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Commercial garage fire in Wheeling 1-12-12
Just after 4 AM on Thursday, the Wheeling Police Department received an emergency call from a homeowner reporting that their detached garage was on fire. Within minutes, Wheeling’s fire units were dispatched to the scene, and upon arrival, a patrol officer reported that the large, detached garage was fully engulfed in flames. As soon as they arrived, the incident commander upgraded the alarm to a working fire status (Code 4), which prompted additional support from neighboring departments, including a tower ladder from Buffalo Grove, an ambulance from Long Grove, and an engine from Arlington Heights.
By 4:07 AM, the first responders found a massive 16x50-foot commercial garage that had been converted into a landscape business workspace. The structure was completely ablaze, and once the firefighters surveyed the entire building, they discovered several large storage drums, propane tanks, and an acetylene tank either inside or near the building. This information was immediately relayed to the command center, adding urgency to the situation.
As the fire intensified, four separate firefighting lines were deployed to control the blaze. Despite their efforts, the fire managed to destroy not only the garage but also a skid-steer loader stored inside and at least one vehicle parked outside. Tragically, the head of an acetylene torch was damaged during the fire, causing the gas to leak and burn freely. The interior of the building was filled with small machines and tools typical of a landscape business, further fueling the fire.
One of the most dangerous aspects of this fire was the presence of volatile materials like acetylene tanks. Firefighters had to carefully manage these risks while trying to extinguish the flames. In one dramatic moment, a firefighter was seen using a Blitzfire nozzle to tackle the fire directly. Another image captured firefighters cutting access holes into a section of the wall to gain better access to the flames. At one point, a 2 ½-inch hose was used to spray water through the burned-out section of the overhead door, attempting to douse the fire within.
The intensity of the fire was evident in the photos taken by Larry Shapiro, who visited the scene and shared these images. One particularly striking photograph showed a firefighter aiming a hose at an open flame coming from a damaged acetylene tank. Inside the garage, the aftermath revealed a cluttered space filled with small machines, parts, and various tools, indicating the scale of the destruction.
While the firefighters worked tirelessly to bring the situation under control, additional resources were brought in to ensure safety. For instance, Wheeling Squad 24 (formerly Squad 42) was operating since the tower ladder was temporarily out of service. Throughout the operation, firefighters faced numerous challenges, including the risk posed by the volatile gases and the sheer size of the blaze.
Larry Shapiro compiled a gallery of images capturing the intense firefighting efforts, providing a vivid account of the events. Additional video footage from the scene will be released later today, offering even more insight into the heroic efforts of the firefighters who responded to this emergency.
In the end, the fire left significant damage to the property, but thanks to the quick response and coordinated efforts of multiple departments, the situation could have been far worse. The images and videos from the scene serve as a powerful reminder of both the dangers faced by first responders and the importance of vigilance in preventing such incidents.