Tag Archives: Illinois

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Evanston, IL – Sprinklers keeps fire at Subway restaurant from spreading; Firefighters extinguish blaze

Firefighters quickly extinguished a fire inside a restaurant at an Evanston strip mall Saturday afternoon, preventing injuries and preserving the building with the help of a functioning sprinkler system, according to the Evanston Fire Department. Fire crews were called shortly after 1 p.m. to the 1900 Dempster St. for a report of a fire inside the Subway restaurant during a busy lunch hour. The alarm was soon upgraded to call in firefighters from nearby communities for cover.

Firefighters found heavy smoke billowing from the front of the building and were told of the active fire inside. After entering the building they noticed an active sprinkler system keeping the fire in check and allowing crews to quickly extinguish the blaze, according to Division Chief Paul Polep. All patrons and employees were able to exit the building before the arrival of firefighters, and there were no injuries reported.

The department credited the working sprinkler system and the rapid response of firefighters for saving the Subway and other attached business in the Evanston Plaza shopping center, although the restaurant suffered a significant level of smoke and water damage. There were no signs of foul play and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Other Business, Recycling / Waste Facility

Mount Prospect, IL – Garbage fire contained by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A garbage fire erupted during the late evening hours of Tuesday, May 1 on Mount Prospect’s south side, which fire officials believe was related to dry weather conditions.

According to Fire Chief Brian Lambel, crews around 10:30 p.m. responded to an active fire alarm at the Republic garbage transfer station, 1701 Kenneth Dr., where they observed heavy fire and smoke coming from the one-story facility.

Lambel said the building was unoccupied with its sprinkler system activated. At the time crews arrived on the scene, Lambel said winds were gusting between 20-30 mph.

Crews sifted through the garbage piles and moved them elsewhere in the open air building. They were eventually able to spray water deeper into the piles. The fire was declared under control within 20 minutes of crews arriving, Lambel said, but firefighters remained on the scene until around 1 a.m. Wednesday.

Lambel said the fire was not suspicious in nature and he believes the garbage that was compressed, along with the dry weather conditions, ignited the flames. Things that are compressed give off heat, he said. However, the actual cause remains undetermined.

No injuries were reported and damage was estimated at $10,000.

Apartment Building, Residential

Rockford, IL – Sprinkler system activates to help control apartment fire; No injuries

Rockford fire crews rushed to an apartment Sunday afternoon and rescued a man who was forced out onto his balcony by the smoke.  The Rockford Fire Department responded at approximately 2 p.m. to an apartment complex on Trilling Avenue, near N. Main Street and Riverside Boulevard.  The second floor sprinkler system activated in response to a fire. The resident ran out to the balcony where firemen helped him to safety. There were no injuries. The damage is estimated at $10,000.

Residence Hall/Dormitory, Residential

Urbana, IL – Sprinkler system extinguishes residence hall fire; No injuries reported

A small fire caused sprinklers to go off at Oglesby Hall, 1005 W. College Court, around 1 p.m. Monday.

The fire was extinguished and no injury was reported. The sprinkler caused an electric hazard, and residents were told to evacuate the building and avoid the area.

Pat Wade, communications officer for the University Police Department, said the department doesn’t know why the fire started at this time; all it knows is a computer overheated.

“The water from the fire sprinklers were running on to a power source, so that caused a worry about the electric situation in the building,” Wade said.

Ruthvik Reddy, freshman in Engineering, said he was in a deep sleep and was woken up by the fire alarms. Reddy said the sprinklers only went off in the room the fire started in, which was on the first floor.

Dontrell Collier, freshman in LAS, said he was in his room when the alarm went off and thought it was a regular drill. When he opened his door, he saw a lot of smoke and water coming from a room on his floor.

“I didn’t know the extent of what happened in his room at that point,” Collier said. “I just saw smoke and was like, ‘I need to get up out of here.’ … It took them a minute to let us all back in, but now we are all fine.”

The electrical hazard was resolved as of 1:20 p.m., and residents were allowed back into the building.

Primary / Secondary School, School / University

Clinton, IL – Sprinkler system prevents kitchen fire from spreading at high school; No injuries reported

The Clinton Fire Department responded to a fire alarm that was set off at Clinton Junior High School on Monday night.

Fire officials were called to the scene just after 9 p.m. on Monday night.

When fire crews arrived, they found smoke and a small fire in the kitchen. According to Clinton Fire officials, the sprinkler system was set off which helped to prevent the fire from spreading.

The flames were put out and the school was turned back over to staff to clean the area.

No injuries were reported.

Department Store, Retail

Orland Park, IL – Fire at Old Navy store contained by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

Fire crews fought back a blaze at the Old Navy store inside the Orland Park Place shopping center late Sunday afternoon. The fire caused significant fire and smoke damage to the store. There were no injuries reported.

The Orland Fire Protection District answered a call around 5:30 p.m. reporting a store on fire at 105 Orland Park Place Drive, south of the Orland Park Mall, between 151st Street and 153rd Street, officials said. More than 30 people, including employees and customers, were inside the Old Navy store when the blaze broke out.

Given the building’s size and the extensive threat posed by the fire, several neighboring fire departments from Tinley Park, Oak Forest, Mokena, Crestwood and Palos Heights. OFPD dispatched all of its fire equipment, including two fire trucks, four fire engines and four ambulances.

Chief Michael Schofield of the Orland Fire Protection District credited Old Navy employees getting everyone out safely and the store’s sprinkler system stopping the fire from spreading and turning into a massive conflagration.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. The store sustained fire, smoke and water damage, fire officials said

Other - Retail, Retail

Plainfield, IL – Sprinkler system saves business from $350,000 in estimated damages; No injuries reported

A fire sprinkler system is credited with extinguishing a fire in the restroom at the Merlin 200,000 Miles Shop, 14120 S. Route 30. On Tuesday, April 3 rd at 12:21 P.M. the Plainfield Fire Protection District responded to a fire alarm for this business. While in route to the fire a 9-1- 1 call came in advising that there was a fire in the business. Upon arrival firefighters found a fire sprinkler head within a restroom activated and it had extinguished a small fire that left some burn marks on the wall. It is estimated that $350,000 was saved due to the fire sprinkler system extinguishing the fire and making it possible for the business to remain open. The fire sprinkler system prevented the fire from spreading and causing extensive damage to the building and its contents as well as preventing anyone from getting injured by the fire.

Apartment Building, Residential

Decatur, IL – Laundry fire in converted apartment and business is put out by sprinkler system

Fire caused an estimated $30,000 in damage to the building and contents at 240 S. 22nd Street early Tuesday.  No one was found inside the building, a former fire station that had been converted to a business and apartment, the fire department said in a statement. The department was dispatched at 12:38 a.m. and arrived six minutes later.  Decatur police officers were on scene first and forced the front door to search the first floor. When firefighters arrived, they saw heavy fire showing from the second-floor windows. They fought the fire and searched the second floor.  The department said the fire started in a second-floor laundry area and was caused by a clothes dryer. The fire was controlled by 1:17 a.m. While responding to the incident on 22nd Street, firefighters also were sent to a second fire at 1145 W. Arbor. They found that a sprinkler system had already put out a fire in the facility’s kitchen, so that building suffered minimal damage, the department said.

Apartment Building, Residential

Elk Grove, IL – No injuries after sprinklers extinguish apartment kitchen fire

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Two apartments were left temporarily uninhabitable after a kitchen fire activated sprinklers in a second floor unit of a building in the 900 block of Charlela Lane, Elk Grove Village, Saturday (April 14) evening.  Red Cross representatives responding to the scene arranged housing for six people from two households on the first and second floors of the building. Elk Grove Village Fire Chief Richard Mikel said no injuries were reported.  Mikel said a stovetop kitchen fire activated a sprinkler and alarm at 5:46 p.m. in a second story unit. Besides an automated alarm, Mikel said calls reporting the fire were also made to 911. The fire was immediately extinguished by the sprinkler system. Mikel said the second floor unit suffered smoke damage and water entered into electrical systems. The first floor apartment directly under the fire unit also suffered water damage from the sprinkler.

Apartment Building, Residential

Decatur, IL – Apartment kitchen fire put out by automatic sprinkler system

… While responding to the incident on 22nd Street, firefighters also were sent to a second fire at 1145 W. Arbor. They found that a sprinkler system had already put out a fire in the facility’s kitchen, so that building suffered minimal damage, the department said.

The following is additional informal narrative from Decatur FD (not reported in media)

This alarm came in at 01:40 as a fire in the kitchen at the Primrose retirement Village. There are apprx. 68 apartments in this upscale senior retirement complex. A service cart with folded linen caught fire and was quickly extinguished by a single sprinkler head activation. Part of this building is assisted living and the other part senior retirement. The fire doors were closed upon our arrival and kept all the smoke in the Dining Hall. This was a great save by the sprinkler system!