Cottonwood fire in Chicago Ridge destroys garage

For more than 30 years, Bob Kasper has been known to decorate his Chicago Ridge home with handmade Christmas decorations, which he stored on the second floor of his garage.

On May 30, a cottonwood fire that started near the garage behind his spread to the second floor of his garage.

“I lost just about everything I made,” Kasper said. “I know cottonwood burns real good. They burn like gasoline.”

Southland fire chiefs warn residents about an increase in cottonwood fires because of this year’s mild winter and dry spring.

Last week, one day apart, Chicago Ridge and Alsip firefighters battled blazes that spread because of cottonwood, which is the white, fluffy seed that falls off cottonwood trees, officials said.

“That’s kind of unusual,” said Alsip fire Chief Thomas Styczynski. “I’ve never seen a fire start from cottonwood before.”

The Chicago Ridge Fire Department responded May 30 to a call of a garage fire in the 10900 block of Moody Avenue, said fire Chief William Bonnar.

When firefighters arrived, they saw four garages on fire and a house south of the garages on fire, Bonnar said.

The garages, two next two each other and two behind, surrounded a cottonwood tree, he said. The tree had dropped a lot of cottonwood onto the grass between the garages, he said.

“It was a mess,” Bonnar said. “This cottonwood tree … it’s so huge.”

One of the garages that burned, located in the 10900 block of Lyman Avenue, was the garage to the home known for displaying Christmas decorations, Bonnar said. The garage was heavily damaged but repairable, he said.

Kasper said he was home when the fire started, and he recalled his neighbor running toward his house to warn him. Once outside, Kasper said he saw the burning cottonwoods being blown toward his garage.

“It was incredible how fast it burned,” Kasper said.

The firefighters contained the blaze to the second floor of the garage, so most of the items on the first floor, such as an antique Corvette, can be refurbished, Kasper said.

Kasper said he will have to replace the garage and the shed behind his house. As for his Christmas decorations, Kasper said he plans to make new decorations before the holidays.

Bonnar said the preliminary investigation points to someone throwing a cigarette butt into the grass and the cottonwood catching fire.

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“Cottonwood burns. It’s fluffy and soft,” Bonnar said. “It takes off like a grass fire.”

Alsip firefighters responded May 31 to a prairie fire along Cicero Avenue and 115th Street, Styczynski said. The fire stretched about 500 feet up an overpass, he said, and it took firefighters less than 10 minutes to put it out.

“That whole area is loaded with cottonwood,” Styczynski said.

To prevent cottonwood fires, Bonnar said residents can use a leaf blower to blow away cottonwood near homes or other property. Another option, he said, would be to pour water over the cottonwood so it does not catch fire.

“Usually the rain knocks if off the trees,” Bonnar said. “What we need is a couple good storms to wet everything down.”

Styczynski also urged residents to pour water over the cottonwood.

“Hose it all down. Keep everything nice and wet and moist,” Styczynski said.