This from Dan Shevlin:
Still & Box 1711 N KimballStill Time : 0546Box Time : 0555 by the 12th1711 Kimball was the original fire building 2 story frame 25 x 50 , communicating to 1709 Kimball 3 story frame 25 x 50 . Fire in the attic . Several hand lines . Tower Ladder 14 was put to work on the attic of the exposure . More photos @ chicagofirerover.smugmug.com . thanks Dan Shevlin
Dan Shevlin photo
Dan Shevlin photo
Dan Shevlin photo
Dan Shevlin photo
Dan Shevlin photo
After 10AM on Monday morning, the North Chicago Fire Department received reports of smoke coming from a building at the vacant Knights Inn Motel property, 2315 Greenbay Road. The first arriving companies entered and found two fires. After attempting an interior fire attack, the ceiling began to give way and they backed out of the building and initiated a defensive attack. A MABAS Box Alarm was struck followed shortly by a 2nd Alarm, a 3rd Alarm roughly an hour later, and eventually one special alarm for relief companies. Departments responding to assist North Chicago were Lake Forest, Gurnee, and Highland Park with trucks, Newport, Deerfield, and Libertyville with squads, Winthrop Harbor, Waukegan, Great Lakes, Knollwood, Lake Bluff, Beach Park, Mundelein, Countryside, Lincolnshire-Riverwoods, and Grayslake with engines.
Multiple colors of smoke can be seen here as the fire begins to burn through the roof. Jeff Rudolph photo
Heavy smoke and fire blows out the front of the building which most recently housed a night club. Scott Lasker photo
Four aerials with master streams went to work along with multiple hand lines and multi-versals.
A company from Lake Bluff works a hand line into a side door. Jeff Rudolph photo
The Chicago Tribune reported the following information:
North Chicago firefighters will have to find a new place to practice after vandals set a fire this morning that destroyed a vacant building earmarked for fire training.
The fire department had recently received permission to use the building for training. But firefighters were called there for a real emergency shortly after 10 a.m. following a report of smoke coming from the shuttered hotel and restaurant at 2315 N. Green Bay Road, said fire department shift commander Dell Urban.
The complete article can be found HERE.
Jeff Rudolph, Scott Lasker, and Tim Olk went to the fire and submitted images.
The North Chicago tower ladder gets ready to go to work as firefighters hope to burn off some of the roof to allow access to the fire inside the building. Jeff Rudolph photo
Jeff Rudolph had the following description:
Companies responded to a smell of smoke in a vacant building. Companies found a small rubbish fire inside the rear portion of a vacant night club about 100′ x100′. Crews came back in with extingushers, but found a heavier body of fire on the other side of a wall and backed out to grab a hand line. The fire was fueled by foam and other highly combustible materials used in the nightclub, and when crews reentered they where forced out as the ceiling collapsed. Command requested a box that would go up to a third with a special for manpower. Most of the fire was knocked by elevated master streams provided by North Chicago,Lake Forest, Gurnee, and Highland Park. Plywood covered the inside of the front windows . Once the main body of the fire was knocked an excavator was brought in to tear down the structure .
The Lake Forest tower ladder stands ready on Greenbay Road. Scott Lasker photo
Great Lakes Engine 1912 supplied master streams and hand lines from Greenbay Road. Tim Olk photo
Firefighters work from the bucket of North Chicago Tower 9. Tim Olk photo
Lake Bluff Engine 519 was also pumping. Jeff Rudolph photo
Gurnee's tower ladder was one of four aerials using elevated masters streams. Tim Olk photo
Newport Squad 1455 sits staged down the street. Jeff Rudolph photo
Waukegan responded with two engines, one was Engine 3 with their new KME. Jeff Rudolph photo
After the bulk of the fire has been extinguished, the Lake Forest and North Chicago tower ladders brought their buckets to street level and directed the streams in through the front windows. Tim Olk photo
After the fire was out, this view from a tower ladder basket shows the roof of the building and just how much remained intact. Multiple HVAC units remain precariously supported in place. Tim Olk photo
Tim Olk has a gallery of images HERE.
Jeff Rudolph has a gallery of images HERE.
An impressive header was visible for miles as the Cicero Fire Department and several neighboring departments battled a fire in an industrial building on 54th Avenue. Tuesday evening. Josh Boyajian photo
Thick black smoke and flames burned freely through the roof of the building as Cicero upgraded the alarm for additional help in battling the blaze. Cicero Engine 2 seen through the fence has a positin in the next yard over. Josh Boyaian photo
Cicero companies responded to an industrial fire near Roosevelt and Laramie around 7PM and found a large, well involved building. Chicago companies also responded to a reported fire in the area and returned when it was confirmed that the fire was in Cicero. A header from the fire could be seen as far north as Morton Grove.
Josh Boyajian went to the fire and submitted several images and a description:
Cicero was toned out at around 7pm for a possible factory fire. While enroute there was a huge header visible for miles. Enigne 1 was was first on scene and requested a BOX. About 10 minutes later it was upgraded to a 2-11. Cicero Eng 1 was the first engine and Cicero Trk 2 was the first truck.Stickney Engine 1201 was the box engine and was suppling Engine 1. Stickney dropped their bed of 1,000 feet of 4″ to a Chicago hydrant on Roosevelt
The engineer of Cicero Engine 1 connects a large diameter supply line from Stickney Engine 1201. Josh Boyajian photo
Stickney Engine 1201 had a hydrant down the block and was supplying water to Cicero Engine 1. Josh Boyajian photo
Cicero Truck 2 had an elevated master stream in operation. Cicero Tower 1 in the background was also working. Josh Boyajian photo
Cicero Tower 1 was supplied by Engine 3 in a parking lot down the road from Truck 2's position. Josh Boyajian photo
Cicero Truck 2 was the first truck on the scene and was spotted close to the main body of fire. Josh Boyajian photo
Cicero Engine 1 and Truck 2 looking down 54th Avenue. Josh Boyajian photo
Looking along the ladder of Truck 2 as the master stream targets the seat of the fire at dusk. Josh Boyajian photo
A brief article in the Tribune can be found HERE.
Shortly before 2AM on Thursday a motorist made a cellular 9-1-1 call and reported a fire at 3010 Mannheim Road in Franklin Park. First arriving units were met by heavy fire in the front lobby and on the third floor of a large, three-story, vacant motel property that is setup in the shape of an ‘H’ with a banquet hall in the rear. The building has been vacant for several years, and Franklin Park firefighters knew that the structural integrity of the building was suspect and they preplanned to take a defensive stance upon arrival if the building caught fire.
The banquet hall on the right is surrounded by guest rooms. Heavy fire burns in the back of the main building which faces Mannheim Road and has spread to the adjoining wing on the left. Steve Redick photo
When the first companies found heavy fire, they immediately requested a MABAS Box Alarm from MABAS Division 20. A 2nd alarm was requested roughly 20 minutes later. Six elevated master streams were eventually put to work around the building with the Melrose Park Bronto (working it’s second 3-11 alarm fire in a 12 hour span) setup on the south (‘B’), Leyden Township to the west (‘C’) with an E-ONE HP75, Rosemont to the north (‘D’) with their Pierce tower ladder, and the other three were working on Mannheim Road in front of the building (‘A’). This included another Bronto from Elmwood Park, a Seagrave rear mount from Franklin Park, and another Pierce tower from Schiller Park.
Schiller Park Tower 454 is working in front of the fire building on Mannheim road. Steve Redick photo
Engines that were due up to the 2nd alarm were two from Franklin Park, and one each from Stone Park, Elmhurst, River Grove, Norwood Park, Northlake, and Bensenville. Chicago Squad 7 from O’Hare was also due on the 2nd alarm.
The Melrose Park Bronto Skylift was positioned on the south side of the complex using the master stream to combat the fire. Larry Shapiro photo
Firefighters from Elmwood Park are above the roof on the southeast corner of the structure on Mannheim Road. Larry Shapiro photo
An EMS Box Alarm was also struck which brought ambulances from Schiller Park, Leyden Township, River Grove, and Bensenville in addition to an ambulance from Northlake. This allowed for multiple ambulances to be on standby for the multiple Rapid Intervention Teams that were part of the preplanning to accommodate the size of the property and the potential for unsafe conditions.
Schiller Park Tower 454 was on Mannheim at Center Avenue, the northeast corner of the building. Franklin Park Truck 2 and the Elmwood Park Bronto are further down the street. Larry Shapiro photo
A 3rd alarm fire box was initiated roughly an hour into the fire to provide relief companies for the crews that were working. This brought Maywood Truck 502 along with engines from River Forest, Berkely, and Hillside.
Franklin Park's engine tagged a hydrant at the corner of Mannheim and Schiller Boulevard to supply water to Truck 2. Larry Shapiro photo
The fire proved to have a hold throughout the main building and required several instances where all lines were shut down to allow the fire to burn through the roof so that firefighters could have access to extinguish the flames. Several hand lines and multi-versals were put to use supplementing the elevated master streams.
Several hours into the fire all of the lines were shut down so the fire could burn freely to allow firefighters better access to it. Larry Shapiro photo
The fire grows in intensity without water being applied. This in turn gave firefighters more access to fight the fire that was burning beneath the intact roof. Larry Shapiro photo
The alarms were finally struck out near 8AM as it appeared that companies finally had gotten the upper hand and were able to reach all of the deep seated fire which proved to be quite stubborn.
Several area photographers, Steve Redick, Tim Olk, Larry Shapiro, and Gordon J. Nord Jr., were at the scene overnight and will have images to post at different times during the day. As the images become available, the posting will be updated. Larry has a gallery HERE, and Steve has a gallery HERE.
The header as seen from a high-rise building in Oak Park. Dan McInerney photo
Firefighters prepare to put the Melrose Park Bronto Skylift into operation as the attack went defensive. Dan McInerney photo
The center of the courtyard off of Pine Street provided a vantage point for multiple hand lines directed into the upper floors of the fire building. Dan McInerney photo
The Maywood Fire Department received a call around 9AM this morning from contractors renovating a four-story vacant building. Preliminary reports indicate an accident involving a torch from a worker near the cockloft of one building of this five-building complex. A 2nd alarm was requested from Maywood companies shortly after arrival and the fire was eventually elevated to a third alarm. The structure was brick with concrete floors and the fire ran the length of the attic space burning off much of the roof before it collapsed in sections.
Aerial master streams from the Maywood and Melrose Park aerials along with a hand line from the ground go to work on the east side of the fire building shortly after companies were pulled out of the building. Dan McInerney photo
Heavy smoke is venting through the roof of the fire building as seen from 4th Avenue looking to the north east. Larry Shapiro photo
Maywood firefighters working off the tip of Truck 502's aerial work to gain access to the cockloft so they can reach the seat of the fire. Larry Shapiro photo
Maywood Truck 502, a Spartan/Darley/Nova-Quintech was setup on 3rd Street on the east side of the fire. Larry Shapiro photo
Looking south on 3rd Avenue from Randolph the fire building is seen as part of a larger complex of buildings. The fire was contained to the building of origin. Larry Shapiro photo
Maywood firefighters operate a hand line directed into the top floor. John Tulipano photo
A wider shot shows one hand line, the Maywood truck, and the stream from the Melrose Park aerial working on the east side of the fire building. John Tulipano photo
Fire breaks through the roof above where firefighters from Maywood are working to reach the cockloft. Larry Shapiro photo
Before they can continue their ventilation work, the Maywood firefighters standby as lines from the ground and the Melrose Park tower are directed at the flames. Larry Shapiro photo
As fire travels from the north to the south along the roof and cockloft, firefighters direct their streams to the southern end. The roof on the north end has collapsed. Dan McInerney photo
Maywood responded to the scene with a truck, three engine, and an ambulance. Mutual aid came from Melrose Park, Westchester, and Forest Park with trucks, North Riverside and River Grove with ambulances and engines from Broadview, Berkely, Bellwood, Stone Park, Elmwood Park, Hillside, and River Forest. The Maywood, Westchester, and Melrose Park trucks had master streams working, and engines supplying water were from Stone Park, River Forest, Bellwood, Berkely, plus two from Maywood.
Larry Shapiro, John Tulipano, and Dan McInerney were at the fire and submitted several images.
Maywood firefighters work to gain access to the hidden fire behind the mansard roof as the fire continues to vent through the roof. John Tulipano photo
As fire breaks through a new section of the roof, the master streams are re0directed. John Tulipano photo
Fire has reached the south end of the roof as seen from Pine Street and 3rd Avenue. Larry Shapiro photo
Companies worked inside the building until the fire took control of the roof and firefighters were notified by the contractors that there were several propane tanks plus two Bobcat Skid-Steer loaders inside.
Hillside Engine 405 was parked in staging and was not used for pumping, The manpower worked at the scene. Larry Shapiro photo
Maywood's 3rd engine at the scene, Engine 505, was parked down the street from the fire building. John Tulipano photo
Engines from River Forest and Stone Park laid hose to 5th Avenue and were on hydrants at Pine and Randolph respectively. Larry Shapiro photo
The 3-11 was struck out before noon.
John has a gallery of images HERE and Larry has a gallery HERE.
Another view showing fire burning through the roof with both master streams working. John Tulipano photo
An article about the fire can be found HERE.
For the finest department portraits and composites contact Tim Olk or Larry Shapiro.
