Shoes Blamed for Fire at Tsukasa of Tokyo

Countryside Fire Protection District officials are urging residents and business owners to take simple steps to eliminate fire hazards after shoes caught on fire Tuesday morning at Tsukasa of Tokyo.

“There was a small fire in the basement near the water heater. It was due to some combustible materials that were stored too close to the heater,” Fire Marshal Mike McNally said.

The fire triggered an alarm, sending firefighters to the restaurant at 9:18 a.m. When they arrived, an employee had already used an extinguisher to put out the fire, McNally said. He said a couple pair of shoes left too close to the water heater caught on fire.

There was no fire or smoke damage to the restaurant, and the fire was extinguished before the sprinkler system activated, McNally said. The fire did not interrupt the restaurant’s business, he said.

McNally said he wants to share an important message with the Vernon Hills community.

“Be sure that they do not store any combustible material near gas water heaters because those are open flames,” he said. “We recommend having at least a 3-foot distance from any open flame appliance.” 

“Those utility areas tend to become storage areas,” he said. Mops, brooms, cleaning supplies and other objects — shoes included — can ignite just from exposure to the heat from a flame, whether it’s from an appliance or a candle, he said.

The Countryside Fire Protection District’s website offers a number of fire prevention tips, many pertaining to specific appliances such as clothes dryers, furnaces and stoves.

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