The Crete Fire Department announced on March 25 that four people died in a residential structure fire on Chalet Court. The incident occurred at approximately 12:58 a.m., when the department and its automatic aid partners responded to reports of a house fire.
This event is significant for the local community, as it resulted in multiple fatalities and required the coordinated efforts of several emergency agencies.
According to Fire Chief Neal Haemker, first responders arrived within nine minutes and found the one-story home heavily involved in flames. Due to the severity of the situation, a Full Still Alarm was requested to bring additional personnel and resources. “Fire crews initiated an aggressive interior fire attack while simultaneously attempting to conduct a primary search of the residence. However, rapidly deteriorating conditions, including heavy fire involvement and a partial roof collapse, necessitated the withdrawal of personnel and a transition to a defensive strategy,” Haemker said. The fire was brought under control within about 40 minutes.
Once it was safe for crews to re-enter, they searched the building and located four occupants inside who were pronounced dead at the scene. The origin and cause of the blaze are currently under investigation by multiple agencies including the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office, MABAS Division 27/24 Fire Investigation Team, Crete Police Department, and Will County Coroner’s Office.
Several area departments provided mutual aid or station coverage during this incident. These included neighboring fire protection districts from Crete Township, Steger Estates, Beecher, Monee; municipal departments from South Chicago Heights, University Park, Sauk Village; as well as Matteson Fire Department, Richton Park Fire Department, Frankfort Fire Protection District; Flossmoor Fire Department; Crete Police Department; Crete Emergency Management Agency (EMA); and Laraway Communication Center (LCC).
No further information has been released as authorities continue their investigation into what caused this fatal fire.
