Tag Archives: Illinois

Grocery Store / Super Center, Retail

Canton, IL – Sprinkler system activated for fire at grocery store; No injuries reported

The Hy-Vee store in Canton remains closed after a fire in a storage area Sunday morning.

At 11:22 a.m. Sunday, the Canton Fire Department responded to Hy-Vee Grocery store at 825 N. Main St. in Canton, for report of a fire in the back of the store. Upon arrival, firefighters found an upstairs storage area on fire with smoke and flames showing.

Hy-Vee personnel had evacuated the building prior to fire Department arrival.

Water supply was established and a handline was used to apply water to the fire. The building’s sprinkler system had activated and was successful in limiting fire spread until fire department personnel were able to extinguish the fire.

The fire was contained to the original storage area. No injuries were reported as a result of this fire.

The fire was brought under control within 12 minutes of the first fire engines arriving on scene, with fire crews remaining on scene till 12:56 p.m. conducting overhaul and fire investigation.

The store has been released by the fire department back into Hy-Vee personnel custody. The store remains closed at this time. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by Canton Fire Department’s investigation team.

The amount of damage to the building and contents is still being evaluated.

Hotel / Restaurant, Restaurant

Libertyville, IL – Sprinkler system activated for fire at restaurant on Easter Sunday

Four people were injured when a fire broke out at an occupied Libertyville restaurant on Easter Sunday, officials say. 

According to the Libertyville Fire Department, firefighters responded to Austin’s Restaurant at 481 Peterson Rd at 1 p.m. When they arrived, people were already evacuating.

Officials say they found smoke coming from the restaurant and a “possible fire in the bar area.”

The sprinkler system extinguished the fire, but heavy smoke remained through the building.

Three people suffered minor smoke inhalation and were treated on the scene. A fourth person sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center.

Fire, smoke, and water damage all affected the restaurant.

The fire is under investigation.

Residential, Single Family Home

Hoffman Estates, IL – Sprinkler system activated for fire at two-story home; No injuries reported

No injuries were reported after fire broke out in a Hoffman Estates home Sunday morning, causing an estimated $400,000 in damage.

Hoffman Estates fire officials said firefighters called at about 10:04 a.m. to the two-story home in the 2100 block of Colchester Avenue arrived to find heavy smoke and flames coming from the garage.

All the home’s occupants had evacuated by the time firefighters arrived and the blaze was under control within about 20 minutes, officials said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. The home had operating smoke detectors and a residential sprinkler system, although the garage had no coverage.

Retail, Shopping Mall

Aurora, IL – Sprinkler system controls fire near building’s loading dock; No injuries reported

A fire in a strip mall store near Fox Valley Mall in Aurora last Wednesday was contained before it could spread to other buildings, officials said.

At around 10 p.m., the Aurora Fire Department responded to the fire after it was called in by an employee of the store, which is located in the 4300 block of Fox Valley Center Drive, according to a news release from the fire department.

When firefighters arrived, they found the fire in the back of the building near a loading dock, but it was being controlled by the building’s sprinkler system and had not spread to nearby stores, the release said. The remaining fire was then put out, officials said.

All employees had evacuated the building before firefighters arrived, and no one was hurt in the fire, according to the release.

Four engine companies, two truck companies, two medic units and three chief officers responded to the fire, the release said.

According to officials, the fire remains under investigation by the Aurora Fire Department’s Fire Investigation Team.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Tinley Park, IL – Sprinkler system contains fire at senior living facility

Firefighters rescued one person from a fire at a senior living facility in south suburban Tinley Park on Monday evening, according to authorities.

The fire was reported at around 5:15 p.m. at Hanover Place, 16851 S. Harlem Ave. According to authorities, the fire occurred in the living room of a first-floor unit, though a cause remained unclear late Monday.

One woman was freed by firefighters and transported to an area hospital with slight burns.

“It’s kinda scary you know… especially I just moved in… you know you thought it would never happen here,” said resident Debbie Drackley.

One resident who moved in less than two weeks ago said she was startled to hear a fire alarm while cooking dinner.

An automatic fire sprinkler system contained the fire before firefighters arrived on scene, said Tinley Park Fire Chief Steve Klotz.

“The fortunate thing is the sprinklers hold the fire in check, but the water starts getting into other units,” he said.

Four units sustained water damage and were deemed uninhabitable for the time being, authorities said.

Staff and residents had to evacuate the building, but have since been medically cleared and allowed to return.

Residents and officials say they’re thankful the fire wasn’t worse.

“Kudos to the sprinkler system for saving, obviously, the room plus many, many other lives that could have been in danger,” Klotz said.

Apartment Building, Residential

Ottawa, IL – Sprinkler system activated for fire in second-floor apartment

A downtown apartment’s sprinkler system is being credited by the Ottawa Fire Department for extinguishing a fire Wednesday morning and ensuring the safety of a resident within the home.

Ottawa firefighters received a call at 8:34 a.m. Wednesday to a second-floor apartment fire at 601 La Salle St., in which the resident still was inside the home. Before firefighters’ arrival, the sprinkler system had been activated, the fire department said in a news release sent Wednesday.

The resident of the apartment still was inside when fire crews entered the apartment. Despite minor injuries, she was assisted out of the apartment, received prompt medical attention and was taken to OSF St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Ottawa for further care, the fire department said.

“The importance of the sprinkler system in preventing a more severe incident cannot be overstated,” Deputy Fire Chief Michael Mills said. “It unquestionably prevented a potential tragedy, ensuring the safety of both the apartment and its occupant.”

After gaining control of the incident, salvage operations were initiated to minimize additional damage to the property. The fire’s origin was attributed to bedding material ignited by a nearby candle. It was deemed accidental.

The Ottawa Police Department and Ottawa Water Department assisted at the scene.

Apartment Building, Residential

Peoria, IL – Sprinkler system extinguishes apartment fire; No injuries reported

Unattended cooking was deemed the cause of a fire at a newly built apartment complex, according to the Peoria Fire Department.

The fire occurred shortly after 10 p.m. Monday at the Providence Pointe Apartments, formerly known as Taft Homes. Crews were sent to the 100 block of Green Street and when they arrived, they found a two-story, eight-unit building with smoke coming from a first-floor unit.

The sprinkler system was operating and put out the fire. No one was found to be in the apartment. Damage was found to to the appliances and to the cabinets in the kitchen.

Water and smoke damage was found throughout, according to the department.

Two people will be displaced until restoration takes place and they were able to find their own
temporary housing.

Other residents in the building didn’t have to move temporary. There were no injuries. Damage was estimated at $25,000.

Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential

Quincy, IL – Sprinkler system activated for dryer fire at senior center; No injuries reported

Two engines from the Quincy Fire Department responded to a fire at the Quincy Senior Center, 639 York, on Monday night.

The Quincy Fire Department responded to a report of a fire in the basement, but it received no indication of what was on fire was given. The first crew arrived on scene at 8:10 p.m. No smoke or other signs of fire were observed from the exterior.

The first-arriving crew made entry into the basement and discovered a fire in an industrial dryer. One sprinkler head had tripped, and the fire was kept in check and extinguished by the sprinkler system. Two other crews arrived on scene and assisted blocking the flow of water from the sprinkler head. They then squeegeed the water into a floor drain. The sprinkler system was shut down until a sprinkler technician arrived and reset the system.

No civilians or firefighters were injured at the scene. The dryer appears to be a complete loss. The laundry room, south hallway, and kitchen in the basement sustained water damage.

An investigation determined that mop heads and rags, which previously had cleaning solution on them, had been drying in the dryer.

The fire department had 10 members on scene from two engines, as well as a quint and the assistant chief.

Other - Storage / Warehouse, Storage / Warehouse

DeKalb, IL – Sprinkler system activated for vehicle fire in maintenance garage; No injuries reported

Crews from the DeKalb Fire Department saw water flowing from a sprinkler system in the garage when they arrived at 6:11 p.m. Wednesday, according to a news release from the department. Emergency crews entered the smoke-filled garage as they worked to establish connection to the water supply to fight the fire.

The fire was located coming from a vehicle inside, and was extinguished in about 20 minutes, authorities said.

Damages were estimated to be about $165,000, according to the news release.

Crews from the DeKalb Fire Department saw water flowing from a sprinkler system in the garage when they arrived at 6:11 p.m. Wednesday, according to a news release from the department. Emergency crews entered the smoke-filled garage as they worked to establish connection to the water supply to fight the fire.

The fire was located coming from a vehicle inside, and was extinguished in about 20 minutes, authorities said.

Damages were estimated to be about $165,000, according to the news release.

Fire Chief Mike Thomas said the presence of the sprinkler system was helpful to crews responding to the fire.

“It saved the day, for sure,” Thomas said. “It kept the fire to a minimum. But it created a lot of smoke.”

Thomas said that because of the large size of the building, clearing smoke was a challenge.

No people were inside the garage at the time of the fire, authorities said. No injuries were reported to firefighters or emergency personnel.

A mobile ventilation unit was requested by DeKalb firefighters as they worked to clear the smoke.

Firefighters responded to two other medical calls in the city as the incident occurred, authorities said.

The cause of the fire hasn’t yet been determined, though the incident remains under investigation by the DeKalb Fire Department.

“We do know the fire originated in the vehicle there,” Thomas said.

The DeKalb Fire Department was assisted by agencies including from Cortland, Sycamore, Genoa-Kingston, Maple Park and New Milford.

Apartment Building, Residential

Champaign, IL – Sprinkler system activated for apartment complex fire; No injuries reported

No one was hurt in an apartment fire in Champaign Saturday afternoon.

A release from the fire department said firefighters were called to the Providence Circle apartment complex just north of Bradley Avenue about 4:45 p.m. Saturday.

They found fire in a bedroom at the two-story building at 1210 Providence Circle, most of which had been put out by an automatic sprinkler system.

Firefighters remained there for about an hour to put out hot spots, using just an extinguisher.

The cause of the fire is unknown.