Lincolnwood 2-11 Alarm house fire 2-14-11

The Lincolnwood Fire Department responded to smoke in the basement at 6531 St. Louis this afternoon and discovered a basement fire in a large two-story brick home. The initial crews found it difficult to contain the blaze, prompting them to escalate the response. They first called a MABAS Box Alarm, then upgraded to a 2nd Alarm, bringing in additional units from neighboring towns such as Skokie, Evanston, Morton Grove, Niles, Northfield, Wilmette, Glenview, Northbrook, Highwood, DesPlaines, along with Chicago Squad 2 and Engine 79.

Firefighters used the window wells and then breached the brick walls for access to the basement so they could direct water onto the fire. Larry Shapiro photo

The basement, which reportedly had a 9-foot ceiling, was extremely challenging to reach. Initially, firefighters used hand lines through the window wells, but as the situation escalated, they had to breach the brick exterior in multiple spots to gain better access. Despite these efforts, the complex layout of the basement—with many partitioned areas—made it even more difficult to control the fire. As the first floor collapsed in some areas, it provided new entry points, but the basement continued to fill with water, making it harder to extinguish the flames that were burning beneath the floor joists.

Several of the areas that were breached in the 'B Sector' are visible here. Larry Shapiro photo

Glenview Engine 6 dropped over 600' of 5-inch hose and tagged a hydrant at the south end of the block. Larry Shapiro photo

Thick smoke filled the entire structure, and an elevated master stream from Skokie Truck 16 was used briefly on the second floor. Lincolnwood’s soon-to-be-replaced Pierce aerial ladder was also deployed, possibly marking its final call before being replaced. Chicago Squad 2 and the 10th Battalion arrived on the box, while Engine 79 came in during the 2nd Alarm. Although command began releasing units around 7 PM, several mutual aid companies stayed until after 10 PM to help bring the fire under control.

One firefighter was injured at the scene and taken to the hospital. His condition remained unknown at the time of this report.

Firefighters watch as a member of Chicago Squad 2 cuts through a section of the living room floor to gain access to another room in the basement. Larry Shapiro photo

Tim Olk and Larry Shapiro covered the event. A gallery of photos by Larry Shapiro is available here, along with a video. Tim's photos can be viewed here.

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