More from the 3-Alarm fire in Long Grove, 4-22-21
Posts Tagged ShapPhoto youtube channel
Two-part video from Larry Shapiro of the Box Alarm house fire in Des Plaines, 8-16-19
From the Prospect Heights Fire District:
PROSPECT HEIGHTS —Today, Friday May 3, 2019 at 12:28 p.m. the Prospect Heights Fire Protection District was dispatched to a reported fire at 1535 Cove Drive, part of the Quincy Park Condominiums.
While still responding to this location, 9-1-1 dispatchers at our Regional Emergency Dispatch (RED) Center received additional information and multiple phone calls indicating the situation was much more serious than first reported. As a result of that information our dispatchers upgraded the response sending even more fire apparatus to the location. At this time, four engines, two aerial ladder trucks, a rescue squad, two ambulances, and multiple chief officers were responding.
Heavy smoke could be seen more than one-half mile away from the scene. When the first fire engine arrived on the scene the fire was visible and coming from the rear of the condo on the east side of the building. The fire had spread up into the second floor and roof.
The building is a two-story, wood-frame structure that has four units, each with its own exterior entrance and an attached garage. With the current fire conditions and the proximity of other structures only feet away, an immediate call for reinforcements was made to our Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS). This added three more engines, one more truck, ambulance, and rescue squad, plus three chief officers. The alarm additionally sent an engine and ambulance to the Prospect Heights fire station to provide coverage to the rest of the city while this fire was fought.
Within a few minutes of their arrival, the first engine had a hose stream on the fire and extinguished the original fire. Efforts were then focused on the fire spreading in the upper walls, roof, and attic. Additional firefighters with hoses were deployed to attack the fire and were successful in keeping it from spreading. Simultaneous with this, a search was made of all four units and while no humans were located, several cats and dogs were removed from various units that had smoke in them. The fire was brought under control and extinguished within 20 minutes of arrival using three hose lines and more than a dozen fire apparatus. Approximately 50 firefighters composed the response force. Firefighters spent nearly one hour checking for hot spots and fire spread to ensure the fire was completely out.
Besides the Prospect Heights Fire Protection District and Wheeling Fire Department that were initially dispatched, assistance was provided by Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Des Plaines, Glenview, Mount Prospect, Northbrook, Northfield, and Palatine fire departments; the Countryside, Lincolnshire-Riverwoods, Long Grove, and North Maine fire protection districts; and the Rosemont Public Safety Department.
The unit where the fire began and the building’s exterior sustained extensive fire damage. The other three units sustained smoke and water damage as well as some damage made necessary by the firefighter’s efforts to ensure the fire had not spread into other areas. The cause of the fire remains under investigation but is not suspicious in origin. The Prospect Heights Fire Protection District will not be estimating the total dollar loss but expects losses to be several thousands of dollars. Such estimates are best left to the insurance companies.
The Prospect Heights Fire Protections District reminds everyone to always have two ways to escape from their home, to ensure smoke alarms are present and working, and to develop an emergency plan should their home be destroyed by a fire or other disaster.
Fire sprinklers save lives and property. Had this structure been equipped with fire sprinklers, the original fire would have been extinguished prior to the arrival of the fire department or at the worst, contained to the single room where it had started.
more photos and a video from the Box Alarm fire in Prospect Heights, 5-3-19
Prospect Heights FD photo
Prospect Heights FD photo
Video from Larry Shapiro of the 5-11 Alarm fire and Haz Mat Level 1 in Chicago, 4-2-19
Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire District firefighters responded to a crash Saturday afternoon (3/9/19) in the intersection of Algonquin Road and Harvest Gate Road. Companies found two cars with heavy damage. Two occupants of one car and one from the second car required transportation to the hospital. Firefighters removed two doors from one for the cars to access the driver. Two Algonquin ambulances and one from Huntley transported the patients. Other occupants of the second car were uninjured.
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro has a video from the Morton Grove house fire last week.
This from Deputy Chief Drew Smith with regards to the multi-vehilce accident last week on Palatine Road:
Prospect Heights and Wheeling FDs have a joint response for incidents on Palatine Road. A unified command structure ensures a timely response regardless of jurisdiction. For the entire three miles that the junior expressway (IDOT term) runs east-west it goes in and out of the two towns sometimes in one, then the other, or it serves as the border. There are also four bridges and only three interchanges where access can be gained. When RED Center receives a 9-1-1 call of an incident, a dual response is dispatched with each department approaching the scene from opposite directions. This is to ensure that should traffic prevent access from one direction, the other companies can get to the crash quickly. Once one company is on scene, the location can be verified and the appropriate apparatus can continue in or be returned. When reported as a pin-in, the additional extrication companies are to stage before entering Palatine Road and wait for the first company to verify where to approach from. I have attached a map showing the three grids and where companies approach from.
Grid 923
Grid 3923
Grid 3924
Companies
Entry Point
Companies
Entry Point
Companies
Entry Point
A9, E9
A23, E23
Schoenbeck
Wheeling Rd.
A9, E39
A23, E23
Wolf Rd.
Wheeling Rd.
A9, E39
A24, E24
Wolf Rd.
Milwaukee Ave.
For a pin-in add PH E39 or Sq. 9 and Wheeling E24 and the Wheeling squad or truck plus PH and Wheeling chiefs.
Prospect Heights FPD nS Wheeling FD grid map for Palatine Road joint responses.
Possibly the last in a series of posts about the 5-11 Alarm fire with 2 special alarms on Tuesday, January 22nd at 3757 S. Ashland Avenue, Larry Shapiro has uploaded a somewhat lengthy video chronicling early stages of demolition. The video was created on Friday, January 25th, three days after the fire. Much of the building was encased in ice which brought onlookers and photographers from throughout the Chicago area to the scene. Many images have been posted earlier,HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.
The building reportedly has two basement levels that are inaccessible due to the interior collapse of the upper floors. Fire was still burning under the debris in many parts of the collapsed building. Fire companies were at the scene each day and most nights.
