Posts Tagged Wauconda Fire District

Wauconda Fire District news

Nov 22

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Wauconda Fire District Chief Mike Wahl is retiring after nearly 34 years with the department. He is stepping down effective Jan. 1, though a traditional walkout ceremony is planned for Dec. 15, his last day on the job.

He joined the department as a firefighter-paramedic in May 1984 and rose through the ranks. He’s been fire chief since 2015. Wahl also has served as Wauconda’s emergency management agency director, and he’s served on Illinois’ emergency services management and incident management teams, among other responsibilities.

The fire district board has selected David Geary, the agency’s business manager, to succeed Wahl. He joined the district in 1978 as a firefighter-paramedic and stayed on staff until 1990. He returned to the district in 2012 as business manager, a post with financial and administrative duties. Geary will be sworn in as the new chief Dec. 21.

Tags: David Geary, new fire chief in Wauconda, Wauconda fire chief to retire, Wauconda Fire District, Wauconda Fire District Chief Mike Wahl

Wauconda Fire District news

Oct 24

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Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:

A neighbor reported the fire at 12:45 p.m. Saturday on the 5000 block of Little Drive in unincorporated McHenry County, according to a news release from the Wauconda Fire District.

When firefighters arrived, there was visible, heavy smoke coming from the attic. No one was inside the home when the fire started. A dog in the house escaped without injuries and is staying with a neighbor..

The fire was out in 15 minutes and caused about $50,000 in damage, rendering the home uninhabitable.

Tags: Wauconda Fire District

Wauconda Fire District news

Sep 6

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Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:

A group of Wauconda firefighters responded to a supermarket cashier’s generosity this week by donating money to a Hurricane Harvey relief effort.

Lt. Joe Studer and two other firefighters from Wauconda Fire District station No. 2 were about to pay for groceries Wednesday morning when they were dispatched to a call.

Before abandoning their purchase at the register, they asked the cashier to ring up the groceries and promised to return to pay.

Calls during shopping happen occasionally, Studer said, and the firefighters always return for their goods, but this time, the cashier personally paid the bill, which came to nearly $50.

Firefighters traditionally pay for their own meals when on shift. Instead of pocketing the $50 they would have spent on food, they donated the money to the American Red Cross to help victims of Hurricane Harvey.

Wauconda firefighters and police officers stood at the intersection of Main Street and Route 176 on Friday to collect donations for the Red Cross, too.

Tags: firefighters donate to help victims of Hurricane Harvey, Lt. Joe Studer, Wauconda Fire Department, Wauconda Fire District

Wauconda Fire District news

Aug 13

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Excerpts from the NWherald.com:

A high-speed police chase Wednesday morning ended in a fiery crash in front of the museum, 27582 Volo Village Road, Wauconda Police Chief David Wermes said.

A 22-year-old man from Wauconda was spotted by Wauconda police about 10:30 a.m. driving north on Route 12 at 84 mph. When police pursued the car, the driver sped up. A Wheeling police officer spotted the car driving about 100 mph.

The driver failed to navigate the intersection at Fox Lake and Volo Village roads, and crashed into a pole outside the auto museum.

When police caught up and took the driver from his car, a red 2014 Dodge Challenger, it caught on fire.

Wauconda Fire Lt. Dan Frey said firefighters responded to the crash and found a subject sitting on the side of the road with police. The man was taken to a local hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening. Firefighters extinguished the car fire without any injuries.

Tags: high-speed police chase ends in crash, Wauconda Fire District

2-Alarm fire in Lake Zurich, 5-20-17 (more)

May 24

Posted by Admin in Fire Scene photos | Comments off

short video by Larry Shapiro from the 2-Alarm fire in Lake Zurich, 5-20-17 (Wauconda Fire District)

Tags: chicagoareafire.com, fire scene video, Larry Shapiro, vacant house burns in unincorporated Lake Zurich, vacant house engulfed in flames, Wauconda Fire District

2-Alarm fire in Lake Zurich, 5-20-17

May 22

Posted by Admin in Apparatus on-scene, Fire Department News, Fire Scene photos | 1 Comment

Wauconda firefighters were called for a house fire at 25860 Old McHenry Court in an unincorporated area of Lake Zurich Saturday night. Upon arrival of the first units, they reported a fully involved vacant house. The alarm was upgraded to a MABAS Box Alarm to the 2nd level for tenders (tankers) since there were no hydrants in the area.

Wauconda Tanker 341 was setup to nurse Squad 341 as lines were advanced on the house. As mutual aid companies arrived, portable tanks were dropped at the end of the street with a supply line from a Lake Zurich engine as the tanker shuttle was initiated.

portable tanks on the ground for tanker shuttle

Larry Shapiro photo

Larry Shapiro photo

Larry Shapiro photo

firefighters battle fire in a vacant house

Larry Shapiro photo

Larry Shapiro photo

more photos at Shapirophotography.net

Tags: Ferrara Inferno fire truck at fire scene, fire engine drafting from portable tank, fire scene photos, firefighters battle fire in a vacant house, Larry Shapiro, portable water tank on the ground, shapirophotography.net, vacant house burns in unincorporated Lake Zurich, Wauconda FD Squad 341, Wauconda FD Tanker 341, Wauconda Fire District

Wauconda Fire District news

Jan 12

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Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:

Micah Austin, 43, of San Tan Valley, Arizona, died while riding in the Salt River Canyon. Gila County sheriff’s police believe he got off his BMW motorcycle, slipped and fell 425 feet to his death.

His body was found by a drone in the canyon Jan. 2, a day after the motorcycle was discovered abandoned alongside a road, the Gila County sheriff’s office said.

A Texas native who later moved to Wauconda, Austin graduated from Wauconda High School in 1991. He worked for the Wauconda Fire Protection District between 1993 and 2000.

Austin moved to Arizona more than a year ago and had been working as a virtual design and construction engineer.

Visitation is scheduled for 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Kisselburg-Wauconda Funeral Home, 235 N. Main St. A private family gathering will follow.

Survivors include Austin’s wife, his parents, three sisters and a grandmother.

Instead of flowers, contributions may be made in Austin’s memory to the Backcountry Discovery Routes by calling (206) 383-6233 or visiting backcountrydiscoveryroutes.com.

thanks Dan

Tags: Micah Austin, Wauconda Fire Department, Wauconda Fire District

Fatal fire in Island Lake, 9-19-16

Sep 20

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | Comments off

Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:

An Island Lake woman was pronounced dead early Monday after being pulled by Wauconda Fire District personnel from a house fire in the 200 block of South Shore Drive.

According to a Wauconda Fire District news release, crews responded around 3:30 a.m. to an initial report of a tree on fire behind the home, located north of Route 176 and Roberts Road. Island Lake police reportedly arrived first to find heavy fire through the roof of the single-story home and the call was upgraded to a structure fire.

The release stated that a search of the structure was initiated and the crew encountered heavy smoke to the floor in the home. “During the primary search, a female victim was found and removed from the home,” the release stated. “Lifesaving procedures were initiated. The victim was transferred to the EMS crew on the scene, but the efforts were unsuccessful.”

Tags: fatal fire in Island Lake, Wauconda Fire Department, Wauconda Fire District

Wauconda Fire District news

Jun 11

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | 1 Comment

Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:

Retired police officer and longtime Wauconda Fire District board President Richard “Rich” Bilisko is being remembered as a dedicated public servant and a caring man, especially when it came to children.

Bilisko, 70, of Wauconda, who died May 29, was born in Chicago, and spent 27 years as a police officer in Lake County. He retired from the sheriff’s office in 2007. He led the Wauconda Fire District board as its president from 2005 until his death.

Bilisko was a fixture at fire stations, asking employees about events in their lives and their children. He particularly liked visiting station No. 3 on Gilmer Road, Fire Chief Mike Wahl said.

Visitation is 3 to 9 p.m. June 17 at Kisselburg-Wauconda Funeral Home, 235 N. Main St., Wauconda. A funeral Mass will be said at 11 a.m. June 18 at Transfiguration Church, 348 W. Mill St., Wauconda.

In addition to his widow, Bilisko’s survivors include two sons.

Tags: Richard "Rich" Bilisko, Wauconda Fire District

House fire in Hawthorn Woods, 5-25-16

May 26

Posted by Admin in Apparatus on-scene, Fire Department News, Fire Scene photos, Fire Scene video | 2 Comments

Lake Zurich firefighters were called to 3160 Louise Court in Hawthorn Woods Wednesday night (5/25/16) for a house fire. A series of heavy thunderstorms were moving through the area at the time. First arriving units reported smoke showing and pushing out from the eaves in front. Fire soon vented through the roof and interior companies made an aggressive attack knocking down the majority of the fire quickly. The alarm was upgraded to a Box Alarm bringing mutual aid from close to a dozen neighboring departments.