Tag Archives: Illinois

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.

Storage / Warehouse, Warehouse

Oglesby, IL – Sprinkler system keeps forklift fire from spreading through warehouse; No injuries reported

A forklift caught fire Friday morning at Advantage Logistics in Oglesby.

Fire crews were called out to the distribution center just after 2:30.  Oglesby Fire Chief Ronald Papurello says the business’ sprinkler system was activated and put out the fire.  The forklift apparently caught fire as it was being charged.

As a precaution a mutual aid request was put out to Peru, Tonica and Utica Fire Departments.  Nobody was injured.  The forklift was heavily damaged but the fire didn’t spread to anywhere else.

Apartment Building, Residential

Palatine, IL – Fire sprinklers put out apartment bathroom fire; No injuries reported

No injuries resulted from a small fire early Saturday in an apartment building on the 1100 block of North Sterling Avenue in Palatine, officials said. Firefighters called to the building at 12:40 a.m. found moderate smoke and two sprinkler heads activated in a bathroom, which extinguished the flames. The fire damage was limited to the bathroom in the unit, with moderate water damage to the apartment below.

Officials said the fire remained under investigation Monday. A damage estimate was not yet available.

Apartment Building, Residential

West Dundee, IL -Apartment balcony fire kept in check by fire sprinkler system

An automatic sprinkler system kept a fire on the balcony of a West Dundee apartment from spreading into the building early Friday morning, officials said.

A water gong alarm at 3:08 a.m. woke residents of a second-floor unit on the 3100 block of Canterfield Parkway East, and they soon realized the furniture on their balcony was on fire, according to a news release from the village.

All residents of the building had evacuated by the time firefighters arrived. Firefighters extinguished the blaze, which authorities believe was caused by careless use of smoking materials, within five minutes, the news release said.

Other - Retail, Retail

Orland Park, IL – Sprinkler system keeps fire in check at pet store, saving the animals

Officials in Orland Park believe a sprinkler system helped save a group of critters from a fire that broke out at a pet store Monday in the southwest suburb.

Crews responded about 8:15 p.m. to reports of a fire at Chicago Fish and Coral Company, 14412 John Humphrey Drive, according to Ray Hanania, spokesman for the Orland Fire Protection District.

The sprinkler system was activated soon after the blaze broke out, and firefighters extinguished the small fire when they arrived, Hanania said. Smoke was removed from inside the store with the help of additional crews.

The store’s owner, Brian Potter, said he was initially worried the fire would cause “total devastation.” However, the animals were all safe and in good condition.

“We had a fire at the store there was no loss of life for any animals it was very minor and contained we have a lot of cleanup to do we just wanted everybody to know all the animals are safe!,” a post on the store’s Facebook page said.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but the quick activation of the sprinkler system helped keep the blaze in check, Hanania said.

Potter said the fire stemmed from a chiller near a fish tank. The shop was closed Tuesday and is expected to open Wednesday.

Apartment Building, Residential

Rockford, IL – Apartment fire on eighth floor contained by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

No one was injured in a fire Saturday that damaged an eighth-floor apartment in a nine-story high-rise.

The fire at Valkommen Plaza, 310 Seventh St. was reported shortly after 6 p.m., and was contained to the apartment by a sprinkler, according to a Rockford Fire Department news release.

The apartment had minor smoke damage, but substantial water damage extended to the second floor and is estimated to total $50,000.

The cause of the fire was accidental, according to the news release. One adult occupant of the building was relocated by the Red Cross.

Four engines and 29 firefighters responded.

Department Store, Retail

Springfield, IL – Sprinkler system helps knock down fire at department store; No injuries reported

Springfield Fire crews responded to an electrical fire at Gordmans in Southwest Plaza, 3231 S. Veterans Parkway, at 12:15 p.m. Sunday.

There was a light on fire near the dressing rooms in the middle of the department store, which is part of a Midwestern chain. A spokesperson for the SFD said investigators indicated that the fire was accidentally set.

The call came into the SFD from a store employee.

A sprinkler system in the store was activated, helping crews to knock down the fire quickly.

There was residual smoke damage as well as water damage to the store.

City Water, Light & Power was dispatched to the scene, but fire crews were able to isolate an issue with an electrical breaker.

The store was evacuated and didn’t re-open to the public.

No injuries were reported.

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Harrisburg, IL – Sprinkler system contains overnight fire at Walmart; No injuries reported

 The Walmart in Harrisburg, Illinois is closed after an overnight fire.

Captain Rick Mallady with the Harrisburg Fire Department says they were called around 11:30 p.m. on report of a fire inside the Walmart.

When they got there, they found the building full of smoke.

A fire was inside the store, but the sprinkler system had contained it.

Firefighters did have to put out the remaining fire.

The fire was near the rear of the store near car seats.

Everyone had been evacuated from the store and no one was injured.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

We reached out to Walmart who had this to say.

Apartment Building, Residential

Evanston, IL – Functional sprinkler system keeps apartment fire from spreading or causing harm

A quick response from firefighters, a functional sprinkler system and working alarms kept a fire in an apartment building from causing any harm or spreading beyond a single bedroom, according to the Evanston Fire Department.

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

Fire crews arrived at a three-story apartment building at the corner of Barton Avenue and Cleveland Street shortly after 3:15 p.m. on Sunday, according to the release.

The first firefighters to arrive could hear fire alarms going off and see residents evacuating from inside, it said. The crew from Engine 24 went inside and headed down a hallway filled with smoke to the burning bedroom.

A sprinkler had been spraying water on the fire, keeping it in check and allowing the firefighters to extinguish the remaining fire without any further loss of property.

Every new apartment and condo building built in Evanston must include an audible alarm and a sprinkler protection system, according to the release.

The rehabbed five-unit brick building was built in 1928, according to a listing for the property, which was offered for sale for $975,000 in October 2015.

The management company of the more than nine-decade-old apartment building retrofitted it with sprinklers, according to the fire department, bringing it up to code with current city ordinances.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Moline, IL – Fire caused by incense left burning in shopping mall put out by fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

Incense that was left burning inside a store at SouthPark Mall has caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages, according to Moline’s fire marshal.

The fire started just after 11 a.m. on Monday, December 16.  The mall was evacuated as the halls filled with smoke.

According to Fire Marshal Jerry Spiegel, the fire started inside the Fig Tree bookstore.  He said incense had been left burning with the ashes falling into a cardboard box; that’s what ultimately caused the fire.

Spiegel said the fire was contained within minutes.  Four sprinklers went off and helped put out most of the flames before crews arrived, but smoke continued to filter through the mall hallways.

Damage to the Fig Tree has been estimated at about $50,000, said Spiegel.  That combined with the smoke damage to other stores adds up to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Spiegel said the biggest challenge for crews was getting the smoke out of the building.  TMI came to help activate the mall’s ventilation system to get the smoke out.

There were no injuries.

The inside of the mall was set to remain closed for Monday.  The anchor stores, JCPenney, Dillards and Von Maur opened from the outside, according to mall management.