McHenry County Blog

Another press release from Crystal Lake Fire Department Battalion Commander Jerry Larsen:

Structure Fire 3200 Block of Carrington Dr, Crystal Lake, IL

On May l, 2013, at 3:30pm the Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department was dispatched for a structure fire in the 3200 block of Can’iugton DI, Crystal Lake, Illinois.

The home 0f origin located at 3217 Carrington was a total loss.

The exposure homes addresses and damage sustained are:

• 3222 Carrington has fire damage to the cedar shake roof which extended into the attic. The interior suffered smoke and water damage and the house is not habitable.
• 3306 Carrington has damage to the cedar shake roof and some interior smoke damage. The house is  habitable.
• 3216 Carrington has damage to the cedar shake roof and some interior Smoke damage. The house is habitable.
• 3217 E. Terra Cotta Ave received minor damage to the rear deck and siding. The house is habitable.

A fire crew remains on the scene at 3217 Carrington to continue extinguishing hot spots.

The McHenry County Department of Planning and Development is working with the homeowners to make repairs.

The American Red Cross is working with all the families affected by the ñres.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department, McHenry County Sheriffs Department, and the Illinois Office ofthe State Fire Marshal.

A press release, issued last night at 10:30, from Crystal Lake Fire Department Battalion Chief Jerry Larsen:

“On May l, 2013, at 3:30pm the Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department was dispatched for a structure ñre in the 3200 block of Carrington Dr, Crystal Lake, Illinois.

“Crystal Lake firefighters arrived on the scene and found a well involved house tire.

“Crews started protecting exposures and four additional homes have received damage. Three ñre fighters received minor injuries, were transported to a local hospital,l and all have been released.

“The fires to the four homes that received damage have been extinguished.

“Crews remain on the scene for the home of origin t0 continue extinguishing hot spots.

“The cause of the remains under investigation by the Illinois Ofñee of the State Fire Marshal, McHenry County Sheriffs Department, and Crystal Lake Fire Rescue”.

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You can see the WGN-TV coverage here.

A press release from the Crystal Lake Police Department:

Death Investigation at the Scene of a Fire Within a Residence

On April 14, 2013 at 7:33 AM, Crystal Lake Police were dispatched to a residence in the 1700 block of Moorland Lane in Crystal Lake where a Deputy of the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department had discovered suspicious circumstances.

Upon arrival officers outside the home observed a subject lying on the floor of a room inside, and smoke inside the house. Crystal Lake Fire Rescue was dispatched to the scene.

Officers made entry to the home with attempts to extract the subject, however heat and dense smoke prevented the officers from reaching the area the subject had been observed.

As Fire Rescue arrived, firefighters entered and removed the subject, the sole occupant of the home, and attempted to revive him.

A fire found in the basement of the home was quickly extinguished by the entering firefighters.

The subject was transported to Centegra Hospital in Woodstock, where he was pronounced deceased.

No other persons suffered injuries as a result of this incident.

This matter remains under investigation by the Crystal Lake Police Department, Crystal Lake Fire Rescue, McHenry County Sheriff’s Office, Investigators of the Illinois State Fire Marshall’s Office and the McHenry County Coroner’s Office.

Identity of the deceased is known, but is being withheld pending proper notification of family.

No further information will be released this date, as the investigation continues.

Those with kids or grandkids may be interested in knowing the Crystal Lake Fire Department is holding an Open House this morning.

I would have run the press release, if it had been email instead of faxed to me.

A press release from the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office:

CARRIE GIL SENTENCED TO 14 YEARS IN THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS FOR THE OFFENSES OF ATTEMPT FIRST DEGREE MURDER AND AGGRAVATED ARSON

Louis A. Bianchi, McHenry County State’s Attorney, announces that Carrie Gil, 46, formerly of Crystal Lake, was sentenced to 14 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the offense of Attempt 1st Degree Murder and 12 years for the offense of Aggravated Arson.

This case was investigated by the Crystal Lake Police and Fire Departments with assistance from the State Fire Marshal’s Office and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The Illinois State Police provided experts to explain the use of an accelerant to start the fire and to associate paint from inside the residence to graffiti on the garage and screen doors outside the house.

The investigation also revealed multiple death spells within the defendant’s laptop computer which matched verbatim with handwritten notes linked to the defendant by a forensic document examiner from the Illinois State Police.

The case was prosecuted by David Johnston and Sharyl Eisenstein of the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office.

The sentences will run concurrently and the Defendant will be required to serve 85 % of the sentencing term pursuant to truth in sentencing provisions.

In the “when it rains, it pours” category, is the re-opening of Route 14 west of Dole Avenue because of a downed Com Ed power line and the closing of Route 14 between Dole Avenue and Virginia Street.

So Route 14 was blocked pretty much all of rush hour Monday.

All I saw was the aftermath of the reason for the assembly of the trucks.

Fire equipment was everywhere.

Spectators were standing in McCormick Park.  A policeman told them to move back to the tree line.

A Commonwealth Edison truck had lifted a bucket to electric lines running near trees that “Chainsaw Jack” Franks’ bill would have allowed the power company to chop down.

Meanwhile down the street at the Crystal Lake Motel, Com Ed had gotten the fallen line off the street, coming about an hour after a call was made, but Motel residents were still without power.

About two hours after Route 14 was closed for the downed electric line, the closing because of the Taco Bell fire, which looked relatively minor, it was open to traffic.

The Crystal Lake Fire Department reports that it responded at 5:25 to an activated fire alarm.

Upon arrival, the first units reported “light smoke showing and the call was upgraded for a structure fire.”

Com Ed and NICOR were called.

“The fire was extinguished when the power to the building was turned off by Com Ed,” Battalion Chief Thomas Pollnow reported.

By 7:51 the interior wall fire was under control.

Eleven other fire departments assisted.

Damage is estimated at $35,000 and the restaurant will be closed an undetermined length of time.

Right near the north end of the Virginia Street TIF District (you know the place, just look for the two $16,000 stone monuments) in front of the Crystal Lake Motel, high winds have snapped an electric line maintained by Commonwealth Edison.

In this case, it was not any of those nasty trees within 20 feet of a power line that “Chainsaw Jack” Franks wants to have cut down.

In fact, there were no trees near the line break.

The following notice was sent out by the Crystal Lake Police at 4:43 PM:

Temp Road Closure, All lanes Route 14 from Northshore Dr to Dole Ave are closed and being re-routed, down power lines

Police and fire equipment were there when I arrived.

But there were no Com Ed repair trucks when I left to write this article at about 5.

No doubt traffic reports will tell of the big jam on Route 14 in Crystal Lake.

A press release from the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office:

CARRIE GIL CONVICTED OF ATTEMPT FIRST DEGREE MURDER, AGGRAVATED ARSON AND RESIDENTIAL ARSON

Louis A. Bianchi, McHenry County State’s Attorney, announces that Carrie Gil, 46, formerly of Crystal Lake, was found guilty, after a three hour jury deliberation, of the offenses of Attempt 1st Degree Murder, Aggravated Arson and Residential Arson.

This case was investigated by the Crystal Lake Police and Fire Departments with assistance from the State Fire Marshal’s Office and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The Illinois State Police provided experts to explain the use of an accelerate to start the fire and to associate paint from inside the residence to graffiti on the garage and screen doors outside the house.

The investigation also revealed multiple death spells within the defendant’s laptop computer which matched verbatim with handwritten notes linked to the defendant by a forensic document examiner from the Illinois State Police.

The case was prosecuted by David Johnston and Sharyl Eisenstein of the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Here’s a shot of Crystal Lake Firemen lined up in front of City Hall at the 9-11 ceremony conducted there:

The Crystal Lake Fire Departments reports responding to a garage fire on Drive-in Lane in the Crystal Lake Manor Friday night.

A two-car detached garage had flames visible on its side.

A resident was inside the garage and was evacuated before the fire department arrived.

$10,000 is the estimate of damage to the building and its contents.