Fire at Dryden Elementary School extinguished, a fire department, special ventilation operation, water main breaks, moderate, and flooding keep firefighters and public works employees busy Sunday night, March 31, 2024. YouTube Tips ⓘ
Police, firefighters and paramedics from Arlington Heights responded about 10:11 a.m. Sunday, March 31, 2024 to an Activated Fire Alarm at Dryden Elementary School, 722 South Dryden Place in Arlington Heights, and discovered a small fire in the school building.
Upon arrival Tower 1’s crew discovered light smoke showing from the school building. Tower 1’s crew upgraded the call to a confirmed fire, and a reported fire response was activated by 10:18 p.m.
A small fire involving a heater was immediately extinguished, but significant smoke filled the school building. There is a construction project underway at Dryden Elementary School for upgrading and expansion.
The MABAS Division 1 Mobile Ventilation Unit (MVU-1) was requested about 10:53 p.m., and MVU-1 was assigned to the front doors of the school to ventilate the school by extracting smoke from north to south out of the building.
Winds were from the northeast ranging from about 14 MPH to 17 MPH and gusting up to 25 MPH Sunday night.
Shortly after a fire engine was hooked up to a fire hydrant, a police officer at the south end of the school parking lot reported a water main break, where water was bubbling up from the ground. Water was also bubbling up from the ground about 40 feet from the front entrance of the school building. Public works was assigned to begin repairs.
The water flow from the water main break combined with moderate rain caused flooding in the street at Dryden Place near the school. Firefighters notified a few homeowners to beware of the flooded street where the waterline rose about half way up the front lawn.
The fire is under investigation with an Arlington Heights Fire Department investigator, and the Office of the State Fire Marshal was also notified. There have been some reports of vandalism on this block in the past few years, including lighting fireworks and igniting porta potties.
The information in this article is an early report published before any summary information was confirmed or released by police or fire authorities.
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