Other - School / University, Other Business Rockton, IL – Fire at performing arts center extinguished by sprinkler system January 22, 2019 viking210 No one was injured after a small fire erupted about 9:30 p.m. Sunday in back of the stage inside the Hononegah Community High School Performing Arts Center. The sprinkler system extinguished the fire before the firefighters arrived, a news release said. An investigation has been started as to the cause and the damage is being assessed. No one was in the performing arts center when the fire began. Crews are attempting to mitigate the smoke and water damage.
Other - School / University, School / University Westmont, IL – Sprinkler system activated for fire at school bus depot January 7, 2019 viking210 A bus depot caught fire in Westmont after a worker used a torch that accidentally ignited a seat on a school bus Wednesday. Firefighters rushed to First Student Bus Company at 250 W. 63rd St. after a resident reported seeing heavy smoke coming from the building just before 3 p.m. When fire crews arrived, the building’s alarm and sprinkler systems had been activated. Officials say everyone had been evacuated safely, but one person suffered smoke inhalation and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. More than two dozen firefighters battled the blaze, with crews coming in from Downers Grove, Tri-State, and Clarendon Hills to assist the Westmont Fire Department. The building and bus sustained a total of $150,000 in damage and the building was declared uninhabitable because of extensive smoke and water damage.
Retail Rockford, IL – Storage room fire in retail store extinguished by sprinkler system December 26, 2018 viking210 The Rockford Fire Department responded to Chateau More Than a Dress, 2508 South Alpine Road in the Alpine Village Shopping Center, around 7:45 p.m. Monday night after a sprinkler alarm went off in the business. Firefighters found smoke inside the business and an extinguished fire was discovered in a back storage area. The fire was put out by the sprinkler system. Fire damage was limited to a small area of merchandise. The business and a neighboring business also suffered water damage. Investigators say about $15,000 in damage was done. Other business in the strip mall were unaffected and remained open. No one was hurt.
Primary / Secondary School, School / University Wheeling, IL – Fire at high school quickly extinguished by sprinkler system December 14, 2018 viking210 No cause has been identified in a small fire that led to the evacuation of Wheeling High School, 900 S. Elmhurst Rd., at approximately 1:45 p.m. Friday (Dec. 7). According to Wheeling Deputy Fire Chief Michael McGreal, the fire was contained to a storage closet near the rear of the school’s woodshop and was related to filters on a spray booth for paint and lacquer. There were no injuries and only minimal damage, with the closet cleaned and ready for use the same day. McGreal said the school’s sprinkler system activated quickly, dousing the fire before it could become a serious danger. However, as a precaution, students stayed outside for around 20 minutes while fire crews cleared the scene. “We tried to get the kids in as soon as possible, because it was very cold,” McGreal told the Journal & Topics.
Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant Chicago, IL – Sprinkler system assist firefighters in extinguishing fire at mattress factory December 12, 2018 viking210 Chicago firefighters were called to a report of a fire in a mattress factory in West Garfield Park on Sunday morning, officials reported. About 7:40 a.m. emergency responders first were called to 4444 W. Ohio St. on the West Side for a report of a fire at a mattress factory. The building was evacuated and no one was reported injured, according to tweets from the Chicago Fire Department. The fire later became a two-alarm fire, meaning additional resources were needed. In one tweet, the Chicago Fire Department said water was on the fire, both from a sprinkler system inside the building that activated and from firefighters trying to combat the flames. In another, officials said they were working to ventilate the building. In a tweet just after 9 a.m., officials reported the fire was out and an extensive ventilation and overhaul was in progress. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant Altamont, IL – Fire in dust collector at manufacturing plan controlled by sprinkler system December 10, 2018 viking210 Fire damaged a machine at an Altamont manufacturer on Monday.Altamont firefighters were called to Irwin Telescopic, just west of the Effingham County Fairgrounds, at 12:20pm. Altamont Fire Chief Jon Becker said a dust collector in the south end of the building was the source of the fire. Apparently, a filter in the machine caught fire. A sprinkler system inside the machine activated, but the machine was still smoldering when firefighters arrived. Becker said there was smoke throughout the building, so personnel were evacuated until the building could be ventilated. Becker said the fire did an estimated $20,000 damage to the dust collector. He said there was no structural damage. Altamont firefighters handled the call on their own, although Abbott EMS was there on standby and Altamont police checked in at the scene. Firefighters were on scene for about an hour.
Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse Chicago, IL – Fire at large furniture warehouse extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported November 26, 2018 viking210 A fire broke out in a large furniture warehouse in the Ford City neighborhood in the early hours of Black Friday. Fire crews responded to United Furniture in 4100 block of West 76th Street about 9:30 a.m. and discovered several couches on fire, according to department officials. The sprinkler system extinguished the flames, officials said. Employees were evacuated but no one was reported injured and no one was transported from the scene for medical treatment, officials said. Warehouse owner Abdail Morra wore a light yellow coat and held a cup of coffee as he stood a few feet from the building, looking on as emergency personnel surveyed the scene. Four fire engines with flashing red lights were parked just outside the building. “It was honestly really scary,” he said, showing a video of dozens of couches catching fire. An employee noticed the fire and rushed to Morra’s office. Friends and colleagues approached Morra outside, offering a hug or a handshake and a few words of condolence. “I just hope I don’t have to close down,” he said. “If I close down, it will break me big time.”
Restaurant Orland Park, IL – Sprinkler system extinguishes overnight restaurant fire November 23, 2018 viking210 A sprinkler system at the Patio restaurant in Orland Park is being credited with limiting the damage caused by an early morning fire Thursday, officials said. Firefighters were dispatched to the 7930 W. 159th St. business about 1:30 a.m. for an activated fire alarm and found smoke inside the building, a release from the Orland Fire Protection District said. However, a sprinkler head had extinguished the fire that had started in one of the cooking oil fryers. Some fire remained in the ducts above the fryers and was extinguished by a hose, the release said. “Orland Fire Protection District officials noted the sprinkler the important role the sprinkler played in preventing the fire from spreading and destroying the restaurant,” the release said. “The sprinkler immediately activated as the fire began to spread to combustibles nearby saving the business from more extensive damage.”
Apartment Building, Residential DeKalb, IL – Apartment kitchen fire extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported October 28, 2018 viking210 Two families were displaced by a kitchen fire in the Hunter Ridgebrook apartment complex last Monday at 835 Edgebrook Drive. The DeKalb Fire Department responded to the fire, which started on the stove of a ground-floor apartment, about 9 p.m., Fire Chief Eric Hicks said. Hicks said the fire was put out by the on-site sprinkler system by the time firefighters arrived – six minutes after the call came in. He said the fire is not being considered malicious and is being treated as accidental. “It was a pretty good-sized stove fire,” Hicks said, adding that it was confined to the apartment. The Hunter Ridgebrook property manager helped the families out with a place to stay, Hicks said. He estimated the damage at $20,000. The city’s building and code compliance division is checking with the property owner to ensure repairs are being addressed, Hicks said. The Sycamore, Cortland, Malta, Shabbona, Maple Park, and Genoa-Kingston fire departments assisted.
Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse Aurora, IL – Warehouse fire kept in check by sprinkler system; No injuries reported October 4, 2018 viking210 Aurora firefighters responded to a piece of equipment that was on fire in a warehouse near Interstate 88 and the Aurora outlet mall. Firefighters found a large one-story warehouse filled with smoke around 1:49 a.m. Tuesday in the 900 block of Corporate Boulevard, officials said in a news release. Upon further investigation, firefighters found a large hopper filled with foam and padding that was on fire. A sprinkler head activated which helped keep the fire under control until 24 firefighters were able to completely extinguish the fire with hoses in one hour, according to the release. Officials said the fire was probably caused by the machine overheating. There were no injuries, officials said. The fire damage was contained to the hopper and did not spread to the building, the release stated.
