Tag Archives: Illinois

Apartment Building, Residential

St. Charles, IL – Kitchen fire in downtown apartment building contained by sprinkler system

Firefighters in St. Charles came to the rescue of a woman who became trapped in a downtown apartment Thursday night after a blaze broke out in her kitchen, fire officials said. Fire crews were called to Carroll Tower at about 10:39 p.m. after a fire alarm went off in the six-story complex. Firefighters found a woman stuck inside the second-floor apartment unit where the blaze started.

Firefighters were able to get the woman out of her apartment and she was taken to Delnor Hospital in Geneva with injuries that are not considered life-threatening, according to a news release from the St. Charles Fire Department. No one else was injured in the blaze.

Some residents of Carroll Towers, which is located along the Fox River at 200 N. 2nd Street, were evacuated to the lobby and were “sheltered in place” as firefighters worked to put out the fire. A sprinkler system is credited with keeping a blaze “in check in the kitchen” and firefighters quickly extinguished the fire within 15 minutes. Still, there was significant smoke throughout the second floor. re crews remained on scene until about 12:15 p.m., assisting residents from the remaining second-floor units back to their apartments, according to the news release.

The fire was contained to the kitchen of the apartment where the fire originated. The cause of the fire is attributed to combustible materials being left on a stove top and is considered accidental. The blaze caused an estimated $50,000 in damage.

The St. Charles Fire Department was assisted at the scene by the Geneva, Batavia and Elburn fire department. The North Aurora Fire Department changed quarters to assist with any additional incidents while St. Charles units were operating at the fire.

Apartment Building, Residential, School / University

Evanston, IL – Sprinkler system controls off-campus residential fire near Northwestern University

Evanston Fire Department extinguished a fire that broke out in a residence on the 700 block of Emerson Street on Monday. EFD responded to reports of a fire at the house around 9:08 p.m. Firefighters arrived on the scene and found an activated sprinkler head, which had controlled the flames until EFD arrived on the scene to finish putting it out, according to a Tuesday news release.

Firefighters heard audible alarms and saw five residents evacuating the two-and-a-half story residence when they arrived on the premises, according to the release. Nine Northwestern students live in the building. City ordinance mandates that a single-family building converted to a multi-family residence have an audible alarm and sprinkler protection system.

“The fire alarm and sprinkler system worked exactly as designed, saving both lives and property,” Fire Chief Brian Scott said in the release.

Office Building, Other Business

Chicago, IL – Parking garage fire at John Hancock Tower held in check by sprinkler system

A car caught fire Sunday morning at a parking garage inside the John Hancock Center on the Magnificent Mile. Over 150 firefighters responded about 9 a.m. to the two-alarm fire on the 7th floor of the parking garage at 149 E. East Delaware St., where heavy smoke conditions had been reported, according to Chicago Police and the Chicago Fire Department.

“The sprinkler system here did what it was supposed to do,” CFD District Chief Dan Cunningham told reporters “It kept the fire in check and it allowed us time to stretch a hose line to extinguish the fire.”

The fire was quickly struck out, but the “serious smoke conditions” on the 7th and 8th floors of the garage moved to other areas of the building, Cunningham said. People who were on the upper levels of the Hancock Center, including the 94th floor observation deck, requested help, but their calls were unfounded and no one was actually in distress. No injuries were reported, authorities said.

Ten people who were subjected to medical evaluations at the scene refused further medical treatment, Cunningham said. The Hancock Center was expected to reopen Sunday morning, Cunningham said.

“It will be business as usual as soon as we leave out of here,” he added.

Apartment Building, Residential

Normal, IL – Fire at student apartment building kept from spreading by automatic sprinkler system

The Normal Fire Department reports an automatic sprinkler kept a fire from spreading in a student apartment on Willow Street Wednesday afternoon.  The department received the call after 1 p.m. for the fire in a third floor bedroom at The Lodge on Willow. Firefighters discovered that the sprinkler in the bedroom was putting water on the fire. Firefighters ventilated the room and made sure the fire was out. “This is a perfect example of a fire sprinkler system getting water on an early stage fire fast and knocking the fire down before it got out of control,” Normal Fire Chief Mick Humer said in a release. Moderate smoke and heat damage was reported to the bedroom with water damage to the room’s contents. Damage was confined to the bedroom.  The occupant was not home. No injuries were reported.  No damage estimate is yet available as investigators try to determine the cause.

Athletic Club/Sports Facility, Other-Government/Military

Quincy, IL – Fire in pool pump room at community center extinguished by sprinkler system

A chemical fire Friday that led to a temporary evacuation of the Kroc Center was the first fire in the building’s six-year history. An automatic fire alarm went off around 9:30 a.m. at the Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Community Center, 405 Vermont, and employees immediately began evacuating patrons as a precaution. When the fire was confirmed, the automatic alarm was upgraded to a general alarm and multiple fire trucks responded.

“Every time we show up, and we see that a proper evacuation has taken place, it takes a lot off our shoulders,” said Quincy Fire Department Capt. Mark Bigelow. “Then we get down to the business of extinguishing the fire and controlling it.” The fire, believed to be chemical in nature, broke out in a pump room near the swimming pool area, Bigelow said. The cause is still being investigated, but Bigelow said construction equipment in the pump room, like propane tanks, may have been involved. No construction was being done at the time.

Bigelow said damage will likely be minimal. Most of the equipment in the pump room is designed for moisture, he said. The fire was extinguished by a sprinkler. “Another win for automatic sprinkler systems,” Bigelow said. No injuries were reported.

Carolyn Carpenter, Kroc Center marketing manager, said the facility regularly practices fire drills with its employees.

Several dozen people were left outside for about 30 minutes in the single-digit temperatures because of the evacuation. Staff members began transporting some patrons to the Salvation Army Family Store, which is used as a warming center. Patrons who were evacuated from the pool were outside in swimsuits and shoeless. Staff members began loading them into vehicles and handing out blankets and socks.

“Everybody here did an outstanding job,” Bigelow said.

As soon as firefighters cleared the building, patrons were allowed to return but remained in the Kroc Center’s Worship Theatre while the investigation was conducted.

Bigelow said that while the department has responded to the Kroc Center many times for false alarms, he believes this was the first actual fire.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Chicago, IL – Sprinkler system assists firefighters in controlling blaze at mattress warehouse

Additional crews were called to a fire Monday night at a mattress factory in the Canaryville neighborhood on the South Side.   Firefighters responded shortly after 8:30 p.m. to the fire at the mattress at 4041 Emerald Ave., according to the Chicago Fire Department. Crews were battling the fire from the outside of the building, eventually putting it out by 10:49 p.m.  The block-long building was a “large warehouse” with a heavy fire load as mattresses caught on fire, the fire department said. It had a sprinkler system which helped put out the fire as a fire engine fed it with water.  The building remained structurally sound with only damage to the mattresses on the inside, fire officials said. No injuries were reported.

Athletic Club/Sports Facility, Other Business

Winnetka, IL – Dryer fire at community fitness center controlled by sprinkler system

A fire last week at the Winnetka Community House fitness center was apparently caused when towels in a fitness center dryer caught fire, Community House and fire department officials said Tuesday. The fire shut down the fitness center for several days, Winnetka Fire Chief Alan Berkowsky said, and parts of the building at 620 Lincoln Ave. sustained water and smoke damage. However, the blaze was contained in the laundry room and fitness center area, largely thanks to the building’s sprinkler system, he said.

“The sprinklers kind of held it in check until we got there,” he said. “The system did its job, which I think was what made a difference in saving the building.” Paramedics took a maintenance worker who discovered the fire to Evanston Hospital for observation after he was briefly overcome by smoke inhalation, Berkowsky said. Bob Thomas, Community House executive director and president, said the fitness center is expected to reopen Wednesday. He also said the maintenance man, who attempted to put the fire out with an extinguisher, is doing well. Berkowsky said Wilmette, Glencoe, Northbrook, Northfield, and Highland Park personnel assisted in putting out the fire.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

DeKalb, IL – Sprinkler system controls afternoon fire at manufacturing facility

Seven people were taken to Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital for smoke inhalation on Wednesday after a fire at the Right Pointe Co. manufacturing facility, 234 Harvestore Drive.

The first call came in at 1:32 p.m., DeKalb Fire Capt. Luke Howieson said. A single engine company was first sent out, but after the department received reports of heavy black smoke coming out of the building, he said more resources were sent to the scene. “The fire was under control within 10 minutes,” Howieson said.  By 2 p.m., no smoke was visible outside the facility.

Howieson said the fire began in an area of the building where there is a lot of machinery. The sprinkler system was able to control the fire, and firefighters were able to contain the rest with fire extinguishers. One hand line was brought into the facility by firefighters, he said. The cause of the fire still is under investigation, Howieson said.

The Cortland and Sycamore fire departments sent ambulances to assist, and after paramedics checked out employees who were in the facility, seven were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation, Howieson said. The rest of the employees waited in a parking lot across the street.

Right Pointe provides products for concrete and road construction professionals, according to its website, which says the company has been around for more than 80 years. It employs 77 people at the DeKalb location. DeKalb Fire Chief Eric Hicks said the company’s operations were able to continue after some equipment was moved around.

Residential, Residential High Rise

Elgin, IL – Residential high-rise fire put out by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A kitchen fire was reported in a northwest suburban high-rise building Monday afternoon in Elgin.  At 12:55 p.m. fire crews responded to reports of a kitchen fire with sprinkler activation on the fifth floor of a high-rise building at 104 S. State St., according to a statement from the Elgin Fire Department.  A resident who went down to the second floor told crews she had smoke in her apartment, fire said. Crews located a cooking fire on the stove that had spread to the cabinets and was extinguished by the sprinkler system.  Firefighters ensured the fire was put out, shut off the activated sprinkler, evacuated smoke from the building and checked on residents as needed, fire said. Water accumulation is being removed by the building maintenance crews. Total damages total $5,000, fire said.

Uncategorized

Geneva, IL – Sprinkler system holds fire in check at Fox Valley Ice Arena; No injuries reported

A mechanical fire that spread to the roof of the Fox Valley Ice Arena in Geneva forced the partial closure of the ice skating facility, authorities said.

Geneva Firemen were dispatched around 6:26 a.m. Sunday to 1996 S. Kirk Road on the city’s east side. The building is owned by the Kane County Forest Preserve District.

Geneva Fire Chief Mike Antenore said the alarm was upgraded when engines were on route to the scene when Tri-Com Central Dispatch reported there was smoke in the building.

“The first arriving fire company found heavy black smoke showing from the roof area on the west side of the building. Firefighters initiated an interior attack and brought the fire under control in approximately 40 minutes,” Antenore said in a news release.

Antenore said the response was upgraded to a box alarm because of the size of the building.

Fire department officials said the building’s sprinkler system activated and “held the fire in check” until the blaze was extinguished.

Firefighters contained the fire to a refrigeration compressor room.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Damage estimates were in the process of being compiled Sunday afternoon.

“The facility resumed partial operations this morning and is expected to resume full operations later today,” the fire chief said Sunday.

Firefighters from Batavia, St. Charles, Elburn, West Chicago, Fermilab, South Elgin, Elgin, Wheaton, Bartlett and North Aurora assisted Geneva on the scene.

Antenore said no one was hurt.