Chicago firefighters battled a 3-11 Alarm fire in a commercial building with a bow-string truss roof at 3040 W. Lawrence Avenue late morning and into the afternoon on Tuesday 3/22/22.
I attended a Still & Box overnight at 2020 W Webster in the Bucktown neighborhood. Companies originally reported fire in the rear of this 1.5 story residence, and were interior making a good push. However, the cold wind soon took hold of the attic space and heavy fire conditions evolved. All companies were pulled out, Tower 21 was moved to Side A, and knocked the fire with their aerial master stream. Companies went back in to mop up.
Oak Park, IL had an extra alarm fire at 1034 Lake Street. A big, old 3.5-sty ordinary taxpayer building. Sounds like fire started in the rear on the first floor, and just took off. First-in companies Boxed it on arrival and found heavy fire throughout the 3-sty enclosed back porches. Fire had already entered the building on the upper floors and in the cockloft. Companies made numerous attempts at an aggressive interior attack but were pushed back by high heat and smoke on the 3rd floor. The incident ended up going to a 2nd Alarm and went completely defensive.
Took in the 2-11 yesterday around 330am at 500 W 26th Street in Chicago. Fire was in a 3-sty ord building about 100×150. First-in companies attempted an interior attack but had trouble finding the seat of the fire. They ended up transitioning to an exterior attack and went defensive. At the height of the fire, 5 handlines, multiple portable ground monitors, Squad 1, AT8, TL5, and TL10 were used to try to get a handle on it. I arrived about 45 min into the job.
Still Companies were Engines 8 & 29, Trucks 4 & 8.
Cicero, IL companies were dispatched to 28th and Cicero Ave early Tuesday afternoon (6/1/21) for a report of flames from the building. Numerous calls came in and corrected the address to 4827 & 4829 w 28th Street. Engine Co. 3 arrived and reported heavy showing from the rear of a 2.5 wood-frame with exposure problems. Cicero F12 arrived on scene and boxed it shortly thereafter. F12 reported heavy fire in two, 2.5-sty buildings. Multiple 2.5 inch lines were dropped from all three Cicero engines. Truck Co. 2 made an aggressive attempt at a Milwaukee style cut, which ended up saving the rest of the roof of the one building. Truck Co. 1 was on the roof of the exposure and made numerous holes there as well. Mutual aid came from Berwyn, Stickney, Oak Park, River Forest, Forest Park, Bedford Park, Lyons, and Riverside. All the companies on scene did a great job and made very aggressive interior and exterior attacks to save the rest of the buildings involved and the other exposures.
Just before 2:00PM on Thursday, (4/22/21) fire companies from Long Grove, Buffalo Grove, Palatine, Lake Zurich, Prospect Heights, Mundelein, the Countryside FPD, the Lincolnshire-Riverwoods FPD, Barrington, and Elk Grove Township were dispatched for a house fire at 3159 Cuba Road in Long Grove. Initial reports were of fire on the roof that the resident was attempting to extinguish. The 6,000 square foot home with a cedar shake roof is located roughly 1,000 feet from the road with a winding driveway and wooden bridge for access.
A dispatcher notified responding units that the homeowner had reportedly reentered the home, but was outside again when the first units arrived. Long Grove units saw fire from the attic in front of the house and from the rear as well upon conducting an initial size up. The alarm was upgraded to a working fire bringing more resources including several additional tankers.
An interior attack was made and found heavy fire inside the home before firefighters were forced to retreat and change to defensive operations. Long Grove Tanker 55 with 3,000 gallons of water and Squad 55 with 730 gallons were both in the driveway followed shortly thereafter by Lake Zurich Engine 324 with another 750 gallons after they dropped 750′ of 5″ hose up the driveway on their way in. The alarm was upgraded to a MABAS Box Alarm which later was upgraded to a 2nd and then a 3rd Alarm.
A deck gun was used to attack the fire until the initial 4800-gallon combined water supply was depleted while additional companies initiated a water supply from the street. Tankers shuttled water from two fill sites, one east and the other from the west.
At one point ammunition inside was heard exploding. Embers from the fire spread to the east starting several small brush fires. The wind-driven fire spread quickly and totally consumed the house which was completely destroyed.
wind driven fire destroys large home in an area with no hydrants
