Following Fatal Blaze In Vernon Hills, Fire Chief Offers Safety Tips

VERNON HILLS, IL — Fire officials are reminding residents — including those living in multi-family residences — to have a safety plan in place after a blaze at a Vernon Hills apartment complex claimed the lives of two mothers last weekend.

The cause of the fast-moving fire at the three-story complex in the 900 block of South Court of Shorewood in Vernon Hills remains under investigation. Authorities believe the blaze started on the third floor of the apartment building during the early morning hours of March 19.

• 2 Dead After Apartment Fire In Vernon Hills
• 2 Young Mothers Dead, 4 Families Lose Everything In Fire

Countryside Fire Protection District responded to an activated fire alarm at the complex at about 3:15 a.m., and when firefighters arrived they found a heavy and active blaze and learned there were people still trapped inside the building.

Two women who lived in separate units were found inside their apartments as fire crews searched the building and worked to extinguish the blaze, according to a news release from the Countryside Fire Protection District. Polly Jensen, 38, of Vernon Hills was pronounced dead at the scene and Camille Lozano, 33, of Vernon Hills was transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center where she later died.

In total, six units were damaged by the fire, and nine people have been displaced, authorities said Friday.

Vernon Hills Police Chief Patrick Kreis told Patch Friday it's unclear at this point what caused the fire, and a "thorough" investigation is planned to uncover what happened.

Meanwhile, fire officials are urging all residents, including those living in apartment buildings, to review their family's safety plan and make sure they know what they'd do in a similar situation. Countryside Fire Chief Chuck Smith urges everyone to make sure to regularly check their smoke detectors to make sure they are working and to have a safety plan in place so that you know two ways out of your home or building in case of a fire.

You should also have a family meeting place set up so that everyone is accounted for.

Smith also offered several other tips worth remembering in case of a fire:

• It's important to keep doors closed when sleeping at night since closed doors can slow the spread of a fire
• It's also important to make sure all self-closing doors are operational, remain closed and are not propped open.
• Smith said smoke detectors inside individual apartments do not activate a building’s fire alarm system, which notifies the fire department. If there is a fire in your apartment, call 911 and pull the fire alarm while evacuating the building. Smoke detectors in the shared hallways are connected to the building fire alarm and will notify the fire department when activated.
• Smith added that if you are ever trapped by a fire blocking your exit, you should retreat to a room and close the door. You should then dial 911 and let dispatchers know exactly where you are so that firefighters can find and rescue you.
• You should stay low "where the fresh air is" and hang something from a cracked window to get attention. "Do not fully open or break windows or glass doors," Smith said. "Sources of oxygen will only make the fire grow faster."
• As a last resort, you may need to hang from a window and fall to the ground, he said.

Authorities are not sharing additional information at this point regarding the investigation, and could not comment further on what lead to Jensen and Lozano becoming trapped inside the building in the fatal fire.

The Illinois State Fire Marshall is involved in investigating the blaze.