4th alarm fire in Stone Park « chicagoareafire.com

This from Drew Gresik:

Hello everyone,

I’m sure there’s going to be a lot of submissions about this fire, so I’ll keep it short. Here are just a couple of more than 500 photos I took at this job in Stone Park. Fire was in a grocery store with occupied attached apartments, multiple master streams and handlines used. There were a lot of issues with bad hydrants as well, forcing command to request addition engines from many area departments. Thanks again guys.

From,

Drew Gresik

5 alarm massive grocery store fire in Stone Park

Drew Gresik photo

Images from Tim Olk

Tim Olk photo

Tim has a gallery with many more images.

Images from John Tulipano

John Tulipano photo

Chris Ranck sent this link to WGN helicopter footage

The Chicago Tribune has an article on the fire:

No injuries were reported following an extra-alarm fire that broke out in the potato chip aisle of a grocery store in west suburban Stone Park late this morning, authorities said.

The five-alarm blaze started about noon in the 1600 block of North Mannheim Road, according to a spokeswoman for Stone Park police.

As of about 1 p.m., the blaze was mostly out, but smoke and some flames were still visible from the 2-story brick building, which houses the Durango Supermercado on the first level and about four apartments on the upper level.

No injuries have been reported and the blaze burned through its roof, causing a partial collapse of the building.

Thick, black smoke roiled from the building at one point and about 15-20 fire departments remained on the scene.

Firefighters were pouring water on its roof and through one apartment window using two tower ladders. Several onlookers were standing outside gawking and it appeared that all occupants of the building had escaped.

Manager Jose Rivera was in his office doing paperwork when he heard the smoke alarm go off but he said it’s “very sensitive” so he thought it could just have been cooking smoke that activated it.
When he went to check it out, he found the potato chip aisle was on fire, and the chips were burning.

Rivera sprang into action, grabbed the fire extinguisher and tried to put it out.

“I ran for the extinguisher and managed to control it,’’ Rivera said.

He then raced through the rest of the store, telling the eight customers to “drop their possessions and leave,’’ Rivera said.

Rivera went back inside but the fire had worsened and there was nothing left in the extinguisher. Rivera said he knew he had to leave at that point.Fire officials on the scene said they were letting the fire burn, in a “free burn’’ and would not be able to go inside until it was safe.Rivera’s mother, Imelda Rivera, who is the owner of the store, was outside and appeared very shaken up.

Occupants of the second-story apartments on the building’s south side escaped without being hurt.

Rivera does not know what started the blaze.

Fire department officials said they were performing a “free burn’’ and will not go inside until it’s safe.