Around 4 PM today, RED Center, which coordinates emergency responses for the Prospect Heights Fire Department, received a distress call reporting a massive brush fire in the Potawatomi Woods Forest Preserve near Portwine Road. The caller described the fire as covering an area approximately the size of a football field, prompting RED Center to classify the incident as an escalated working fire.
Upon arrival, the initial responders quickly realized the severity of the situation. The fire had spread over a vast area, far beyond what the initial team could handle. Firefighters from Prospect Heights, Wheeling, and Lincolnshire-Riverwoods ventured into the dense forest with a brush truck from Long Grove. The terrain proved challenging, with much of the ground being soft, causing several vehicles to become stuck during operations.
Photographer Larry Shapiro was present at the scene and captured numerous images. He noted how firefighters from Prospect Heights worked diligently, using hand tools to attempt extinguishing the flames at the edges of the burn area. However, the fire flared up faster than the hand crews could manage, creating intense flames and thick black smoke that billowed high into the air.
Long Grove's Brush 55 played a crucial role in supplying handlines to assist in containing the fire. Despite these efforts, the fire continued to intensify as it consumed larger fuel loads, resulting in significant flare-ups until the fuel was finally depleted. The fire department eventually escalated the alarm to a MABAS Brush Fire Box Alarm, summoning additional resources from nearby districts like Countryside Fire District, Buffalo Grove, Grayslake, Elk Grove Township, and Fox River Grove.
The situation grew even more complicated when the Barrington Fire Department simultaneously responded to a major brush fire, requiring some of the same mutual aid companies that would have been available to Prospect Heights. This coordination challenge added layers of complexity to an already demanding scenario.
Throughout the firefighting effort, tall grasses caught fire, generating immense heat and dense smoke that could be seen from miles away. Firefighters stretched multiple lines across the site, including one directly from Countryside FPD Tanker 411, which was strategically positioned to support Long Grove’s Brush 55.
As the fire was brought under control, the Cook County Forest Preserve Conservation Team, consisting of specialized wildland firefighters, arrived to ensure thorough mop-up operations. Fortunately, no injuries were reported at the scene.
Additional images from the event can be viewed [here] and [here]. Larry Shapiro plans to release a comprehensive video once it has been fully edited and compiled. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of coordinated efforts among various firefighting agencies in managing large-scale emergencies.
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