A Des Plaines firefighter working in the fire prevention bureau spotted smoke from the eaves of a house at 501 S. Mt. Prospect Road Monday just before 2PM. After speaking with individuals outside the home, he called RED Center to report the house fire. He then entered the home to convince two people to evacuate and subsequently reentered to complete a secondary search.
The working fire response brought three engines, two chief officers, and four Des Plaines ambulances, a chief, truck, and ambulance from Mount Prospect, a chief and truck from Prospect Heights, a Wheeling engine, and a Niles truck. Des Plaines Battalion 61 and Truck 61 were both training at NIPSTA and responded from there.
The origin of the fire was believed to be a second story bathroom, but the entire second floor attic space of the split-level home was involved when suppression companies arrived.