This from Larry Shapiro:
Calls reporting a house fire at 102 S. Chester came in to the Park Ridge Fire Department shortly before 10AM on Saturday (2-15-14). After spotting a header while in route, units arrived at the house on the corner of Chester and Garden to find the back porch on fire and a worker with burn injuries. The alarm was upgraded to a Code 4 for the working fire. Engine 35 encountered a frozen hydrant at the corner, so firefighters hand jacked hose from the Tower 36 to another hydrant half a block south of the incident.
Companies made quick work of knocking down the main fire, and found that there was minimal communication to the second floor. The house was unoccupied at the time of the fire, apparently in the final stages of remodeling.
Units at the scene were Park Ridge Engine 35, Tower 36, both Park Ridge ambulances and Battalion 35. Rosemont and Niles responded with trucks, Morton Grove with a squad, Norwood Park and North Maine with engines, plus ambulances from Lincolnwood and Elk Grove Village.
I arrived well after the fire was out and have images of the scene.
Mutual aid companies on Chester. Larry Shapiro photo
Rear of the house as seen from Chester. Larry Shapiro photo
Norwood Park Engine 101. Larry Shapiro photo
Park Ridge Engine 35 at the corner after finding a frozen hydrant. Larry Shapiro photo
Tower Ladder 36 alongside the house on Chester.Larry Shapiro photo
Deputy Chief Jeff Sorensen giving a press briefing. Larry Shapiro photo
The hydrant in front of the house was froze. Larry Shapiro photo
Park Ridge Tower 36 had two lines off. Larry Shapiro photo
A Park Ridge firefighter picks up hose. Larry Shapiro photo
The fire was on the rear porch of the house. Larry Shapiro photo
Supply hose stretched to a secondary hydrant after the first hydrant was frozen. Larry Shapiro photo
Norwood Park Engine 101. Larry Shapiro photo
More images can be viewed HERE.
