Roof Fire Started by Burning Yard Waste Embers Contained Quickly

No one was injured when the roof of an Orland Park home caught fire Friday evening.

The Orland Fire Protection District was called at 5:12 p.m. to a house at 11331 Poplar Creek Lane about a working house fire. A resident had lit a small fire with yard waste in the backyard, and a few embers were carried by wind on to the shingles where flames started, Orland Fire Protection District Acting Chief Raymond Kay said at the scene.

Heavy smoke was seen when firefighters arrived. Firefighters used a 2.5-inch diameter hose, capable of releasing 250 to 300 gallons of water a minute, to quickly knock out flames on the roof, Kay said.

“There’s plywood under the shingles, and the fire never got under the plywood into the attic,” Kay said.

While flames were contained to the roof, firefighters made a hole in the house’s master bathroom’s ceiling to make sure no flames that weren’t seen had spread, Kay said.

“We don’t want to come back at two in the morning and see a fire has overtaken the whole house,” Kay said.

Firefighters also used a thermal imaging camera, capable of showing different heat patterns, to make sure no flames were hidden. The crews also covered personal items with tarps to prevent damage from spraying water.

“The village has a weekly yard waste pick up program,” Kay said. “Take advantage of that rather than burning your own clippings.”