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On the morning of February 12th, at just before 11 AM, the Park Ridge Fire Department was alerted by an automatic fire alarm at a four-story apartment building located at 500 Thames Parkway. As they were en route, a phone call confirmed a fire on the top floor, prompting an immediate upgrade to a working fire. Upon arrival, Battalion 35 observed flames bursting from the rear of the top-floor unit. The structure had three floors with ten units each, and a second alarm was quickly called in. An EMS alert was also issued as a precaution due to the number of residents inside.
Park Ridge Engine 35 and Tower 36 were among the first on scene. The tower was used as a standpipe for the attack line, allowing firefighters to make entry into the fire unit and begin suppressing the flames. The building lacked a standpipe system, so a 2.5-inch high-rise pack was brought in and fed through a top-floor window to the tower’s basket.
DesPlaines Engine 62 positioned itself in the rear and used its deck gun to knock down the flaming mansard roof before establishing a positive water supply. Morton Grove Engine 4 (Quint) served as the first aerial device in the area. Due to the unavailability of Squad 4, the quint was dispatched instead and immediately put to work.
The fire was confined to the original unit, with only minor damage spreading to adjacent apartments. After the main fire was extinguished, hot spots remained on the mansard roof, requiring additional efforts to fully access and cool the area. A line was stretched up the ladder of Engine 4 to provide water to crews on the roof addressing the lingering fire.
Several mutual aid companies, including Norwood Park, Skokie, and Schiller Park, responded to assist. The MABAS Division 3 'Comm 3' also arrived along with four chiefs as part of an IMAT response. Firefighters worked diligently to overhaul the fire unit, ensuring no embers remained.
Tim Olk, Steve Redick, and Larry Shapiro captured the event, providing valuable visual documentation. Tim's gallery can be viewed here, Steve's gallery is available here, and Larry's gallery is here as well. Additionally, Steve produced a video from the scene, offering a dynamic look at the incident.
You can watch the video below: