2021 - 7:46 AM
BILL: This is all accurate and I do not disagree one bit with your response. Des Plaines needs another house and more equipment yes. The Study is accurate. I cant answer why changes are not made and have not been made. Its the same excuse across the board Money!! I do know Des Plaines did have a site planned on Lee in the past south of 62 but that has come and gone…
My frustration comes with MIKE. The stereotypical whistle blower who wants to blame the outcome of an incident on the failings of the Dept. instead of seeing the facts. That fire specifically, one Tower was adequate. could they have used more man power ? Who cant use more man power. But for this call they had enough and an amazing if not unheard of response time and the outcome would have never changed. That fire was burning for 7 minutes before the first 911 call was made. MIKE was not there and does not know.
Des Plaines did one of the most amazing jobs on that fire I have ever seen and you can ask anyone who was there that and they will all tell you. BUT 3 stations 6 stations 5 stations 1 Tower 2 Towers 30 guys or 20 would not have change one thing.
If MIKE lives in town then try to make a change the right way. Not on social media like a coward.
#3 by Bill Post on March 22, 2021 - 9:05 PM
Mabas 21, Squad 63 runs as a pumper/squad though it’s an engine with some additional equipment. Station 63 is only running with one fully staffed fire suppression company, Squad 63, which replaced Engine 63 and Ambulance 63. Ambulance 64 runs at least part of the time. There is no longer a Truck 63 so station 63 is has one less fire company.
On the day of the fire, Squad 63 was had a 4th man, which is better than average as squads and engines in Des Plaines normally run with three on board like most fire departments in Mabas Division 3 and 1.
Mike is correct in his second comment from March 16th where he said the station and staffing reports that were done several years ago and recommended at least one more firehouse. That report, done by the Emergency Services International Consulting company, was released in 2005. They held a public presentation at the Des Plaines Village Hall that I attended. While it’s been a while since I read the report, I can tell you that it was very detailed and comprehensive. It presented several option for the village to choose from, one of which suggested five fire stations and another had four. The report concluded that the four station option was probably the best since it was less expensive.
Rosemont Station 2, which I believe is now 55 or 57, was envisioned to be part of an automatic aid program with Des Plaines. That station at 10073 Higgins Road is practically across the street from Des Plaines. The report, which was on the Village of Des Plaines website for a few years just vanished. The city leaders opted not to act on the recommendation of that fire station study.
The Village of Des Plaines decided to have another study done in 2018, which was released in 2019. This was done by WRB LLC Management Services and didn’t recommend any new fire stations. A recommendation was offered to consider making Engines 63 and 62 into jump companies with their ambulances. It noted that Des Plaines should have two tower ladders, however it suggested that Tower Ladder 63 be a reserve unit and that a two person light duty rescue squad should respond on EMS and special duty runs instead of having the truck in service. Since there are 32 railroad crossings in town, it was recommended that two light duty first responder squads be put in service meaning that at least two of the three stations would have jump companies.
At least three of four Des Plaines ambulances are not currently jump companies. If they had been, like this new study suggested, and there was a major fire with mass casualties similar to the one on Oakton, there would either be a much longer wait for ambulances or for adequately staffed engine companies. While the first and second due companies arrived within few minutes, the tower ladder from Station 61 was four miles from the fire scene while Tower Ladder 63 would have been a little less than two miles away.
A good case can also be made for automatic aid as opposed to mutual aid with both the Elk Grove Village and the Elk Grove Township fire departments. Quint 8, the 2nd due truck to the fire, was actually a mile closer to the scene than Des Plaines Tower Ladder 61.
The firefighters did a valiant job at this tragic fire. Based on the speed of the fast moving fire, the tragedy would most likely have still occurred, however that doesn’t take away from the point that village officials have been downgrading fire protection in Des Plaines for a while now. The ESCI study that Mike and I are talking about was done by veteran firefighters from around the country, however the village ignored their recommendations for more stations. Having only one truck company cover Des Plaines is not adequate. According to ISO standards, the nearest truck should not be more than 2.5 miles from a built upon area in their district. Mike and Mike L are correct about village management.
#4 by Mike L on March 19, 2021 - 10:02 AM
Hey, Jobs! Yes. It looks good on paper in the report. It’s all about the numbers, right? The data? Screw the woman and her kids. It all lools good on paper. In the end, it’s all about the numbers. Speaking of ends, thanks for coming out of admin’s a$$ long enough to shout your defense of piss poor leadership.
#5 by danny on March 19, 2021 - 3:52 AM
there is a pretty through review and report from the chief that has a slideshow of events complete with police body cam footage as well.
#6 by Paul on March 18, 2021 - 9:45 PM
And you all sound like a bunch of bent out of shape retired guys who are not getting their way. by the time they stretched a line knocked it from the outside, made the door and started searching there were plenty of guys there. Unless you were on scene or you didn’t hear from telephone tele-friend. then maybe just maybe you’ll know what happened. Not to mention the fact the everyone involved on or in this call is still battling with the outcome’s of it. So why not respect the guys on the department and not keep bringing up should’ve would’ve could’ve because of everyone’s professional political opinions.
“OUR TRADITIONS HINDER US”
#7 by Chuck on March 17, 2021 - 9:30 PM
Certainly hope they’re already working on new MABAS box cards. That part of the report was absolutely unbelievable. Maybe everybody that has moved to a new or a combined dispatch in the last 10 years should be doing that.
#8 by MABAS 21 on March 17, 2021 - 11:47 AM
I am not familiar with Des Plaines current operations, but when Tower 63 was taken O.O.S. wasn’t Reserve Engine 65 redesignated as ‘Squad 63″ with the former manpower? Thus the 63’s are running with Engine, Squad and Ambulance companies…at Station 63?
#9 by Chuck on March 16, 2021 - 8:16 PM
Jobs, care to enlighten us with what departments are almost the size of a whole county in Illinois and don’t have a truck company? We’ll wait. You sound like an armchair quarterback of the caliber of Mitch Trubisky.
#10 by Mike on March 16, 2021 - 6:11 PM
Jobs, yes tower 63 would have made a difference because they could have used the manpower from tower 63 to help engine and ambulance 63 get in and start searches and removals. Yes des plaines needs another ambulance, they had that with ambulance 64 for a while, just like they need a second truck because of how the city is made up. Maybe take the time to read the station and staffing reports that were done a few years ago that recommended the city build at least 1 more firehouse and add companies.
5 people are dead including 4 kids and while the deaths probably couldn’t have been prevented the first arriving companies were short because instead of an engine, truck and ambulance they only had an engine and ambulance. Nobody said this was like Chicago. And storing the $hot pot on this one is exactly what needs to happen. Every time a city closes a firehouse or takes companies out of service the elected officials stand up there and say “this will not be a reduction in service and everything will be fine.” Well that’s the farthest from the truth.
#11 by Paul on March 16, 2021 - 5:37 AM
INSTEAD OF BARKING FROM THE SIDELINES LEARN THE FACTS AND READ THE REPORT. OTHER THE TW61 NO OTHER TRUCK SERVICES WERE NEEDED, ALL OTHER TRUCKS DISPATCHED SAT DOWN THE BLOCK AND THEY USED MAN POWER ONLY AND THERE WERE 5 TRANSPORTS MADE WHICH MEANS THE ADDITIONAL AMBULANCE OUT OF 63 ACTUALLY HELPED THE CAUSE. THIS IS DES PLAINES NOT CHICAGO. THAT TRUCK WOULD NOT HAVE MADE A LICK OF DIFFERENCE. READ THE REPORT, COUNT THE STATISTICS. DES PLAINES NEEDS ANOTHER AMBULANCE NOT ANOTHER A 2ND TRUCK IN A 14SQ MILE DISTRICT.
OTHER DEPTS THAT TAKE UP ALMOST A WHOLE COUNTIES IN THIS STATE AND DONT EVEN HAVE 1 TRUCK LET ALONE 2. THIS WAS A 2 STORY RESIDENTIAL. ANY GROUND LADDER FROM ANY ENGINE OR SQUAD WORKED AND WOULD WORK JUST FINE. THE TOWER ONLY MAKES SENSE IN AREAS WITH BULDINGS HIGHER THEN 3 STORIES. I.E 61
SO STOP STIRRING THR $HIT POT WITH THIS UNFORTUNATE INCICDENT THAT THE OUTCOME WOULD HAVE NEVER CHANGED NO MATTER THE RESPONSE.
#12 by Mike on March 11, 2021 - 12:06 AM
So this fire was in 63’s district and of course the elected officials and fire chief thought it was a great idea to take truck 63 out of service. I’m sure the other companies worked on searching when they arrived and while truck 63 may or may not have been the difference in them surviving. There would have been 2 additional firemen on scene with squad and ambulance 63 to initiate the search and rescue / recovery. Sorry but the city owns this one. Des Plaines has and always needs 2 trucks. Their cost savings idea came with a brutal price for one family.