Buffalo Grove (IL) firefighters were called to 685 Le Parc Circle late Tuesday afternoon (6/20/17) after a homeowner was alerted on his phone of excessive heat. The Code 2 for the alarm investigation was elevated to a Code 3 for the reported fire after receiving an update from the homeowner who arrived home and found smoke in the unit.
Buffalo Grove (BG) Battalion 4 arrived to find light smoke around the eaves and upgraded to a Code 4 for the working fire. BG companies went to the roof and inside the unit while mutual aid crews investigated the adjoining units. Heavy smoke conditions inside initially hampered locating the seat of the attic fire and a fear of extension throughout the multiple unit building prompted further upgrading the alarm to a MABAS Box Alarm.
Companies at the scene were: Buffalo Grove Battalion 4, Engine 26, Quints 25 and 27, Squad 25, Ambulances 25 and 26, plus three additional chief officers. Mutual aid companies were: Arlington Heights Engine 4, Ambulance 4, and 400; Long Grove Squad 55 and 5500; Palatine Engine 82; Lincolnshire-Riverwoods Squad 51; Wheeling Engine 42 and 2400; ambulances from Barrington Countryside, Lake Zurich, Schaumburg, and Lake Villa; a Libertyville squad, a Countryside engine, trucks from Mundelein and Grayslake (in a spare truck X-Mundelein), the Mess Canteen Unit M5, plus Buffalo Grove EMA.
One firefighter was transported to an area hospital for observation after being evaluated in rehab and two dogs reportedly perished.
At 1412hrs on Sunday, November 24th, companies on Chicago’s south side were dispatched to a report of a structure fire on the 8000 block of South May Street. Three minutes later, Engine 129 reported they had a fire in the basement of a 30×125, 3.5-story ordinary, occupied apartment building. At 1420hrs, Battalion 18 reported that he had heavy fire in the basement and 1st floor of the building and he called for a Still & Box which is about the same time the first picture shown in this gallery was taken. The fire eventually made its way to the second floor. Besides the apparatus shown in the photos, Engine 54 took a hydrant on Aberdeen Street which is one block to the east and stretched a line through the gangway to sector 3. The box was struck at 1514hrs and the Red Cross was assisting 11 occupants who were displaced by this fire.
