Above / The Naperville Fire Department responded to a residential fire in the 1800 Block of 77th Street, Naperville, Illinois. (Photo courtesy Naperville Fire Department.)
At 2:14PM on Sunday, March 8, 2020, Naperville’s Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) received a 911 call stating that a fire could be seen coming from the chimney of a residence. The PSAP call taker advised the caller to make sure the house was evacuated a general alarm assignment was immediately dispatched for a chimney fire to the residence.
While companies began to respond, PSAP received additional information from police units that fire could be seen coming from the chimney. Engine Company 2 arrived on scene within 6 minutes of receiving the call, and reported fire coming from the chimney of the one-story single-family residence.
The first arriving company officer quickly determined that there was a working fire in the chimney and attic of the
residence. The complete general alarm assignment response consisted of three engine companies, two truck
companies, one squad company, two ambulances, and two battalion commanders for a total of 24 personnel that
responded to the scene of the incident.
One adult resident was outside the building attempting to extinguish flames with a garden hose prior to the arrival of fire department units. Companies initiated an aggressive, coordinated fire attack and extinguished fire in the chimney and attic within 20 minutes.
Extra time was taken to extinguish areas with smoldering in the entire chimney assembly. Crews continued to perform salvage and overhaul operations for another sixty minutes after the main fire was extinguished.
No injuries to any residents or firefighters operating at the scene were reported during this incident.
The fire was determined to be accidental as the result of exterior vegetation that was burning and had extended to the structure. The house was deemed habitable for the family after consulting with an inspector from the Naperville Transportation, Engineering, & Development Department (T.E.D.).
The Naperville Fire Department was assisted at the scene by the Lisle-Woodridge Fire Protection District and the Naperville Police Department. Fire station coverage was provided by the Darien-Woodridge and West Chicago Fire Protection Districts during the incident.
Report and photos submitted by James C. Kubinski, EMT-P, Bureau Chief – E.M.S., Naperville Fire Department.
