Above / Naperville Fire and Police Departments responded to emergencies on May 3 and May 4. No injuries reported to firefighters or police. (PN file photos are used to help flag reports about Naperville Fire Department and Police Department responses to emergency calls, always reminding readers that keeping the community safe is everyone’s responsibility. Thanks for calling 911 whenever necessary or when something seems suspicious. Be alert by day and by night. Stay safe.)
Car crashes into hazardous materials box located in structure near Ashwood Park Clubhouse, 4500 block of Chinaberry Lane
At 6:59PM on Wed., May 3, Naperville’s Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) received a call that a vehicle had driven into a structure in the 4500 block of Chinaberry Lane. The incident location is a single-story clubhouse made of wood frame construction. Naperville PSAP dispatched a special rescue assignment consisting of seven pieces of fire apparatus and 15 personnel.
At 7:05PM, the first vehicle arrived on the scene and found a vehicle that crashed through a fence and struck a storage tank. Fire companies surveyed the scene and discovered a 1000-gallon storage tank containing sodium hypochlorite and an 80-gallon storage tank of muriatic acid had ruptured in the collision. These chemicals are used to maintain the proper sanitary levels at the pool. The chemicals from the broken tanks had spilled out and mixed, creating a noxious gas. Some of the product was found to be leaking into the storm sewer system. The incident commander immediately upgraded the alarm to a Hazardous Materials box alarm bringing a total of over 40 firefighters and hazardous material teams from around the area.
HazMat technicians began operations and immediately set up diking and damming to stop any further flow of materials. Crews used vac trucks to remove materials from the storm drains and then flushed them with clean water. Collections booms also stopped any product from entering the nearby pond. Chemical test paper was used to ensure the water quality of storm drains was clean and free of any chemicals.
The teams worked closely with the Illinois environmental protection agency to assist with mitigation and the final cleanup, which a 3rd party private Haz Mat contractor conducted.
The Naperville Fire Department was assisted on the scene by the Naperville Police, Naperville Department of Public Works, Illinois IEMA, Illinois EPA, Argonne Fire Department, Bolingbrook Fire Department, Downers Grove Fire Department, Hanover Park Fire Department, Lisle Woodridge Fire Department, Warrenville Fire Department. The Aurora Fire Department, Bolingbrook Fire Department, Oswego Fire Department, Plainfield Fire Department, and Romeoville Fire Department provided backfill of Naperville stations during the incident.
One civilian with an injury related to the vehicle accident was transported to Edward Hospital in stable condition.
There were no injuries to fire service personnel operating on the scene. The building was deemed to be uninhabitable by the Naperville Transportation, Engineering, and Development Team.
Naperville firefighters respond to structure fire in 1600 Block of Westminster Drive
At 9:08AM on Thursday, May 4, Naperville’s Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) received a call for the possible structure fire at the residential occupancy in the 1600 block of Westminster Dr. PSAP immediately dispatched a general alarm response.
A general alarm assignment consists of three engines, two ladder trucks, one heavy rescue squad, two medic units, and two battalion commanders.
Medic 4 arrived on the scene at 9:11AM, where they found a two-story, wood-framed, multifamily residential structure with nothing showing from the structure. First-arriving companies completed a 360-degree survey of the occupancy and began an investigation. Crews found a small fire located in a second-floor unit bathroom. Companies on the scene used extinguishers to bring it under control and begin overhaul and salvage operations within 5 minutes of arrival.
Crews on the scene confirmed that one occupant who found the fire had evacuated the house before NFD’s arrival. Primary and secondary searches were conducted, and no additional occupants were found. Fire crews remained on the scene for 30 minutes to look for any fire extension and assist the homeowners.
Residents from the occupancy stated they were alerted to the fire by the working fire alarm and smoke detectors and called Naperville PSAP to advise them of the fire.
The Naperville Fire Department was assisted on the scene by the Naperville Police Department.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation, but is believed to have originated from a bathroom exhaust fan.
Damages to the home are estimated at $15,000. There were no injuries to any firefighters or residents due to the fire. The unit and the rest of the complex were deemed habitable, and residents were returned to their units.
