Above / Lightning strikes structure on 3300 block of Rosecroft Lane, north of 95th Street/west of Naperville Crossings. (PN File Photo)
NAPERVILLE, Ill. — At 7:06PM on Wednesday May 10, 2017, Naperville’s Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) received a 911 call from a resident on the 3300 block of Rosecroft Lane reporting a lightning strike with no apparent fire. The PSAP tele-communicator immediately dispatched an engine and a ladder truck to the residence and advised the callers to evacuate the building.
A second report from the resident advising that smoke was showing from the roof of the home prompted an upgrade of the alarm adding another engine, ambulance, and two battalion commanders to the response. The first fire department unit to arrive on scene arrived within three minutes of the initial call and reported heavy smoke showing from the roof of a two story multi-family residence.
The alarm was upgraded to a general alarm structure fire response bringing a total of 24 firefighters to the scene. Fire crews assured that all residents were out of the building, quickly located the fire in the attic, ventilated the building, searched adjacent units to insure that all residents were out of the building, and extinguished the fire which primarily involved the attic and roof of the structure.
The main body of fire was extinguished within 20 minutes of the initial 911 call. Companies remained on scene conducting salvage and overhaul operations to locate and extinguish any hidden fire and protect the resident’s property from smoke and water damage.
One unit of the six-unit building was deemed uninhabitable by the Naperville Transportation Engineering and Development department (TED) due to the fire while all other residents were safely returned to their homes.
The Naperville Fire Department was assisted on the scene by the Aurora Fire Department, the Naperville Police Department, the Naperville Electric Department, the Naperville Transportation Engineering and Development Department, and NICOR. The Bolingbrook Fire Department, and Plainfield Fire Protection District provided coverage for Naperville Fire stations during this occurrence.
The cause of the fire was investigated and determined to be storm related. There were no injuries to firefighters or civilians as a result of this incident.
Report submitted by Andrew Dina, Deputy Chief of Operations, Naperville Fire Department.