Firefighters use a 2 1/2-inch line to wet down the remaining hot spots after the main fire had been knocked down. Larry Shapiro photo
The Long Grove Fire Department received several calls this afternoon reporting a garage fire at 16202 Aptakisic in Prairie View. Initially, conflicting reports were given as to whether or not the garage was attached to the house or detached, and it was unclear if the fire had spread to any nearby buildings. One caller suggested that the homeowner might have been trapped inside the garage.
The B-side of the garage was six feet from an in-ground swimming pool and roughly 25 feet from the house. Larry Shapiro photo
Wheeling firefighters work on spot fires inside the garage. Larry Shapiro photo
This address represents an unincorporated section of Lake County which belongs to the Long Grove Fire Department but is also surrounded by Buffalo Grove and Lincolnshire.
There were no fire hydrants on the north side of Aptakisic Road where the fire broke out so Long Grove Squad 55 dropped 1,500 feet of 5" hose. This allowed them to assist with supplying Buffalo Grove Engine 26 the first engine on the scene which was working off of tank water. Larry Shapiro photo
Due to the proximity of their station, Buffalo Grove Engine 26 (217) was the first company on the scene. Larry Shapiro photo
Buffalo Grove Station 26 is located just over a mile from this address and when Engine 26 pulled out of their quarters they reported seeing a significant header. Units that responded to the scene include Long Grove Squad 55 and Tanker 55, Buffalo Grove Engine 26 and Quint 27, Lincolnshire-Riverwoods Engine 51, Lake Zurich Engine 4, Libertyville Truck 461, Wheeling Engine 24, Countryside Ambulance 411, and a Barrington ambulance in addition to chief officers from Long Grove, Buffalo Grove, and Lincolnshire-Riverwoods.
Temperatures were in the 80s and the humidity was high, so fire companies rotated between finishing off the hot spots and going through rehab. Here, Lake Zurich firefighters are on the line. Larry Shapiro photo
Long Grove Squad 55 responded to the fire on Aptakisic after picking up from a motor vehicle accident. Larry Shapiro photo
Long Grove Tanker 55 was requested to the scene as a backup to provide additional water. Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro arrived after the fire was knocked down and submitted several images from the scene. A gallery with more images can be viewed HERE.
The Daily Herald has an article HERE.
This was not the first fire at this address in recent years. Firefighters responded to this address on December 31, 2009 for a fully involved car fire next to the house.
#1 by Dan on July 28, 2011 - 7:39 AM
I was driving home and saw some smoke beginning to come from that area..but since there were a lot of landscaping type companies there, I did not think anything of it. Once I got to 83 and looked in my rear view mirror, the plume was quite large. A minute later Buffalo Grove quint and Long Grove Battalion passed me by. I was hoping to see Tanker 55 in action, but I guess I was too early. Glad that you got to get some pictures, I was wondering if somebody would if it was serious.