Above / Naperville Fire Department responds to structure fire in the 1100 block of Iroquois Avenue estimated to have caused $300,000 in damages. No injuries reported. (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 seeing something suspicious. Be alert by day and by night. Stay safe.)
At 1:58PM on Wed., Nov. 29, Naperville’s Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) received a call from a monitoring company reporting an activated fire alarm in a multifamily residence in the 1100 block of Iroquois Avenue.
Naperville’s PSAP dispatched Engine 1 and Squad 9 to investigate the alarm. While the units were en route, a call from the building manager reported heavy black smoke coming from Unit 208.
In addition, PSAP received several phone calls from residents reporting they were trapped on the second floor.
Due to these calls and the complex being home to numerous physically disabled individuals, the alarm was upgraded to a MABAS Fire Box and MABAS EMS Box. This combined assignment consisted of 18 pieces of fire apparatus and 44 personnel, including an Incident Commander, Incident Safety Officer, and five ambulances, to the reported address.
At 2:05PM, the first vehicle arrived at the scene of the 2-story wood frame building and found nothing showing from the outside. As crews ascended to the 2nd floor, they encountered heavy black smoke coming from unit 208. Fire crews simultaneously performed rescues while stretching hose lines. One individual was rescued from a second floor window, while several others were evacuated or sheltered in unaffected areas of the building.
At 2:27PM, the fire was deemed under control. A sprinkler head that activated in the fire unit assisted in keeping the fire from spreading to other areas. Fire companies remained on the scene for another 60 minutes to ensure all hot spots were extinguished.
Six residential units were damaged and deemed uninhabitable due to the fire, causing four residents to become displaced. All four residents were able to be relocated within the building or with family members.
Twenty-nine residents were in the building when the fire broke out.
The Naperville Fire Department was assisted on the scene by the Naperville Transportation, Engineering, and Development Team, Naperville Police, and Lisle Woodridge Fire Departments. Backfill of the stations was provided by the Aurora, Bolingbrook, Oswego, Plainfield, Warrenville, West Chicago, and Wheaton Fire Departments.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. There were no injuries to any occupants or firefighters while operating on the scene. The blaze is estimated to have caused $300,000 in damage.
Report submitted by Daniel Smith, Division Chief, Naperville Fire Department.
