Firefighters Battle Blaze On Maple Avenue

Firefighters responded to a house fire at 921 Maple Ave. around 7 p.m. Thursday night. No injuries were reported

Evanston firefighters put out a blaze that engulfed the rear porch and back half of a home at 921 Maple Ave. around 7 p.m. Thursday night.  The fire extended up into the eaves of the home, but firefighters were able to contain the flames to the back portion of the home, according to Fire Chief Greg Klaiber. No one was home when the fire broke out, and there were no injuries, according to Klaiber. The residents' dog was also unharmed. The first floor of the home sustained some water damage and minor smoke damage, but the house is still habitable, according to Klaiber. Total damages have yet to be assessed, and the fire department is still investigating the cause.

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Photo Gallery: Fire Department Mass Casualty Training

The Evanston Fire Department has spent three days this week simulating car accidents.

Evanston firefighters have spent the past three days simulating their response to a seven-victim car accident as part of the Evanston Fire Department’s ‘mass casualty training’. The training, which took place at the recycling center at 2222 Oakton St., aimed to teach firefighters how to best respond to any incident where multiple people are injured. Though a car crash simulation was used in the training exercise, Evanston Fire Department Division Chief Dwight Hohl said firefighters were taught techniques that could be used in natural disasters, train wrecks, stage collapses and other similar situations. Stay up to date on the latest Evanston news by signing up for our free morning newsletter. The training reinforced some techniques, such …

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Man Charged with Arson in Connection with Skokie Explosion

The Evanston Fire Department helped to put out the fire during the December explosion.

A blast that blew off the entire front portion of an apartment building last December was initially thought to be the cause of a gas leak. Yet an investigation realeased by the Skokie Fire Department earlier this month revealed that the blast was in fact arson and not a gas leak.  Now, the Skokie Police Department has charged Stefan Kogut, 53, of the 100 block of West Ridge Ave., with two counts of arson on Monday. It is alleged that Kogut intentionally set off the explosion that left the apartment building at 8734 Kimball Ave. faceless. Kogut was the only person injured after the blast and was found near the building's rubble. He would later be transported to St. Francis Hospital in Evanston. A witness told Skokie Patch that Kogut's “head…

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FEMA Grant Delivers New Life-Saving Equipment to Fire Department

Evanston was one of five departments in Illinois to get the grant.

Retired Evanston Firefighter Pulls Man From Smoking Vehicle

On his way to buy a lottery ticket last Friday, Dennis McGuigan rescues victim on Milwaukee Avenue

Saving people’s lives has become a way of life for retired Evanston firefighter Dennis “Magoo” McGuigan. During his 30-year career McGuigan was honored with two awards for helping children in life-threatening emergencies, Glenview Announcements reports. McGuigan lives in Glenview. According to the article, McGuigan was back in action last Friday when around 10:30 a.m., he saw a flipped vehicle in front of him with engine smoking. He was driving north on Milwaukee Avenue near Sanders Road to buy lottery tickets and immediately came to the driver’s aid. Along with the help of two other men, McGuigan was able to remove the victim from the vehicle and carry him 15 feet to safety. For the full story and to read more about the intense rescue, …

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Battalion Fire Chief Kunita to Retire After 35 Years

A retirement party will be held Feb. 20.

Evanston Remembers 9/11

Community Gathers At Dawes Park To Commemorate 10th Anniversary of Attacks

City officials, the Fire and Police Departments, and numerous citizens gathered at Dawes Park on a beautiful Sunday morning to commemorate the 10th anniversary of 9/11. An artifact from the World Trade Center and a sculpture donated by artist Valerie Engel Shiff were unveiled during the ceremony.  Both pieces will be located in the vestibule of Evanston's Police Heaquarters. Speakers for the event included Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl, Commissioner Larry Suffredin, Senator Jeff Schoenberg, Fire Chief Greg Klaiber, and Chief of Police Richard Eddington. Evanston Fire Chaplain Jones stated in his invocation, "That day cost us a lot at so many levels, and that wound will always be a part of who we are, and we cannot bring those many back."

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