Cause In North Maine Hazmat Incident Remains Unknown
Tom Wessell
North Maine Hazmat
Hazmat responders enter home on Harrison Street just west of Dee Road.
Posted: Friday, August 28, 2015
By TOM ROBB Journal & Topics Reporter
Cook County Sheriff’s Police investigators are still unclear as to what caused a hazardous materials situation last night (Thursday) in which two people were found dead in a home in the 9400 block of Harrison Street, unincorporated Des Plaines. Two other residents and four sheriff’s deputies were taken to area hospitals.
The two dead in the townhome at 9439 Harrison were identified this morning (Friday) by the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office as John Tae Kim, 83, and Hong Kyq Kim, 53, both of 9439 Harrison St. Both were pronounced dead Thursday at 6:50 p.m. Autopsies were scheduled today to determine causes.
Cook County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Sophia Ansari said criminal activity is not suspected at this time, although investigators are awaiting more information from autopsies by the medical examiner’s office. She would not comment on reported conditions found in the home or connected garage.
The first calls came in at about 3:30 p.m. Thursday. Cook County Sheriff’s Police, firefighters and paramedics from nine fire departments swarmed the scene scene near Apollo Elementary School between the Illinois State Police headquarters and Dee Road. Area roads were not fully reopened to traffic until about 11 p.m.
North Maine Fire District officials said those transported to area hospitals included one woman in critical condition, a second woman for evaluation along with the first four sheriff’s deputies who responded to the scene.
Those deputies reported respiratory distress in their mouths and throats and a burning sensation, North Maine Fire Protection Dist. Chief Richard Dobrowski said. A Cook County sheriff’s spokeswoman said all deputies transported to hospitals for treatment and evaluation have since been released.
After deputies arriving at the home entered and experienced symptoms indicating hazardous materials might be present. A hazmat box alarm and ambulance box alarm were called and residents in one building with six units were evacuated. Dobrowski said once teams suited up in full head-to-toe protective suits, they ran tests for hazardous materials but found none in the home.
After crews declared the home safe, investigators, fire and medical first responders entered the home and declared John Tae Kim and Hong Kyq Kim dead at 6:50 p.m.
Dobrowski said evacuated residents began returning to the scene and were allowed back in their homes between 8 and 9 p.m.
Dee Road, which was closed for the incident between Golf and Central roads was not reopened to traffic until about 11 p.m. after Dobrowski said decontamination pools in the area were cleaned up.
Dobrowski said 52 firefighters and paramedics responded to the scene from North Maine, Des Plaines, Niles, Glenview, Prospect Heights, Morton Grove, Northbrook, Evanston and Highland Park.