UPDATE: Fireplace Fire Causes $50,000 in Damages

Firefighters responded to the blaze Saturday evening.

Updated: 11:50 a.m. Monday The fire reported Saturday night on Crystal Lake Way caused approximately $50,000 in damages, according to Frankfort Fire Protection District Assistant Chief Larry Rauch. Authorities responded to the fire at approximately 8:45 p.m. in the 20100 block of Crystal Lake Way. Rauch said that the fire began in the fireplace, not in the attic, as originally reported by Patch. The blaze then extended outside of the fireplace. There were no injuries as a result of the fire. Although the fire was contained to the area directly surrounding the fireplace, Rauch said that the damage was significant. Firefighters worked for more than an hour to extinguish the blaze. --- Authorities reported an attic fire at around 8:45 p.m. on…

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Will County Police Blotter: Park Fire in Frankfort

Will County Sheriff's Office reports, Oct. 25-29 • Fire in Woodlawn Park • Vehicle Keyed in Frankfort • Thieves Enter House, Steal Pipe and Water Meter.

THURSDAY, OCT. 25 Deputies were called to assist the Frankfort Fire Protection District regarding a fire in Woodlawn Park in Frankfort. When the officers arrived, the fire had been extinguished. The deputies saw that two pier posts had been on fire. A garbage can and two picnic tables were floating in the water. Officers believe a spray can of Heet found near the piers was the propellant used to start the fire. Kyle J. Kodatt, 27, of the 800 block of Praire Road in New Lenox, was charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug equipment, violating a protection order, driving without insurance and disobeying a stop sign. Police stopped Kodatt at Elgin and Harwood in Joliet.  SATURDAY, OCT. 27 Unknown persons keyed a …

• Photos (1)

Fire Leaves Frankfort Square Woman Looking for New Home

Cindy Williams is looking for a place to stay after her minivan caught fire in the garage of the home she was renting on Hickory Creek Road.

With her belongings stacked next to her in four beat-up, cardboard boxes, Cindy Williams, her face soot-covered, sat on her front stoop Monday evening and held her cell phone in the air, exasperated that her phone lost its charge while she was talking with her insurance agent. "Now my cell phone's dead! Can you believe it?" she said. That minor inconvenience, though, underscored the larger tragedy of Williams' evening after her minivan caught fire in the garage of the Frankfort Square house she was renting, leaving her without a place to stay. READ: State, County and Local Fire Officials Investigate 3 Possible Arsons Williams said an electrical short in her 2004 Oldsmobile Silhouette minivan caused the blaze, which spread to the garage and…

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

State Fire Marshal Investigating Monday's Vacant House Fire

No one was injured in a fire in a abandoned house in the 20900 block of South 78th Avenue on Monday, May 28. The blaze happened near another vacant structure that was burned down last month.

An abandoned house fire that took Frankfort Fire Protection District firefighters about an hour to battle early Monday morning is the fourth such blaze in the area since April that the state fire marshal's office is investigating. No one was injured in the fire Monday, May 28, in the 20900 block of South 78th Avenue, said Battalion Chief Sean Fierce. Flames had engulf the house, which had been vacant for a number of years, by the time firefighters arrived at the scene around 3:50 a.m., he added. READ: State, County and Local Authorities Investigate 3 Possible Arsons Some parts of the house from Monday's fire were still smoldering, even after the fire was contained in the foundation, he added. "Crews are stopping by every hour or so to …

• Photos (1)

Find Out How to Help the Frankfort Square Fire Victims

No one was injured from the Brickstone Drive fire that gutted a house and damaged another. Neighbors and others are aiding those homeowners. Learn how you can pitch in. Plus, read how a Frankfort Square man stopped another fire from spreading Saturday.

One house was destroyed and a neighboring residence suffered extensive damage from a fire that started late Wednesday night in the 8300 block of Brickstone Drive in Frankfort Square. The residents escaped their burning homes, and there were no injuries. As of Thursday afternoon, the cause of the fire had not been determined, said Assistant Chief Larry Rauch of the Frankfort Fire Protection District. Investigators were looking at a couple different ways the blaze could have started, he said, adding that fire's origins weren't suspicious. NEWSLETTER: Sign Up for Headlines and Breaking News Alerts Delivered to Your Inbox Firefighters from Frankfort and five area departments—including Mokena, New Lenox, Tinley Park, Manhattan and Matteson—…

•  27 Comments
• Photos (3)

State, County and Local Fire Officials Investigate 3 Possible Arsons

The State Fire Marshal's Office is working with Frankfort, Tinley Park and Will County investigators to see if a recent series of abandoned structure fires are connected.

Three suspicious fires in unincorporated Will County in less than a week have the State Fire Marshal's Office working with the Frankfort Fire Protection District and Will County Sheriff's Office to determine if an arsonist is to blame. The three fires all involved abandoned structures and ignited—late at night—within miles of one another: "Well, it's definitely suspicious because there were no utilities hooked up," said Frankfort Asst. Fire Chief Larry Rauch. Milly Santiago, spokeswoman for the State Fire Marshal's Office, said it's too early know how the fires were caused and didn't want to jeopardize any leads by commenting about the investigation. Though Tinley Park firefighters have responded to assist with squelching the flames, the …

• Photos (2)

Abandoned House Catches Fire Behind Indian Trail School

No one was injured in a late Monday night blaze, and investigators are investigating the possibility that the fire could be related to two others in the area.

Firefighters squelched flames Monday night in an abandoned Frankfort Square house located behind Indian Trail Elementary School. No one was injured in the blaze and the extent of the damage was unknown around 11 p.m., Frankfort Fire Protection District officials said. The cause of the fire also hadn't been determined at that time. However, fire investigators plan to examine the site in the 20900 block of Frankfort Square Road, Assistant Chief Larry Rauch said. Are you signed up for breaking news alerts? Get Patched in. Monday's fire—it ignited shortly before 10:30 p.m.—was the third abandoned structure fire in the area of unincorporated Will County that firefighters have responded to within the past week, officials said. Frankfort fire …

• Photos (6)

Area Teens Get National Exposure for Fire-fighting Exploits

The Frankfort and Mokena boys who alerted neighbors that their house was burning down have been selected as the Greatest Person(s) of the Day on Huffington Post.

'We're Not Heroes': Local Teens Humble About Helping Fight Fire

A group of Lincoln-Way East High School friends helped a Frankfort family Friday, alerting them their house was on fire and trying to put out the flames. But they say their actions weren't anything special, just what neighbors do.

The boys in this story have been recognized as part of the Greatest Person of the Day feature on Huffington Post, a feature that spotlights ordinary and extraordinary people in Patch communities whose acts of courage, determination, volunteerism and compassion have made a difference in their towns. These are people who inspire and energize others to strengthen their communities and improve lives. It was fairly typical for an after-school Friday at the Dawson house. Typical meaning the house on Mulberry Court was packed with teenagers, friends of the Dawson boys--Todd, 18; Dustin, 17; and Mike, 15, all Lincoln-Way East High School students. "They hang here," said Julie Dawson, mother of eight. "I let them come to my house because I know …

•  5 Comments
• Photos (1)