 PHOTO STEVE REDICK |
Information about this fire was provided by the Village of Hillside Fire Department Fire Chief Michael Kuryla.
On July 21, a fire ignited in a two-story dwelling in the Chicago suburb of Hillside. The Village of Hillside (Ill.) Fire Department’s initial response included an engine, a truck and an ambulance, and additional engines soon arrived from Berkeley and Westchester. On arrival, there was smoke showing from the basement window wells and from the rear of the building. Fire Chief Michael Kuryla called for a box alarm that brought in an additional engine, truck and ambulance, as well as a fire investigator, a rapid intervention team and a change of quarters ambulance and engine.
The fire eventually went to a 4-11 alarm, mostly because of manpower needs. Right off the bat, a water main blew. The incident was on the south end of the department’s area where the water supply situation is not great. Chief Kuryla had concerns that they would lose their water, which would be especially problematic considering the potential exposure problems. As such, Kuryla had an engine establish a water supply that was delivered to the rear of the building from another community on the block behind the fire building.
According to Kuryla, upon his arrival, there was fire and pressurized smoke blowing out of three basement window wells on the east side. This home had an open-type stairwell from the basement to the second floor, and fire was blowing out of the basement 6 feet from the front door. Two lines had no effect on the fire. They were going to cut a hole in the living room floor for ventilation, but the floor was already starting to sag. Kuryla ordered all companies out, and the floor collapsed in about 5 minutes. He then announced to dispatch and over fireground that this was a defensive fire. Shortly thereafter, the entire first floor collapsed.
The fire soon spread to the second floor and the roof. Firefighters chased the fire for about 3 hours. They used a combination of handlines, master streams and a ladder pipe. They even attempted a CAFS attack early into the fire right after the floor first collapsed. Additionally, a firefighter working in the rear who was attempting to remove a door with a fire stream fell into the burning basement. A “mayday” was called but, fortunately, he got onto a table and was pulled out about as fast as he fell in.
There were no injuries at the fire, which required rotating many firefighters in and out. Ultimately, more than 25 departments responded.
The fire allegedly started as the homeowner was refinishing his basement floors with the help of friends who had a floor-refinishing business. The floor sander was in a utility room, and a finish was being applied to the floor when they saw smoke coming from the floor sander. They tried to put out the fire with a fire extinguisher and a garden hose. By the time they stretched the garden hose into the basement, the fire was way ahead of them.
 PHOTO STEVE REDICK |