Police, firefighters and paramedics from Palatine responded about 11:04 a.m. Monday, May 19, 2025 to a report of a stove fire in the block of 600 South Cedar Street in Palatine. The first Palatine Fire Department unit arrived two minutes after the initial alarm and reported smoke coming from the house’s roof. The alarm was upgraded to a structure fire response. Crews quickly realized the fire was no longer confined to the stove and had spread throughout the kitchen. The initial fire crews deployed a hose line to the front door of the house while a second hose line was deployed to a rear door for fire extinguishment. Additional fire crews used thermal imaging cameras to check for victims. All residents were safely located outside the house. When the fire had been extinguished, crews performed salvage and overhaul to protect property and search for fire extension. The fire was declared under control at 12:04 p.m.
No firefighters or civilians were injured in the fire. Damage estimates were not available at the time of this release.
Palatine Fire Department investigators have determined that the fire was accidental due to improper storage of combustible materials near the stove.
The fire was fought by 22 firefighters staffing four engines, one ladder truck, one rescue squad, and three ambulances that responded to the scene along with four command officers. During the incident, a Fox River Grove Ambulance stood by at Palatine Fire Station 82 to cover any additional calls. Palatine Police officers assisted at the scene with traffic and crowd control. The Palatine Fire Department reminds everyone to have working smoke detectors in their homes, whether a single-family dwelling, an apartment, or a condo. For more information on fire safety, visit …
Palatine Fire Department Public Education
www.palatine.il.us/431/Public-Education
Incident #25-03452
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Beginning around August 2025, the Palatine Department and nearby fire departments are expected to encrypt fire dispatch and fire department emergency communications, which will eliminate leads for real time awareness of fire incidents, hazardous materials incidents, safety hazards, violent crimes, crashes and traffic incidents in your community.
On March 19, 2025, all NWCDS 9-1-1 board members, voted to encrypt fire dispatch at Northwest Central Dispatch System (NWCDS). The motion to encrypt fire dispatch was brought up by Arlington Heights Village Manager Randy Recklaus. The motion was seconded by Wheeling Village Manager Jon Sfondilis. Neither of these two village managers (nor other area village managers), nor the majority of police chiefs and fire chiefs expressed any concern about providing a substitute method to keep citizens informed in real time about emergency issues in their municipalities.
Stay tuned to CARDINAL NEWS to learn how we may all learn to adapt and/or oppose this decision by the board members of Northwest Central Dispatch System.
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