Aluminum High Speed Door Parts SHENZHEN HONGFA AUTOMATIC DOOR CO., LTD , https://www.hongfahsd.com
Beach Park commercial fire 5-20-12
Early this morning, police officers noticed signs of a fire at the Happyland Pet Store, located at 11432 W. Wadsworth Road in Beach Park. When the first emergency responders arrived, they encountered heavy smoke, prompting a quick upgrade to the alarm status.
According to reports from the Chicago Sun-Times, firefighters were dispatched to the building housing the Happyland Pet Center at 6:06 a.m. Initial reports suggested that someone might have been trapped in the apartment above the store, but thankfully, all residents managed to escape safely.
The Chicago Tribune provided further details, stating that the pet store was entirely destroyed after a fire erupted in the basement, claiming the lives of hamsters, gerbils, fish, and reptiles. Firefighters were alerted around 6 a.m. to the incident at the Happyland Pet Center on Wadsworth Road. Chief Paul Tierney of the Beach Park Fire Department mentioned that they found significant smoke upon arrival. Firefighters immediately initiated a rescue operation, searching the upper floors when a flashover occurred. Complications arose due to a water supply issue at the scene, necessitating reinforcements from 15 neighboring communities, including Waukegan, Zion, and Newport. Approximately 75 firefighters were summoned to the location. Chief Tierney noted that the fire had been burning for quite some time before their arrival, originating in a concrete, bunker-like basement with only one access point.
Jeff Rudolph, Tim Olk, and Larry Shapiro were among those who responded to the scene. Jeff arrived shortly after the second alarm was triggered and captured several images.
I personally observed the aftermath of the fire, with smoke billowing out of the pet store's front facade, vividly captured in Jeff Rudolph's photographs. Heavy flames engulfed the second floor, which served as living quarters, as seen in another image. The fire rapidly spread to the second floor and even broke through the roof, with firefighters utilizing hand lines from the rear. In one striking photograph by Jeff Rudolph, the Winthrop Harbor truck operated an elevated master stream from the west side of the building, with intense fire venting through the roof. Another photo showcased the Lake Forest tower ladder, one of three trucks working at the scene. From the rear, the entire second floor, attic, and roof were fully involved, as another image illustrated. Tower ladders from Gurnee and Lake Forest worked on opposite sides of the building, managing the smoke pushing out of both the first and second floors. Despite initial efforts, the main fire hydrant proved insufficient, leading to the implementation of a tanker shuttle to manage the water demand. Even after the main fire on the second floor was brought under control, residual fires continued to burn in the rear and basement areas for an extended period.
Additional photos and a video will be shared later. For those interested in more visuals, Jeff’s gallery is available HERE, Tim Olk’s images can be viewed HERE, and Larry Shapiro’s collection is accessible HERE.
This experience was both humbling and eye-opening, providing a closer look at the challenges faced by firefighters in such situations.