VIDEO: Firefighters extinguish a second floor balcony fire caused by careless handling of cigarette smoking materials while Fire Lieutenant Ray Loch wakes up a resident inside the second floor apartment/condo unit.
Arlington Heights police and firefighter/paramedics responded about 4:15 a.m. Saturday to a report of a balcony on fire at a condominium/apartment unit at 2515 East Olive Street. Firefighters received a report from a person on the first floor/ground level that a balcony was on fire on the second floor. Firefighters discovered the fire on the south side of the building with light smoke coming from the balcony floor.
Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire with three pump cans. A balcony support beam that runs into the building was close to the fire, and was at risk of serving as fuel to fire extension inside the building. Firefighters used and a fire axe to break up charred and smoldering wood to be certain the fire didn’t extend into the building and to assure the fire wouldn’t rekindle. The opening near the support beam collected leaves and other flammable debris, which had also increased the risk of fire extending into the building.
Had the fire gone unnoticed for another 10-30 minutes, which would have been possible at 4:30 a.m., a major apartment fire could have developed.
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