Police, firefighters and paramedics from Prospect Heights responded initially to an Activated Fire Alarm at a restaurant, and learned while en route that smoke was discovered in the building. The fire in the restaurant was extinguished within 10 minutes.
Prospect Heights Fire Protection District firefighters were dispatched at 9:38 a.m., Wednesday, December 17, 2025 to an activated fire alarm at Player’s Pub & Grill, 1250 South River Road in Prospect Heights. While responding, firefighters received a report via RED Center that employees in the restaurant that smoke in the building. Additional fire crews were dispatched. Firefighters on arrival, discovered a large amount of smoke and heat present inside the building, and requested additional fire crews for a confirmed fire response.
When the fire alarm activated, the business was not open to customers. Only staff were present. The fire was extinguished within ten minutes of arrival using a single hose line. Firefighters spent another hour checking to confirm that the fire did not spread, and ensured that the fire was completely extinguished.
The owner of the business arrived at the scene about 20 minutes into the incident.
No civilians or firefighters were injured. No other structures were ever threatened by the fire.
A total of approximately 40 firefighters from Prospect Heights Fire Protection District and eight other fire departments or fire districts assisted in the fire suppression efforts. The fire departments and fire districts included Wheeling, Glenview, Des Plaines, North Maine Fire Protection District, Northbrook, Mount Prospect, and Lincolnshire-Riverwoods Fire Protection District.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
In this incident, the fire alarm system performed as intended, according to the Prospect Heights Fire Protection District. The business and one-story building was not equipped with a fire sprinkler system.
“The Prospect Heights Fire Protections District reminds everyone to always have two ways to escape from their home or workplace, to ensure smoke alarms are present and working, and to develop an emergency plan should their home or business be destroyed by a fire or other disaster.
Fire sprinklers save lives and property. Had this structure been equipped with fire sprinklers, the original fire may have been extinguished prior to the arrival of the fire department or at the worst, contained to the area where it had started, according to the Prospect Heights Fire Protection District.”
— Prospect Heights Fire Protection District
The information in this article is an early report published before any summary information was confirmed or released by police or fire authorities.
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