Posts Tagged storm damage

Beach Park gets help after storms

Jul 14

Posted by bgshap in Fire Department News, Fire Service News | 7 Comments

The storms that passed through the area on Monday evening caused heavy damage to many communities. Beach Park requested a MABAS Box Alarm to get help with the damage in their district. Jeff Rudolph sent in some camera phone pictures from the staging area located at Beach and Sheridan.

Beach Park Ambulance 1242. Jeff Rudolph photo

The Lake County Quad 2 Mobile Command Post. Jeff Rudolph photo

Buffalo Grove Quint 27. Jeff Rudolph photo

Lake Forest Utility 241. Jeff Rudolph photo

Mutual aid companies staged. Jeff Rudolph photo

Tags: Beach Park Fire Department, Buffalo Grove Fire Department, Jeff Rudolph, Lake County Quad 2 Command Post, Lake Forest Fire Department, MABAS Box Alarm, storm damage

Mt Prospect house fire 6-23-11

Jun 23

Posted by bgshap in Apparatus on-scene, Fire, Fire Service News | 2 Comments

Mt Prospect Fire Department house fire 6-23-11 601 N Elmhurst Avenue

Firefighters complete roof ventilation as others inspect the living room after the fire was declared under control. Larry Shapiro photo

In a neighborhood that sustained heavy storm damage and was still without power two nights after a huge storm system brought a tornado through Mt. Prospect, a house fire was reported around 9PM. Neighbors reported smoke coming from the ranch house at 601 N. Elmhurst Avenue, (which is four streets west of Elmhurst Road/Route 83) at the corner of west Highland Street.

Mt Prospect Tower 13, a Pierce Velocity, was setup in front of the house on Highland and provided lighting for the firefighters that were working on the roof. Larry Shapiro photo

Mt Prospect Engine 13 was around the corner on Elmhurst with two lengths of LDH to the hydrant on the opposite corner. Larry Shapiro photo

Companies could have had difficulty getting a secure water supply if they had encountered a hydrant like this one on the next block. Larry Shapiro photo

Initial reports were that a dog was in the house and that the residents were not at home. Engine 14 arrived moments before Tower 13 and found fire venting through windows on the east side of the house. The Code 3 was upgraded to a Code 4 bringing mutual aid companies from Prospect Heights, Arlington Heights, and Des Plaines to the scene in addition to change companies covering the Mt Prospect stations.

Off-duty personnel brought the Mt Prospect Squad to the scene to fill air bottles. Larry Shapiro photo

Fire was blowing out the east side of the house when companies arrived. Larry Shapiro photo

The fire was knocked down in under 15 minutes and the out of town units were released shortly thereafter. Both sides of each street throughout the neighborhood were lined with tree limbs and other storm related debris.

Throughout the entire neighborhood, storm damage was apparent overhead. Larry Shapiro photo

Debris from the storm two nights earlier lined both sides of each street in this neighborhood. Larry Shapiro photo

A large tree lays across a hydrant around the corner from the house fire. The first engine had to keep an eye out for a hydrant that was not obstructed. Larry Shapiro photo

Tags: Arlington Heights Fire Department, Des Plaines Fire Department, house fire, Larry Shapiro, Mount Prospect FIre Department, Mt Prospect, obstructed fire hydrant, Pierce Quantum, Pierce Velocity tower ladder, Prospect Heights Fire Department, storm damage

Storms flood Garden Homes

Jun 10

Posted by bgshap in Fire Department News, Fire Service News | Comments off

Garden Homes Fire Protection District flooding

Firefighters make the most of a bad situation with a 'No Wake Zone' sign outside the Garden Homes Fire Protection District station this morning. Dennis McGuire, Jr. photo

This morning’s heavy rains inundated several south suburbs. Among the areas that sustained damage was the Garden Homes Fire Protection District. The area around and inside the station had roughly 8-inches of standing water. Dennis McGuire, Jr. submitted several images and a link to Fox News who did a story from the fire station.

Garden Homes Engine 2533 sits outside the station which had several inches of standing water inside. Dennis McGuire, Jr. photo

Scott Bluhm, of the Garden Homes Fire Protection District, said the volunteer fire department, which depends on donations, had about two feet of water that destroyed equipment and computers. He said though it floods often, this time was the worst he had seen.

South Suburbs Recovering from Flooding, Storms: MyFoxCHICAGO.com

Firefighters wade through the water in front of the station. Dennis McGuire, Jr. photo

Looking east on 119th Street shows how the station is apparently in a low area with regard to the street. Dennis McGuire, Jr. photo

Garden Homes Engine 2543, (X-Bedford Park) sits outside the station with along with firefighters as they wait for the water to recede. Dennis McGuire, Jr. photo

Tags: American LaFrance Metropolitan, Dennis McGuire Jr., flooding, Garden Homes Fire Protection District, Seagrave engine, storm damage

First fire for Buffalo Grove tower

Oct 27

Posted by bgshap in Apparatus on-scene, Fire, Fire Department News | Comments off

In honor of breast cancer awareness month, Buffalo Grove firefighters join other fire departments around the country by wearing pink. Larry Shapiro

At the height of the morning storm yesterday and within a ½ hour of shift change, four calls for service came into Northwest Central Dispatch for the Buffalo Grove Fire Department within minutes of each other. There were two ambulance calls, a reported transformer fire with extension to a shed, and a working fire in a townhouse. As companies scrambled to each call, the transformer fire was just that and had not extended to the shed, but smoke met firefighters on arrival at a center unit in a four-unit townhouse. The fire was upgraded immediately and companies that were already en-route to the shed fire were rerouted providing quick back-up to first-due units.

Buffalo Grove’s 2010 Ferrara Inferno tower ladder was the first fire suppression unit on the scene and was deployed for the first time at a Buffalo Grove fire.

Buffalo Grove Fire Department 2010 Ferrara Inferno tower ladder townhouse fire

Tower Ladder 25 (235) is deployed at a townhouse fire at 161 Old Oak Court E during the storm on Tuesday morning. Larry Shapiro photo

Buffalo Grove townhouse fire at 161 Old Oak Court E

The storm did not let up during fire fighting operations Tuesday morning as high winds knocked out power to thousands of homes and businesses. Larry Shapiro photo

More images from this fire can be seen HERE.

Tags: BGFD, Breast Cancer Awareness, Buffalo Grove, Ferrara, Inferno, Northwest Central Dispatch, Shapiro, storm, storm damage, townhouse fire

Knollwood engine on-scene

Oct 27

Posted by bgshap in Apparatus on-scene, Reader submission | Comments off

Jeff Rudolph answers our call for on-scene apparatus images with a few shots of Knollwood Engine 44 responding to storm related downed wires.

Knollwood Engine 44 standing by at a 'wires-down' call awaiting the arrival of the power company. Jeff Rudolph photo

Knollwood E44 at the scene of energized power lines down on a wood fence and shed. Address of 1012 Safford Av. Crews were forced to wait until Com Ed killed the power. Jeff Rudolph photo