The Manhattan Fire Protection District responded swiftly to a call for a barn fire at a residence near Station 83 shortly after 7 p.m. on Oct. 30.
Crews arrived within four minutes to the 29000 block of South Joliet Road in Peotone, whereupon they found smoke showing from the barn and a working fire was confirmed. The barn was located on a residential property, and all occupants were evacuated safely prior to the arrival of emergency personnel.
The responding crews were able to get the fire under control within 10 minutes but stayed on scene to conduct overhaul, which ensures there are no smoldering embers or hot spots that could reignite.
The fire district upgraded the fire to a full still, which called in additional mutual aid assistance at the scene from the Beecher Fire Protection District, Monee Fire Protection District, Frankfort Fire Protection District and Manteno Fire Protection District.
The fire district also called in a general alarm for the district. A general alarm calls in any available personnel to help man the stations while crews fought the fire and while the stations awaited station coverage from nearby
The fire was deemed accidental in nature, and no one was hurt.
A press release noted that additional resources were summoned in order to maintain emergency response capabilities throughout the district. MFPD received additional assistance for station coverage from Elwood Fire Protection District and Mokena Fire Protection District, which provided coverage at Station 81. The University Park Fire Department and Manteno Fire Protection District provided coverage at Station 83.