Police and firefighter/paramedics from Des Plaines responded about 12:13 p.m. Tuesday July 7, 2020 to a report of a house fire at 701 Albany Lane. Firefighters extinguished a fire at the same house after they responded to a 9-1-1 call reporting a fire at 12:42 p.m. on June 16, 2020. Although the first fire was reported at an address of 699 Albany Lane, the actual address was 701 Albany Lane.
Flames were coming out of the attic at the side of the house on Tuesday July 7, 2020 — similarly to the fire in June. Fire command on arrival today confirmed a working fire at a rear corner of the house. Engine 61’s crew worked fire attack interior on the second floor. Engine 63’s crew worked a fire attack line outside at a rear corner of the house — the right, rear corner when facing the front of the house. Tower 61’s crew was also working interior. Mount Prospect Tower 13’s crew was the Rapid Intervention Team.
There were no roof operations at this fire scene, as there were at the first fire.
Secondary searches were underway by 12:25 p.m. and initially no injuries were reported.
Firefighters reported a knock on the fire from the exterior and the interior by about 12:25 p.m.
Firefighters from Arlington Heights, North Maine and Elk Grove Township assisted Des Plaines firefighters at the scene. Firefighters from Arlington Heights and Rosemont and possibly other communities were also standing by in Des Plaines fire stations while the house fire was being extinguished, and while firefighters overhauled the fire scene.
Des Plaines fire command began releasing firefighters from assisting communities by about 12:29 p.m.
On June 16, 2020 at 12:42 p.m. Des Plaines Fire Department responded to the same house for a working fire that also involved the attic. The previous fire appeared to be accidental. The second fire may also have been accidental; however, power to the house, damaged from the first fire, was turned on at the main breaker. Firefighters suspect that an electrical discharge, from the improper power up at the fire-damaged house, ignited the attic for a second time.
The house was declared uninhabitable after the first fire, and was determined uninhabitable again, but this time ComEd was called to the scene to remove the electric meter — effectively disconnecting the power from the power grid to the house via the service line.
The dispatch addresses for the fire calls were different comparing the June call to the July call. Imprecise address common when the actual owner or resident isn’t reporting the fire, and the actual address on a street is unknown and estimated.
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 …
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