Fire Sprinkler Puts Out Kitchen Fire in Hinsdale High Rise

A woman and her young child escaped injury from a kitchen fire in their high rise building Tuesday evening, Hinsdale fire officials said.

At approximately 9 p.m., the South West Central Dispatch Center received a fire alarm activation at 21 Spinning Wheel, a 17-story multi-family high rise building located near Ogden Ave and I-294 in Hinsdale.

While en route, Hinsdale firefighters learned from dispatch that the the sixth-floor resident reported her kitchen was on fire. Fire departments from neighboring towns, including Oak Brook, Clarendon Hills, Western Springs, LaGrange and Downers Grove, also responded to the scene.

When the Hinsdale Fire Department arrived, evacuation of the building was in progress. Firefighters ascended to the sixth floor to investigate the fire.

Although smoke from the fire was present in the hallway and apartment, firefighters reported the blaze had already been extinguished by a single sprinkler head located in the kitchen.

“Sprinkler systems save lives and protect property.In this case, it saved many lives and helped protect this building for what could have been a major catastrophe,” Hinsdale Assistant Chief Tim McElroy said in a written news advisory. 

“This apartment was occupied by a woman and her young child. Once they heard the fire alarm and saw the sprinkler system activate, they were able to safely leave the apartment," he said.