Northbrook Fire Department Extinguishes Truck, Car Fire

The following reports were part of a weekly Village of Northbrook memo.

About 4:30 a.m. Friday, the fire department responded to a fire involving a car transport truck and multiple cars burning in front of the Toyota dealership on Skokie Blvd.

The truck operator was unloading new vehicles when the truck started on fire and extended to four of the cars on the trailer. Multiple cars were damaged by fire and smoke and the fire caused the closure of Skokie Blvd. for nearly an hour.

The fire was extinguished in approximately 20 minutes with assistance from a Glencoe engine. The fire is currently under investigation with damage estimates near $250,000.

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Coyote Concerns in Northbrook

Once again, residents are reminded that winter weather may make our resident coyotes more visible as they venture from the woodlands to forage for food. These sightings have raised concerns about the coyote and public safety.

Coyotes are part of the natural wildlife that surrounds our community. Generally, the coyotes are non-aggressive and spend the vast majority of time in the forest preserves. They eat a variety of foods including plants and small animals and cause few problems in the community.

Although the coyotes are wild animals and do hunt to survive, they will generally shy away from humans. Aggressive behavior toward humans is rare but not unknown. Always watch coyotes from a distance and do not try to follow or chase them.  

Coyotes will search out small animals for food, so pet owners should be vigilant about watching their small pets when outside. Pets should always be on a leash and close to the owner when walked, especially in or around wooded areas. Keep cats indoors. Make sure that garbage cans have their lids sealed tightly. Do not feed your pet outside or leave pet food outside. Never feed the coyotes!

Questions about coyotes or other animals may be directed to the Northbrook Animal Control Officer, Gina Manski, at 847/564-2060, ext. 2195.

Firefighters Participate in Phonathon

On Thursday, Dec. 6, several members from the Northbrook Professional Firefighters Local 1894 and the Northbrook Fire Department participated in the 22nd Annual US99.5 Country Cares for St. Jude Radiothon.

The event raises money to help fight and find a cure for pediatric cancer. This year’s two-day event raised over $1,016,000. To date, US99.5 has raised more than $20,650,000 for St. Jude Children's Hospital since it first began hosting the Country Cares for St. Jude Kids Radiothon in 1991. A few members of the fire department have been participating in this event for more than years.