Orland Uses Drone to Help Fight Wednesday Morning Blaze

Lightning is suspected to have caused a blaze in a house on the 10800 block of West Scarlet Drive in Orland Park early Wednesday morning.

Orland Fire Protection District Chief Ken Brucki said firefighters immediately went into a defensive position to get the fire under control preventing any injuries. Brucki also said the fire department was able to deploy a drone to assist in quickly identifying the fire location on the home.

The fire was reported at about 2:46 a.m. and arriving fire companies found heavy fire had spread through the attic and roof areas of the 5,000-square-foot residential home, according to the Orland Fire District. Firefighters reported that heat radiating from the blaze was extensive.

“It was a very large home and the drone helped give us an immediate, aerial view of the property and the fire,” Brucki said. “The aerial view assisted the Battalion Chief to direct suppression efforts to bring the fire under control.”

Brucki said one possible cause of the fire may be lightning, noting “there was a tremendous amount of lightning in the area at approximately the same time of the fire.”

The alarm was elevated to a full still to bring in additional companies. A total of two aerial master streams and five large diameter hand-lines were required to extinguish the fire.

The structure suffered major fire damage to the entire roof and extensive damage to the interior of the structure from fire, smoke and water. The fire was brought under control in about an hour. The home was empty as the family was vacationing.

10800 BLOCK OF WEST SCARLET, ORLAND PARK