Buffalo Grove police and firefighter/paramedics responded about 10:45 p.m. Sunday to a report of a house fire at QCSS Call Center, 275 West Dundee Road. Emergency responders received several calls of flames showing from a house that was converted to a business. Police first on the scene within about three minutes reported a lot of smoke and flames showing. Police also reported a strip mall as an exposure close to the house that was on fire. Police evacuated the strip mall. Police also reported that the building on fire was an attached building next to the house.
Firefighters first on the scene within about three minutes from the call for help reported a house, a garage, and possibly a storage shed on fire at the back of the building. Apparently, the storage shed or some outside structure was burning first and spread to the house.
The fire was reported under control about 11:18 p.m. Sunday. Utilities, including telephone, were requested at the scene. ComEd and Nicor responded overnight, but AT&T replied that they would send a technician later in the morning Monday.
Firefighters from Arlington Heights, Lincolnshire-Riverwoods, Long Grove, Palatine, Palatine Rural Fire Protection District and other communities assisted Buffalo Grove Fire Department at the scene or at fire stations in Buffalo Grove.
Police initially received a report of six people running northbound from Dundee Road, but later received information that they were people running to call 9-1-1 nearby. Police and firefighters also responded 35 minutes earlier to a report of a possible prank fire in the 200 block of Taylor Court in Buffalo Grove with some type of object burning in front of a garage. No word on any connection or suspicion relating the two fires, which occurred about 4.5 miles apart (about six miles by car). Buffalo Grove fire command requested a fire investigator respond to the scene.
Police noted that no phone contacts were answering their phones and no voice mail options were functioning at QCSS Call Center. The company’s official website also was not functioning. Presumably their phone and Internet controls were onsite, and possibly interrupted by the fire.
Dundee was blocked in both directions until about 11:22 p.m. when westbound lanes only were opened.
According to the business website, QCSS or Quality Customer Service & Sales provides primary telemarketing solutions including Inbound Telemarketing, Outbound Telemarketing, Lead Generation, Appointment Setting, Tele-Sales, Database Cleanup, Event Invitation & Event Registration, Tele-Surveys, Inbound Customer Services, Answering Services, Help Desk Services, Email-on-Demand.
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