Fires at Residence, Paper Company Trigger Multi Fire Department Response in Des Plaines

Local fire departments assisted Des Plaines firefighters as they extinguished an attic fire in a residence and a machine fire at a business, stated Fire Chief Alan Wax.

Des Plaines firefighters responded to two calls at the same time on Saturday night, stated Fire Chief Alan Wax, which led to a number of area fire departments assiting. The Des Plaines Fire Department responded to a fire alarm at a paper manufacturer on the 100 block of East Oakton Street, Wax stated, and a short time later responded to a report of a fire at a residence on the 1600 block of Howard Street at 5:25 p.m. on Feb. 23. The fire at the residence on Howard began in the attic, Wax stated, and was caused by a short circuit. There were no injuries reported, Wax stated, and the residents in the unit that caught fire and the adjoining unit were displaced. The preliminary loss for both units was estimated at $43,000. The fire at the …

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Fire Chief: Fire Damage Reduced by Sprinklers

The $25K in estimated damage could have been much greater if overhead sprinklers were not installed in the building 15 years ago, Des Plaines Fire Chief Alan Wax stated.

A fire that erupted at a Des Plaines electrical contracting company early Saturday morning could have caused more extensive damage, had overhead sprinklers not contained the blaze until firefighters arrived on the scene, Des Plaines Fire Chief Alan Wax stated. “It is very evident that, without the sprinklers, by the time the Fire Department would have been notified, the fire would have advanced deeply into the open wooden truss ceiling, and the building likely would have been a total loss,” Wax stated. “Instead, one business has some cleaning-up to do, two others have some smoke odor to air out, and they will all be back in business quickly.” The Des Plaines Fire Department received the call about the fire at 216 Graceland Avenue at 12:01 …

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Three Injured in Des Plaines Fire

The Daily Herald is reporting that three people were injured in a fire in the 100 block of east Northwest Highway.

Three people were injured in a Friday night fire in an apartment building, the Daily Herald reported. The Des Plaines fire department arrived on the scene at 10:24 p.m. in the 100 block of East Northwest Highway, the newspaper reported. Three people were hospitalized for smoke inhalation and the fire was estimated to have done $90,000 in damage.

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Des Plaines Taking Steps To Start 911 Center

The Chicago Tribune reported that Des Plaines is taking steps to start its own 911 call center.

Des Plaines is taking steps to begin its own 911 call center, the Chicago Tribune reported. Des Plaines has shared an emergency dispatch system with several other communities including Niles, Morton Grove and Park Ridge, the newspaper reported. In August, Niles and Morton Grove announced they would be withdrawing from it, the Chicago Tribune reported.

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Six New Police Officers, Three New Firefighters Hired by Des Plaines

Surrounded by City of Des Plaines officials, administrative personnel, co-workers, friends and family, three firefighter-paramedics and six police patrol officers were sworn into service on Jan. 2 at city hall.

Bank Robber, House Fire, Rivers Casino Revenue, More Top Stories

A roundup of the most-read stories from Dec. 9 to Dec. 15.

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Des Plaines Firefighters Recognized for Valor

Retired Des Plaines Fire Lieutenant Michael Copeland and Firefighter/Paramedic Robert Prieto were the recent recipients of the 100 Club of Chicago’s prestigious Award of Valor for their heroic rescue of a young child and his grandmother from a basement fi

Des Plaines Firefighters Prepare Dinner at Ronald McDonald House

Des Plaines firefighters and some of their spouses, in conjunction with Operation North Pole’s ”Meals from the Heart” program, went to the University of Chicago Comers Children’s Hospital to prepare and serve a Thanksgiving meal for families staying there

House Fire Displaces Two; Family Cat Rescued

A fire that began in an attached garage caused an estimated $120,000 in damage to a Des Plaines residence Saturday morning, according to the Des Plaines Fire Department.

A fire that erupted in a garage attached to a house early Saturday morning displaced the two Des Plaines residents who live there. The two occupants and their family cat, which was rescued by firefighters from the basement of the house, received housing assistance from the city’s emergency management agency, according to a report from the Des Plaines Fire Department, because the house was uninhabitable following the fire. The Des Plaines Fire Department responded to the fire report at 256 Kathleen Drive at 2:02 a.m. on Dec. 8, according to the report, arrived on the scene at 2:07 a.m. and the fire was extinguished within 20 minutes of their arrival on the scene. The fire began in the garage and progressed into the attic and the main part …

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