Tag Archives: Illinois

Residential, Townhouse / Condominium

North Aurora, IL – Townhouse garage fire stopped by fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

North Aurora Fire Protection District officials said no one was injured in an early Sunday morning fire inside a townhouse garage.

Fire officials said the fire was reported at about 1 a.m. on the 11 block of Kilberry Lane. Responding firefighters did not see any smoke or fire upon arrival, but residents of the townhouse attached to the garage reported hearing “popping” from inside the garage and smelled smoke before alerting the fire department.

When firefighters opened the garage, they could see smoke. A sprinkler system in the structure had been activated, helping to prevent any significant fire damage to the building, officials said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but officials believe contents in the garage sparked the fire. However, they don’t have reason to believe the blaze originated from any vehicle in the garage.

The garage was attached to an “end unit townhome,” and only the residents of that unit were displaced because of smoke damage to the residence, officials said.

No damage estimate was available.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Bartlett, IL – Sprinkler system contains fire at warehouse; No injuries reported

More than 80 firefighters responded Tuesday night to a large fire at a 100,000-square-foot warehouse in Bartlett, authorities said.

The first crews arrived at the warehouse on the 1300 block of Brewster Creek Boulevard about 10:15 p.m. Workers told them that smoke and flames were coming from a pallet storage area.

The building’s sprinkler system contained the fire to a 50-square-foot area, but heavy smoke created visibility issues, according to a news release from the Bartlett Fire Protection District.

The fire was escalated to a second alarm, bringing additional firefighters and equipment, and authorities requested a specialized truck-mounted fan to help clear the smoke. The fire was declared under control at 1:45 a.m. Wednesday.

Nobody was injured in the fire, which investigators said was accidental.

The Hanover Park, Streamwood, South Elgin, Elgin, Fox River Countryside, West Chicago, Carol Stream, Bloomingdale, Naperville, Elk Grove and St. Charles fire departments responded to the scene as part of mutual aid agreements, the news release said. The Bartlett Police Department, Bartlett Public Works Department and the Hanover Township Emergency Services also assisted.

Government/Military, Other-Government/Military

Chicago, IL – Fire at courthouse extinguished by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A small fire broke out Sunday at a criminal courthouse on Chicago’s southwest side that is known as one of the busiest in the country.

No injuries or substantial damage was reported, according to authorities.

Fire officials found a small rubbish fire on the fifth floor of the Leighton Criminal Court Building around 12:10 a.m. that had been extinguished by the sprinkler system.

The fire’s cause has not been determined.

Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said authorities are investigating.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Franklin Park, IL – Fire at senior apartments extinguished by fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

A ninth-floor apartment at Franklin Towers, an apartment building for seniors, caught fire Wednesday after grocery items ignited on a hot electric stove, according to the Franklin Park Fire Department.

The building’s fire alarm activated shortly before 3:30 p.m., and automatic sprinklers extinguished the fire before firefighters arrived on the scene in the 9500 block of Franklin Avenue, Franklin Park Fire Chief William Brehm said in an email.

“Residents were evacuated and evaluated for safety, but there were no injuries or transports (to the hospital),” Brehm said.

Only the apartment that caught fire was damaged, and that was limited to water damage from the sprinkler system, Brehm said. The damage was cleaned up the same day by an outside company, according to Brehm.

Department Store, Retail

Chicago, IL – Fire at Home Depot controlled by fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

No one was injured in a fire Thursday night at a Home Depot store in Chatham on the South Side.

The fire was reported shortly after 11 p.m. at the store, 200 W. 87th St., according to the Chicago Fire Department.

The fire, which damaged the store’s stock, was brought under control by sprinklers and was put out by 11:30 p.m., fire officials said.

Apartment Building, Residential

Palatine, IL – Dryer fire from built up lint put out by apartment fire sprinkler; No injuries reported

Built up lint in a clothes dryer was deemed the cause of an accidental fire inside a Palatine apartment Thursday, Aug. 27.

According to fire officials, at 11:19 a.m., crews responded to the report of a fire at 1205 N. Sterling Ave., located between Dundee Road and Northwest Highway west of Quentin Road in Palatine.

The first crews arrived on the scene at 11:23 a.m. and were told by maintenance that there was a fire in unit 110. Fire department crews made access to the first floor and found smoke and water in the hallway.

Upon entering the unit, fire crews found that an automatic fire sprinkler system had activated. A single sprinkler head activation extinguished the fire and limited damage to the rest of the unit, fire officials said. The fire was declared under control at 11:30 a.m.

Firefighters continued to perform salvage, overhaul, and investigative activities for some time after that. No civilians or firefighters were injured in the fire, which was contained to the apartment’s closet.

Damage was estimated at about $10,000 and the unit was ruled uninhabitable for the three residents due to smoke damage.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Dixon, IL – Suspicious hotel fire put out by sprinkler system

Dixon City firefighters responded to a fire alarm around 8:14 this morning at Quality Inn & Suites hotel, 136 Plaza Drive, just off state 26 and north of Interstate 88.

The engine company arrived to find heavy smoke in a first-floor room; the majority of the fire was put out by the hotel’s sprinkler system, Deputy Chief Dave Lohse said in a news release.

The fire is suspicious, and the state fire marshal is investigating the cause, the release said.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

McHenry, IL – Processing machine that caught fire controlled by sprinkler system

A processing machine caused a fire at PolyOne Corporation in McHenry over the weekend.

According to a news release from the McHenry Township Fire Protection District, crews were dispatched at 8:12 p.m. on Saturday for an activated fire alarm at 833 Ridgeview Drive in McHenry.

When they arrived at the scene, the responding personnel were able to enter the building using the Knox Box System key.

Firefighters used water pump cans and a dry chemical extinguisher to completely put out the fire before ventilating the building.

Because the corporation had an activated sprinkler system, the machine fire was controlled before fire crews arrived. The McHenry Township Fire Protection District said this prevented a more devastating outcome to the commercial business.

“This was a textbook example of exactly the manner that sprinklers are designed to work. The sprinkler system suppressed the main body of fire until the firefighters arrived and completely extinguished the fire,” said MTFPD Fire Chief Tony Huemann. “The activation of the sprinkler system protected the business that produces plastic petroleum products that could have easily become out of control that would have destroyed the entire business and building.”

A damage estimate was not immediately available.

The MTFPD crews were assisted with auto aid from the Nunda Rural Fire Protection District and the Crystal Lake Fire Department, according to the news release.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Villa Park, IL – Sprinkler system helps put out fire after oily rags ignite; No injuries reported

Villa Park Fire Department officials said no one was injured when oily rags ignited late Monday at a business that specializes in cleaning restaurant linens and uniforms.

Firefighters were called to the business on the 1000 block of North Villa Avenue just before 9 p.m., Chief Ron Rakosnik said.

Firefighters encountered smoke inside the building and a sprinkler system had been activated. Firefighters spent about an hour on scene to make sure there were no hot spots.

The business had been closed for the day and no one was inside when firefighters arrived.

Fire officials estimated about $3,000 in damage and the building did not sustain structural damage. Rakosnik said the business was expected to reopen Tuesday.