Fireground operations for fatal apartment fire in freezing temperatures on Carriage Way Drive in Rolling Meadows Wednesday night (2:00 minutes).
Firefighters received a report about 8:04 p.m. Wednesday of an apartment fire at 5201 Carriage Way Drive, and that flames were running up a couch and wall inside Apartment 303. Firefighters immediately upgraded the call to a working fire response at 8:05 p.m. Upon arrival, firefighters reported heavy smoke at the front of the building, and police reported heavy fire from the rear of the building. Fire command upgraded the fire response to a MABAS Box Alarm at 8:10 p.m.
Immediately after arrival, firefighters reported that a person jumped from a third floor balcony. Firefighters were reported to be working on at least one victim with CPR at the back of the building. As firefighter/paramedics from Palatine Ambulance 83’s crew and Palatine Rural Engine 36’s crew worked an Advanced Life Support code at the back of the building, they reminded fire command that they were still at the back of the building so they wouldn’t get hit by the high force of the elevated master streams from the ladder tower that were setting up.
Rolling Meadows Fire Department Fire Chief Scott Franzgrote reported that one male victim was pronounced dead at Northwest Community Hospital.
The fire was elevated to a MABAS Box second alarm at 8:57 p.m. which calls for extra firefighters from nearby communities.
Trees near the building became a hazard, as they became caked with ice from water streams hitting the building. Tree branches came crashing down from the weight of the ice. Mist from the ladder tower truck streams also caked vehicles and even cameras with ice.
Fire command elevated the fire response to a third alarm at 9:33 p.m. after about 80 minutes of fighting the fire, which brought an extra number of firefighters from neighboring communities.
The MABAS Box alarm was struck out at about 11:52 p.m.
Firefighters from Addison, Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Des Plaines, Elk Grove Township, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, Hanover Park, Itasca, Long Grove, Mount Prospect, North Maine, Long Grove, Northbrook, Palatine, Palatine Rural, Park Ridge, Prospect Heights, Roselle, Rosemont, Schaumburg, Streamwood, Wood Dale and others provided mutual aid for Rolling Meadows Fire Department.
Barrington, Prospect Heights and Long Grove provided fire station coverage for the rest of Rolling Meadows.
VIDEO: Apartment fire on Carriage Way in Rolling Meadow (23 minutes).
The building that was affected by the fire was the last building on the right side — southbound on the west part of Carriage Way Drive.
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