Tag Archives: Illinois

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Glenview, IL – Sprinkler system activated for fire at high school woodshop

Classes at a suburban Glenview high school were canceled Monday and students and staff were sent home after a fire alarm triggered a sprinkler system to be set off in the building, according to an announcement.

About 9:23 a.m., fire alarms were triggered near the woodshop of Glenbrook South High School, leading the building’s fire suppression and sprinkler system to be activated, the school posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

While the school initially said that students and staff were being allowed back into the building after being evacuated, it later said students would be dismissed after a “large amount of water” in the building had impacted school events.

“School is canceled for the rest of the day and students will be dismissed using a tiered system,” the school said.

In a 11:16 a.m. Facebook post, the school confirmed that all students had been dismissed.

According to the school, Monday morning’s fire alarm took place during “School Emergency Preparedness Week.”

No further details surrounding the circumstances of the incident were released. Glenbrook South High School did not immediately respond to NBC Chicago’s request for comment.

Apartment Building, Residential

Romeoville, IL – Sprinkler system activated for early morning apartment fire; No injuries reported

The Lockport Township Fire Protection District responded to an apartment fire in Romeoville early Wednesday.

Shortly after midnight, the LTFPD was called to the scene in the 1300 block of Mews Lane where crews found a fire had broken out on the balcony of a second-floor apartment unit.

According to the fire district, the building’s sprinkler system was triggered by the smoke and kept the fire from spreading, allowing crews to quickly extinguish it.

The building’s exterior reportedly suffered some damage, and the interior of the impacted unit also sustained minor damage.

Although the occupants were home at the time of the fire, no injuries were reported.

Lockport Fire Investigators still are investigating the specific cause of the fire, but, according to the initial report, the cause “appears to be accidental.”

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Arlington Heights, IL – Sprinkler system activated for fire at hotel; No injuries reported

A fire broke out Tuesday morning in a hotel guest’s bathroom, originating in a single light fixture. The Arlington Heights Fire Department is crediting the “quick action” of the sprinkler head for limiting damage at the Holiday Inn Express, 2111 S. Arlington Heights Road.

Officials said there were no occupants or firefighters injured during the incident.

Firefighters were called for an activated fire alarm at around 6 a.m. and found a sprinkler system activation at the fire alarm panel upon arrival. The hotel manager said a guest reported a fire in her room on the third floor.

The crews proceeded quickly to the third floor via the stairwell and reported light smoke conditions and a single sprinkler head activation, according to officials. Once it was verified the fire was out, the sprinkler system was shut down and drained to avoid further water damage.

Officials said the fire is still under investigation, but the area of origin appears to be a single light fixture in the bathroom of the third-floor room. There was limited damage and the fire did not extend beyond the bathroom of the fire unit due to the quick action of the sprinkler head. Multiple rooms were deemed uninhabitable due to smoke and water damage.

Crews from Mt. Prospect, Rolling Meadows, Des Plaines and Elk Grove Village assisted in the operations.

The Arlington Heights Fire Department is “everyone to always have an escape plan, whether at home or staying somewhere temporarily like a hotel.”

Apartment Building, Residential

Urbana, IL – Sprinkler system activated for fire at apartment complex; No injuries reported

A fire just before 4 p.m. on Halloween left two apartments in Urbana uninhabitable.

The Urbana Fire Department responded to a fire alarm at an apartment complex on Lincoln Avenue at 3:55 p.m. on Oct. 31. Initially, three engines, one ladder and one command officer were dispatched.

When the crews arrived, there was no sign of fire coming from the building, but after investigating, crews found water coming from an apartment.

The crews forced the apartment door open and found it was full of smoke. While the fire did damage the stove, microwave and cabinets, it was kept from spreading throughout the unit by the sprinkler system.

More firefighters were dispatched to the scene and crews were able to extinguish the fire within 10 minutes. The apartment residents were not home at the time of the fire, and no injuries were reported from responding crews or other residents living in the apartment complex.

The residents living in the apartment that experienced the fire, and the apartment directly below were told that their residences were not inhabitable at this time.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation and damage estimates have not been determined at this time.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Rosemont, IL – Sprinkler system activated for arson fire at Target

Charges have been filed in an arson at a Target store in northwest suburban Rosemont.

Flames broke out just before noon this past Thursday at the Target at 7000 Mannheim Rd. next to the Allstate Arena.

Store employees tried to put out the fire with a fire extinguisher before firefighters arrived, and multiple sprinkler heads started up.

The Rosemont Public Safety Department and several local fire departments responded to the scene, and found the fire near the diaper aisle. Everyone in the building left, and no one had to be hospitalized.

However, the store sustained major damage due to smoke, fire, and water used to put out the fire. Smoke damage extended beyond the area of the fire to include most of the store, police said.

Merchandise worth $1.5 million was lost, police said.

Mutual Aid Box Alarm System Division 20 Arson investigators, the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Rosemont police detectives launched an investigation right away. A suspect was quickly identified and tracked down in Elk Grove Village, police said.

Denny Ellis, 56, of Nevada, was charged on Saturday with aggravated arson. He made his first court appearance on Sunday, and was being held by the Cook County Sheriff’s office.

The Target remained closed as of Sunday due to damage inside and cleanup.

On Sept. 28, 2023, a fire was set inside the Target store at 1 S. State St. in the Loop. Sprinklers put out the fire at the downtown Target.

In that incident, Ronald Langley was charged with aggravated arson. According to court records, Langley was caught on video taking a can of WD-40 and lighting a blanket on fire on the second floor of the store.

Residential, Single Family Home

Libertyville, IL – Sprinkler system activated for garage fire at residence

Libertyville Fire Department officials said a recently installed sprinkler system at a house on the 400 block of Butterfield Lane kept a garage fire from spreading to the interior of the home Tuesday morning.

Firefighters were alerted by the residents at about 9 a.m. after they discovered smoke in a back room of their attached garage.

The home’s sprinkler system extinguished the fire and kept it from spreading to other parts of the home, officials said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The residents were allowed to return to the house.

No damage estimate was available.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Rockford, IL – Sprinkler system activated for suspected arson fire at café; No injuries reported

Rockford Police are investigating an attempted arson at Wired Cafe. 

Rockford Fire Department responded to Wired Cafe after reports of a fire before 7 a.m. Sunday morning.

Tenants living above the cafe were awoken from their sleep by the sound of the fire alarm and quickly called 911 after noticing smoke coming from the back door of the establishment.

Upon arrival, firefighters found that the activation of the sprinkler system had significantly mitigated the spread of the fire. Firefighters worked quickly to extinguish the remaining flames, limiting the damage to the cafe itself.

No injuries were reported to civilians or firefighters. Damage is estimated at $30,000. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Rockford Fire Department Capt. John J. Hall tells 13 WREX Rockford Police are investigating a break in at the business that occurred prior to the fire.

Rockford Police Department confirms this is an arson investigation.

Residence Hall/Dormitory, Residential

Normal, IL – Sprinkler system contains fire at university housing

It remains unclear what caused a fire at Watterson Towers South Tower at Illinois State University Wednesday afternoon.

The Normal Fire Department said a call came in around 4:20 PM Wednesday for an activated fire alarm.

While en route, numerous other calls came in that there was reported smoke in the building near the second-floor fitness center.

A search of the second floor led firefighters to find an activated fire sprinkler and a fire in a staff workroom that is connected to the fitness center. The fire was put out, while other firefighters searched the top floor and the floors above and below for any fire spread.

The Normal Fire Department says there is fire and smoke damage, but it is contained within the staff work room, while there is water throughout the second floor as a result of the fire sprinkler system and fire suppression efforts.

Public Information Officer Matt Swaney said the second floor at Watterson Towers South Tower is not a residential floor, and mainly houses the fitness center, and several offices and work rooms.

“The second floor is below any of the residential floors and no students are displaced. The second floor will remain closed while Illinois State University coordinates clean up and restoration work to the area,” said Swaney in a press release.

The building has reopened to students and it was turned back over to Illinois State University shortly after 6:30 PM.

No damage estimate is available.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Normal Fire Department and Illinois State University.

Residential, Residential High Rise

Springfield, IL – Sprinkler system activated for high-rise kitchen fire

The Springfield Fire Department responded to a structure fire in the 1100 block of 8th St, The Hildebrandt High Rise, on Monday at 11:28 p.m.

Officials say the fire was contained to a unit on the 7th floor.

The building was partially evacuated during the fire. The fire sprinkler system activated and kept the fire in check while firefighters stretched hose lines to the fire room.

There was one person with a report of smoke inhalation that was treated on scene and required no further assessment. Springfield Housing Authority and Red Cross are working with the displaced resident.

We’re told the cause of the fire appears to have been from food left on the stove leading to this kitchen fire.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Naperville, IL – Sprinkler system activated for structure fire; No injuries reported

At 10:01 p.m. on Tuesday, May 14, the Naperville Emergency Communications Center (ECC) received notification about an activated fire alarm at 450 W. 5th Ave. Naperville 911 (ECC) dispatched a single unit to the scene. Upon arrival NFD found activation of the sprinkler system and the odor of smoke. The assignment was upgraded to a general alarm consisting of 13 pieces of fire apparatus and 29 personnel, including an incident commander and incident safety officer, to the reported address.

After upgrading the alarm, the first arriving company deployed a handline and forced entry into the suspected fire unit. Fire companies ensured there was no fire extension into adjoining units and confirmed there were no occupants in the structure. At 10:23 p.m., the incident scene was deemed under control. Fire companies remained on the scene until 11:39 p.m. to ensure the occupancy was secure and there was no further fire hazard.

The Naperville Fire Department was assisted on the scene by the Naperville Police Department and the Naperville Transportation, Engineering and Development Department (TED). The Warrenville Fire Protection District, Lisle Woodridge Fire Protection District and Bolingbrook Fire Department provided station coverage during the incident. The cause is still under investigation. There were no injuries to any civilians or firefighters while operating on scene.

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