This Week In Fire

As part of the old Brach's legacy was being blown up for Batman, intentionally causing a blaze, there have been several other fire related bits in the news as well.

• The police Bomb and Arson Section and Chicago Fire Department are conducting an ongoing investigation of a warehouse fire that started Thursday night in Bridgeport. Just before 10 p.m., a fire was reported at a building near Halsted and 36th Streets in the 3600 block of South Lituanica Avenue. According to Fire Media Affairs Chief Kevin MacGregor, “This is a big fire.” We hope it wasn't sparkler related.


• Nine people from the Penn Valley Farms meatpacking plant at Irving Park Road and Oak Park Avenue were sent to the hospital early this morning for side effects related to carbon monoxide fumes. Everyone is okay. Our old friend, Chief Kevin MacGregor, says the fumes appear to have leaked out of an improperly placed flue on a water heater.


• Lastly, a fire that burns across the ocean affects people here in Chicago ... There are raging fires burning up family homes and livelihoods over in Greece, and the sorrow and tragedy is being felt around the world. But as is the case with large-scale disaster (9/11, Katrina), the response to rally and revive is great. The Greek population (300,000 strong in the Chicago area) is bonding together to help those in need. Kuriakos Mellos of Arlington Heights runs Daily Frappe, which has information about the fires and how people can help.

That's the week in fire related news ... Please keep your kids away from matches, put out your cigs before taking a snooze and wave to your local firemen and women. They rock the house.

Photo by the author.