Posts Tagged Cook County Forest Preserve brush fire

Prescribed burn in Busse Woods, 3-31-15

This from Larry Shapiro:

It’s the season for controlled or prescribed burns, so I followed a huge header Tuesday afternoon (3/31/15) to the Busse Woods Forest Preserve where the Cook County FPD Resource Management firefighters were burning in a large field. I walked in and stayed for about 45 minutes as they moved through the area. Here are some images from the burn area of what’s called the Nature Preserve on the north side of the Salt Creek.

huge flames and heavy smoke from prescribed burn

Larry Shapiro photo

huge flames and heavy smoke from prescribed burn

Larry Shapiro photo

huge flames and heavy smoke from prescribed burn

Larry Shapiro photo

huge flames and heavy smoke from prescribed burn

Larry Shapiro photo

wildland firefighter uses drip torch in field

Larry Shapiro photo

wildland firefighter at prescribed burn

Larry Shapiro photo

wildland firefighter uses drip torch in field

Larry Shapiro photo

wildland firefighter at prescribed burn

Larry Shapiro photo

wildland firefighter with huge flames

Larry Shapiro photo

huge flames and heavy smoke from prescribed burn

Larry Shapiro photo

An extensive gallery is at shapirophotography.net

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Brush fire videos

Two videos have been made available from last week’s brush fires in the northwest suburbs as mentioned HERE and HERE and HERE.

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Brush fire – Potawatami Woods, Prospect Heights 3-11-12

RED Center, who dispatches for the Prospect Heights Fire Department, received a call around 4PM this afternoon reporting a large brush fire in the Potawatami Woods Forest Preserve off Portwine Road in the Prospect Heights Fire District. They dispatched the call as an upgraded working fire based on the caller telling them that an area roughly the size of a football field was involved.

Potawatami Woods brush fire 3-11-12 Prospect Heights Fire Department

Long Grove Brush 55 was the first unit able to make it back into the area that was burning. Larry Shapiro photo

The first units reported a header and found a significant fire in the forest preserve. They realized that the fire covered a vast area and would require more manpower than what was on the initial response. Firefighters from Prospect Heights, Wheeling, and Lincolnshire-Riverwoods walked back into the woods with a brush rig from Long Grove. Much of the ground was soft which resulted in several vehicles becoming stuck during the operation.

Potawatami Woods brush fire 3-11-12 Prospect Heights Fire Department hand crew

Prospect Heights firefighters use hand tools to try and extinguish the fire at the edge of the burn area. Larry Shapiro photo

Potawatami Woods brush fire 3-11-12 Prospect Heights Fire Department

Flames flared up along the burn area faster than the hand crews could get to them. Larry Shapiro photo

Potawatami Woods brush fire 3-11-12 Prospect Heights Fire Department Long Grove Brush 55 Alexis

Long Grove Brush 55 was used to supply handlines. Larry Shapiro photo

Larry Shapiro was at the scene and submitted several images. Tim Olk was also at the scene. His images will be in a subsequent post.

Potawatami Woods brush fire 3-11-12 Prospect Heights Fire Department wildland progressive hose pack

An officer from Long Grove is deploying a wildland progressive hose pack. Larry Shapiro photo

Potawatami Woods brush fire 3-11-12 Prospect Heights Fire Department

As the fire got hold of larger fuel loads, large flare-ups appeared until the fuel load was consumed. Larry Shapiro photo

The alarm was elevated to a MABAS Brush Fire Box Alarm which brought additional companies including water tenders, brush units, and engines from the Countryside Fire District, Buffalo Grove, Grayslake, Elk Grove Township, and Fox River Grove.

Potawatami Woods brush fire 3-11-12 Prospect Heights Fire Department

Tall grasses ignited and created thick black smoke and intense heat. Larry Shapiro photo

As the wind carried the fire into the tall grasses, high flames produced intense heat and thick black smoke that cold be seen for miles.

Potawatami Woods brush fire 3-11-12 Prospect Heights Fire Department

A firefighter waits for a 1" wildland hoseline to be charged. Larry Shapiro photo

Potawatami Woods brush fire 3-11-12 Prospect Heights Fire Department

Water is deployed as the tall grasses are fully involved on the south end of the site. Larry Shapiro photo

Potawatami Woods brush fire 3-11-12 Prospect Heights Fire Department

Another line is stretched into position. Larry Shapiro photo

Complicating matters for dispatchers was that simultaneously the Barrington Fire Department had a large brush fire at the box alarm level which called for some of the same companies that would have been due into Prospect Heights.

Potawatami Woods brush fire 3-11-12 Prospect Heights Fire Department

A handline is deployed along the edge of the burn area. Larry Shapiro photo

Potawatami Woods brush fire 3-11-12 Prospect Heights Fire Department

Firefighters stretch a line from the Countryside FPD Tanker 411 which was brought to the burn area and used to nurse Long Grove Brush 55. Larry Shapiro photo

Potawatami Woods brush fire 3-11-12 Prospect Heights Fire Department

An image showing the burn area after the fires were contained. Larry Shapiro photo

No injuries were reported at the scene and as the fire was contained, the Cook County Forest Preserve Conservation Team (wildland firefighters) arrived to complete the mop-up.

More images can be found HERE and HERE.

Larry Shapiro will provide a video from the fire when it is assembled.

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