Palatine police and firefighter/paramedics responded about 11:34 PM Friday to a report of a condominium fire at 2254 North Baldwin Way Palatine, Il. Police and firefighter/paramedics received a report that there was a fire in a bedroom in a condominium unit.
Police officers arriving first on the scene advised they had heavy smoke showing, and the response was upgraded to a working fire response. The first Palatine Fire Department crews arrived on the scene at 11:40 p.m. and reported heavy smoke showing from the front of the two story, 8 unit condominium building.
During their size up, the first fire company found fire venting from the window of a first-floor unit. Firefighters pulled a hose line to the rear of the building and began an exterior attack on the fire while other firefighters pulled a second hose line through the main entrance of the building into the fire unit to begin an aggressive interior attack. Firefighters performed a thorough search of the building to ensure that there were no trapped occupants.
Firefighters removed drywall from the ceiling and some walls of the unit to search for hidden fire, while other fire crews established a water supply, raised ladders, pulled a backup hose line and provided for emergency medical standby. Due to the building size and potential for fire spread, the Incident Commander requested additional units to the scene of the incident. The remaining fire in the unit was declared under control at 11:54 p.m.
Firefighters remained on the scene for some time after that, ventilating smoke and fire gases from the entire building. The fire caused significant damage to the unit of origin, leaving it temporarily uninhabitable. No civilians or firefighters were injured in the fire, although two pet birds perished from the smoke. Damage estimates are not immediately available.
Palatine Fire Department investigators were on the scene and determined the cause of the fire to be accidental in nature. The fire was fought by 30 firefighters manning four engines, three ladder trucks, one rescue squad, and four ambulances along with three command officers. An ambulance and engine crew from the Arlington Heights Fire Department responded as part of an automatic mutual aid agreement, and an ambulance from the Long Grove Fire District and a ladder truck from the Buffalo Grove Fire Department responded as part of the upgraded assignment.
Palatine Police officers assisted at the scene with security, traffic and crowd control.
The Palatine Fire Department reminds residents to have working smoke detectors on each level of your home and each bedroom. When you hear a fire alarm activate, make sure you evacuate. Have, and practice, an escape plan and be prepared to use it if you discover a fire in your home.
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