Above / Naperville Fire Department responded to two different grease fires Sunday afternoon on Naperville’s northwest side. (PN file photo)
Structure Fire 1400 Block of Fairway
At 2:44PM on Sunday afternoon (09/18/2016), Naperville’s Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) received a 911 call reporting an appliance fire in a multi-family apartment complex.
PSAP immediately dispatched a full still assignment consisting of 2 engine companies, 1 truck company, 1 ambulance, 1 alternate response vehicle, 1 incident commander and a safety officer to the scene, 14 personnel. Naperville’s Fire Engine 4 was first on the scene, within 5 minutes, and reported nothing showing from the 18 unit apartment building.
Upon entry to the apartment complex the initial fire officer reported an odor of smoke and slight haze within the building but no visible fire. The engine officer immediately began a search for the source of the smoke and began to evacuate residents. Crews identified a small fire in the kitchen involving the cabinets and upgraded the alarm to a general alarm structure fire response.
The upgrade added an additional 11 personnel, 2 truck companies, 1 engine company and 1 ambulance to the scene. On scene crews secured a water supply and moved a hose line inside as they continued to search for the origin of the smoke. Once located, the fire was extinguished within 10 minutes.
Crews evacuated smoke from the affected apartments and conducted an assessment of all the remaining apartment units. No fire damage was reported to any additional units. The unit involved was deemed uninhabitable by the Transportation Engineering and Development (TED) inspector on the scene. All remaining occupants were allowed to return to their apartments and the building was turned over to property management.
The cause of the fire was determined to be the ignition of grease from cooking.
The Naperville Fire Department was assisted at the scene by the Naperville Police Department and a representative from the Transportation Engineering and Development (TED) group. Winfield and Downers Grove Fire agencies provided station coverage during this incident. Plainfield Fire assisted with coverage for an unrelated medical call during the incident. There were no reported injuries to firefighters or citizens.
Structure Fire 1500 Block of North Aurora Rd.
As crews began to clear the earlier incident a second structure fire was received by our PSAP dispatch group reporting fire in the kitchen on the 1500 block of North Aurora Rd.
A general alarm assignment was dispatched at 3:29 on Sunday (09/18/2016) which brought 3 engines, 2 ladder trucks, 1 squad, 2 ambulances, 1 alternate response vehicle, 1 incident commander and 1 safety officer to the scene, 25 personnel.
The shift commander arrived on scene within 2 minutes and reported nothing showing from the outside of a large strip mall. Upon entry to the restaurant crews encountered moderate smoke but had determined the fire was out, a pre-action system had activated over the cooking area as employees attempted to extinguish the fire.
Fire crews did conduct extensive overhaul and reported damage to the hood system and some areas of the roof structure.
The business involved was deemed uninhabitable by the Transportation Engineering and Development (TED) inspector on the scene. There was no fire or smoke extension to other parts of the building and the remaining businesses were determined to be safe for occupancy by the TED inspector. The building was turned over to property management.
The cause of the fire was determined to be the ignition of grease from cooking.
The Naperville Fire Department was assisted at the scene by the Naperville Police Department and a representative from the Transportation Engineering and Development (TED) group. The Winfield Fire Department provided assistance at this incident as well as station coverage immediately following. There were no reported injuries to firefighters or citizens during this second incident.
News submitted by Amy Scheller- FO, MPSA, EMTP, Bureau Chief, Naperville Fire Department.
