Firefighters battled house fires in Zion and Grayslake recently that caused damage but no injuries.
In Zion, firefighters responded around 1 a.m. on Aug. 25 to the 1900 block of Elizabeth Avenue for a reported fire. Crews noted heavy smoke and fire from the rear of a single-family house and accounted for the sole resident, who escaped unharmed.
Firefighters still entered the house to ensure that no one else was inside. Crews activated a box alarm, summoning firefighters from surrounding departments including Gurnee, Beach Park and Winthrop Harbor, among others.
Crews fought the fire for about an hour. The structure was heavily damaged, and the resident will not be able to return to it until repairs are made, the Zion Fire Department said. A preliminary estimate placed the damage at $150,000.
Zion said the resident was awakened by the smoke alarms – demonstrating the importance of having them throughout a residence.
In the second fire, Grayslake Fire District firefighters responded at around 10:15 p.m. on Aug. 22 to a house in the 33000 block of North Sears Boulevard. No one was home at the time, except for two dogs, which firefighters were able to rescue.
The fire had apparently started in the garage and spread to the house. Firefighters from Grayslake and surrounding departments successfully brought the fire under control.
Hospital death ruled accidental
An inquest jury ruled recently that the death of Chelsea Adolphus was accidental after hearing testimony about her death on the roof of a Waukegan hospital.
The sheriff’s office conducted the inquiry into her Jan. 23 death at Vista Medical Center.
Adolphus, a 28-year-old Waukegan resident, had checked into the hospital about two days before and, at some point, walked onto a lower rooftop of the hospital. The door she used locked behind her, and Adolphus, who was wearing only a hospital gown, was found hours later.
The hospital said staffers tried for hours to slowly warm and revive Adolphus, but she was pronounced dead. The inquest panel said her cause of death was hypothermia.
Coroner Jennifer Banek, who has been critical of the hospital, recused her office from leading the investigation after the hospital filed a lawsuit. The Illinois Department of Public Health was brought in to probe the circumstances surrounding Adolphus’ death. A department spokesman declined to provide an update on the status of the IDPH investigation.
Scam calls
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is warning of an ongoing phone scam where callers are impersonating police officers.
The sheriff’s office said it has received reports that someone calling from the 847 area code has been contacting people claiming to be Sgt. Ryan Mitchell. The fake cop then tells the recipient of the call that they missed jury duty and must meet at a parking lot somewhere in Waukegan in order to pay a fine.
The sheriff’s office said it never contacts people to demand they pay a fine for anything.
“Scammers often try to create urgency, play on your emotions, and pressure you into giving them money,” the sheriff’s office said.
If you receive a suspicious call, the agency says: Hang up immediately, do not give personal or financial information and verify through official channels if you have concerns.
