Tag Archives: Illinois

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.

Other / Not Specified, Other Business

Warrenville, IL – Fire sprinklers kept fire in check at construction business until firefighters arrived; No injuries reported

A fire at a construction business in Warrenville has been ruled accidental, authorities said Monday.

The fire began about 10:30 p.m. Friday on the 30W200 block of Butterfield Road, when firefighters were alerted that something was wrong by an automatic alarm, Warrenville Fire Protection District Assistant Chief Andy Dina said in a news release.

The first crews made it to the scene six minutes after the alarm, then called in extra forces, Dina said.

Once a structure fire response team assembled, including personnel from the Warrenville fire district, West Chicago Fire Protection District, Wheaton Fire Department, Winfield Fire Protection District and Warrenville Police Department, crews brought a hose inside to extinguish the fire.

Dina said an automatic fire sprinkler system kept the blaze in check until firefighters arrived. He said crews put out the fire quickly, then ventilated the building and checked to ensure the flames hadn’t spread to adjoining units. No one was injured.

Investigators on Monday wrapped up their interviews and their probe into the cause of the fire, determining it was accidental, Dina said.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Warrenville, IL – Fire at construction business kept in check thanks to sprinkler systems; No injuries reported

A fire at a construction business in Warrenville has been ruled accidental, authorities said Monday.

The fire began about 10:30 p.m. Friday on the 30W200 block of Butterfield Road, when firefighters were alerted that something was wrong by an automatic alarm, Warrenville Fire Protection District Assistant Chief Andy Dina said in a news release.

The first crews made it to the scene six minutes after the alarm, then called in extra forces, Dina said.

Once a structure fire response team assembled, including personnel from the Warrenville fire district, West Chicago Fire Protection District, Wheaton Fire Department, Winfield Fire Protection District and Warrenville Police Department, crews brought a hose inside to extinguish the fire.

Dina said an automatic fire sprinkler system kept the blaze in check until firefighters arrived. He said crews put out the fire quickly, then ventilated the building and checked to ensure the flames hadn’t spread to adjoining units. No one was injured.

Investigators on Monday wrapped up their interviews and their probe into the cause of the fire, determining it was accidental, Dina said.

Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant

Normal, IL – Hotel coffee and souvenir shop fire stopped by fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

A fire at the Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Normal caused an evacuation and the closure of the coffee and souvenir shop Thursday morning.

The Normal Fire Department was called to the hotel just after 7:30 a.m. for a report of a fire in the Caffeina’s Marketplace Cafe.

Hotel operations were unaffected by the blaze.

Heavy damage was reported to the cafe itself and water damage throughout the lobby. A dollar estimate of damage was not available by Thursday afternoon.

No injuries were reported in the incident, according to the NFD.

An employee attempted to use a fire extinguisher but the hotel’s sprinkler system was activated to slow the spread of the fire, according to a release by the NFD.

An alarm sounded and hotel employees assisted guests to evacuate safely.

The NFD reported the atrium smoke evacuation system activated and began rapidly ventilating the smoke from the atrium while firefighters pulled hoses into the building to extinguish the fire.  The fire was deemed out in about 25 minutes.  Firefighters searched and extinguished hot spots and used tools to open up the ceiling space and some of the wall spaces within the café to look for fire hidden in the void spaces.   

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

Apartment Building, Residential

Evanston, IL – Fire sprinkler keeps fire from spreading in 11th-floor apartment; No injuries reported

Multiple people were displaced after a fire Saturday in a high-rise apartment building in north suburban Evanston.

Crews were called at 7:15 p.m. for reports of the blaze in the 1600 block of Chicago Avenue, according to a statement from the Evanston Fire Department.

The fire broke out in an 11th-floor unit, but a sprinkler system kept it from spreading, officials said. Firefighters put out the remaining flames when they arrived.

The unit where the fire started sustained “significant smoke and water damage,” according to the fire department. Multiple other apartments were also damaged by water and several residents were displaced.

No injuries were reported, fire officials said. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation, but no foul play is suspected.