Touhy Trailer Home Park Fire in Elk Grove Township

One mobile home a total loss and extension to a second trailer home near O’Hare International Airport. Elk Grove Township Fire Protection District calls for a Second Alarm Box at 400 West Touhy Avenue in Des Plaines, IL. Firefighter operations shown in this video. YouTube Tips ⓘ

One trailer home is a total loss and another was damaged from exposure to
the main fire that was reported about 8:45 a.m. Saturday morning.

Elk Grove Township Fire Department called a Second Level Box Alarm,
which brought help from Arlington Heights, Des Plaines, Elk Grove
Village, Hoffman Estates, Itasca, Maine Township, Mount Prospect,
Palatine, Rolling Meadows, Rosemont, Schaumburg and Wood Dale. The fire
was declared under control just after 11:00 a.m.

At least one injury was reported to a citizen at the trailer home park at 400 West Touhy Avenue in Des Plaines [MAP/SAT].

A group of residents nearby helped firefighters by moving two vehicles away from the front curb of the fire scene. Four wheel jack devices, such as a GoJak Wheel Dolly or Vehicle Lift (see GoJak Wheel Dolly or Vehicle Lift on Amazon) were used by placing the jacks underneath the tires of the vehicles and using a built-in foot ratchet to lift the cars enough to move them safely while their transmissions remained in park. In the video at the top of the article you can see the second vehicle (a Ford Explorer) getting ratcheted up (1:03/3:10 or 2:07 remaining) and then pushed away (1:14/3:10 or 1:56 remaining). The fire scene was too tight with fire engines and hoses to allow a tow truck to come in and move the cars.

Photo of a GoJak Wheel Dolly similar to the ones that were used on each of the four tires of cars that were moved out of the way at the fire scene (see GoJak Wheel Dolly or Vehicle Lift on Amazon).

— mb