Tropical Depression Cristobal winds bring down power line, ignite SUV with explosions on driveway on Dryden Avenue north of Euclid Avenue in Arlington Heights
Police and firefighter/paramedics from Arlington Heights responded about 3:35 p.m. Tuesday June 9, 2020 to a report of a vehicle fire parked on a driveway near a house in the block of 600 North Dryden Avenue in Arlington Heights.
Firefighters in the northwest suburbs were already responding to numerous fire alarms, downed branches and downed power lines as bands from Tropical Depression Cristobal moved from north to south across northern Illinois as the storm’s center moved up the Mississippi River on Tuesday.
Firefighters in Arlington Heights arrived to find an SUV on fire, parked on the driveway with a live power line next to the driver’s side door. Firefighters could not extinguish the fire until ComEd arrived to fully disconnect energy feeding the line.
Instead firefighters initially warned all neighbors to stay away from fences in their backyards, particularly a chained-link fence which could be — or could become — dangerously energized. As the vehicle burned, firefighters advanced hose lines to protect a second vehicle parked on the driveway, the house and the attached garage at the back of the house. Firefighters wet down the second vehicle, which may have showed some off-gassing or slight smoke coming out of it. Firefighters positioned in the backyard also wet down the attached garage on the home, and two bicycles parked on the driveway. The bicycle tires on bikes parked nearby also appeared to be smoking. Smoke from the vehicle and the bicycle tires stopped as the initial SUV fire burned out.
ComEd arrived an completely de-energized the power line, and began work to repair the power lines and restore power. Initially no injuries were reported.
The same area was affected by downed power lines from a storm on Monday, August 17, 2015 when a large tree branch fell on a vehicle while it was driven southbound on Dryden Avenue. Possibly the very same power line location that ignited the SUV today, was affected by the storm on Monday, August 17, 2015.
The information in this article is an early report published before any summary information was confirmed or released by police or fire authorities.
DEVELOPING IF CONTENT IS AVAILABLE …
RELATED NEWS …
Stay informed with news from The Cardinal’s Emergencies Behind the Scenes Facebook page — Facebook.com/CardinalEmergencies. Includes links to favorite public safety and emergency rescuers and product manufacturers and safety companies that have facebook pages. Submit your pictures or just stay up-to-date on with fire, rescue, EMS and police photo galleries. Please add your public safety photo to the wall album — go direct to the Arlington Cardinal Emergencies Behind the Scenes photos. For a list of all of The Cardinal Facebook fan pages, go to Arlingtoncardinal.com/about/facebook …
Help fund The Cardinal Arlingtoncardinal.com/sponsor