Posts Tagged commercial fire and hazardous materials incident at 969 Northwest Highway in Park Ridge 7-17-19

Commercial fire and haz mat incident in Park Ridge, 7-17-19 (more)

Excerpts from the journal-topics.com:

While the Park Ridge Fire Department was planning to replace its tower ladder in the next year or so, the fire in July at the former Marathon gas station at Oakton and Northwest Highway has radically moved up the priorities for ordering.

Fire Chief Jeff Sorensen reported Monday night (Oct. 28) at the Committee of the Whole meeting that two of the ladder’s three sections had been damaged and no longer can be used.

United Laboratories (UL) inspected it and condemned the ladder, which failed its strength test.

The department was told that trying to repair the ladder would cost a quarter of a million dollars, and it still would not be safe to use because the new parts would not fit together well enough. Exposure to a corrosive material during the fire also degraded metal fittings and connections.

The trade-in value the 2001 aerial truck might have brought before the July fire is much reduced.

Currently they are using it as a service truck with equipment, ground ladders and provide a fire pump.

To make the tour ladder last as long as possible and reduce unnecessary mileage, the department recently outfitted Rescue 36, a smaller vehicle, to run EMS calls in place of the truck.

With mileage that now tops 79,000 miles, the department knew the truck would need to be replaced soon, but it had not scheduled ordering another until Fiscal Year 2021, which starts next May.

A new truck is estimated at $1.4 million. Advancing the delivery date by six months would be an important step forward.

After contacting companies which manufacture fire trucks to price specific features they need, the department learned that prices for all manufacturers are expected to go up after the end of the year. There are not many companies, and the sales people prefer to take orders for several at a time. It takes about a year to fill an order.

Pre-budget discussions will begin in November during capital improvement and levy consideration.

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Commercial fire and haz mat incident in Park Ridge, 7-17-19 (more)

Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:

The Park Ridge fire marshal issued a citation on Thursday for failing to notify the fire department that a large amount of hazardous material was being stored at a site prior to the building erupting in flames.  Firefighters battled a large blaze that engulfed the former Harvey’s Marathon gas station at Northwest Highway and Oakton Street. The property owner failed to post signs on the property or let the fire department know that 45 tons of calcium peroxide was being stored in and next to the former gas station and service center building. The citation comes with a $500 fine.

The massive amount of calcium peroxide stored inside the building was going to be used to clean up soil contamination on the property, due to it having it operated as a gas station for a number of years. The property has been vacant since around 2013. The city of Park Ridge identified the property’s owner as Raza Holdings LLC. 

The fire department has identified the calcium peroxide as a hazardous material that caused the fire to build rapidly and injure two firefighters who sustained minor  burns.The Park Ridge Fire Department and other area departments that responded to fight the fire will likely seek reimbursement for damages to equipment plus labor expenses. The cause of the fire has not been determined.

Cleanup at the site continued Friday, with monitoring by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. A plastic lined sand berm was installed on the property Thursday and cleanup was expected to continue through the weekend. The IEPA does not regulate the storage of calcium peroxide, and any requirements would fall under the local municipality’s laws. Any of the material that was not destroyed in the fire cannot be used on the property for the soil decontamination that had been planned.

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Commercial fire and haz mat incident in Park Ridge, 7-17-19 (more)

Photos from Steve Redick from the Commercial fire and haz mat incident in Park Ridge, 7-17-19

aftermath of commercial fire in Park Ridge IL

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aftermath of commercial fire in Park Ridge IL

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Commercial fire and haz mat incident in Park Ridge, 7-17-19 (more)

Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:

A fire was reported shortly after 5 p.m. at the former Harvey’s Marathon gas station at Oakton Street and Northwest Highway in Park Ridge on Wednesday afternoon. Heavy black smoke covered the immediate area while firefighters from several communities worked to get the fire under control.

A Niles firefighter and a Schiller Park firefighter suffered minor burns while fighting the fire and were treated and released from Advocate Lutheran General Hospital.

The building was loaded with approximately 90,000 pounds of calcium peroxide, a hazardous material that can be used as a decontaminate in soil. The material was brought to the building the previous day. The station has been vacant for several years.

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Commercial fire and haz mat incident in Park Ridge, 7-17-19

fire truck at fire scene

Photos from Tim Olk of the commercial fire and hazardous materials incident at 969 Northwest Highway in Park Ridge 7-17-19.

heavy smoke from commercial fire

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fire truck at fire scene

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fire truck at fire scene

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fire truck at fire scene

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fire trucks at fire scene

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fire truck at fire scene

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fire truck at fire scene

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fire truck at fire scene

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fire truck at fire scene

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fire truck at fire scene

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fire truck at fire scene

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fire truck at fire scene

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fire trucks at fire scene

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fire truck at fire scene

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Firefighter decon at fire scene

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Firefighter decon at fire scene

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