IL Fire Marshal Probes Chicago Heights Fires: Mayor

CHICAGO HEIGHTS, IL — The Illinois State Fire Marshal is investigating the cause of two fires that damaged multiple homes and displaced several people last week in Chicago Heights.

Two fires in Chicago Heights on Oct. 22, on the south block and north block of Lowe Avenue damaged six homes and displaced 9 people, according to a press release from the office of Mayor David Gonzalez. There were no injuries. To assist the Chicago Heights Fire Department, five neighboring fire departments also responded to the scene.

Timeline of Events:

• 11:08 pm: A Chicago Heights police officer reported a fire at a vacant residence on the South block of Lowe.
• 11:12 pm: CHFD arrives on the scene and began extinguishing the fire. Exposure from that fire then spread to two other adjacent Lowe Avenue residences.
• 11:14 pm: Park Forest and Matteson firefighting units arrive on the scene to assist CHFD.
• 11:37 pm: CHFD fire crew witnesses a second fire that began at a single-family residence on the North block of Lowe and begin extinguishing the fire. Exposure from that fire then spread to two other adjacent Lowe Avenue residences.
• 11:47 pm: Firefighting units from Crete, Glenwood, and University Park are dispatched to scene to assist CHFD and other companies.
• 1:19 am: CHFD reports two fires extinguished; others under control.
• 1:41 am: Illinois State Fire Marshal arrives.
• 3:16 am Additional fire companies released from scene; CHFD remains on scene for overhaul operations.

Of the six homes involved, five were fully engulfed and sustained complete and total damage, according to the release. The sixth sustained undetermined damage. A momentary delay occurred on North Lowe as CHFD personnel ran additional supply hose lines to a nearby hydrant.

A total of 6 of 7 hydrants in the fire zone were fully operational and available to provide water sufficient to extinguish the fires, Gonzalez said in the release.