From Alex Vucha:
As Public Information Officer for several area fire districts, I’m providing the following combined summary of storm-related activity for the Woodstock, Marengo, Harvard, and Cary Fire Districts.
Between 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Thursday evening, firefighters across these four jurisdictions responded to more than a dozen weather-related incidents.
Calls included a fast-moving brush fire that was contained to the backyard of a residence, numerous reports of trees down across area roadways, and several power lines brought down by falling limbs or damaged utility poles.
In multiple locations, including Woodstock, Harvard, and Marengo, crews encountered live wires in roadways and residential areas. Two snapped poles in Woodstock led to the temporary closure of southbound Hobe Road, while other incidents throughout the district involved downed lines on Pleasant Street, Peach Tree Lane, and Queen Anne Road. Marengo firefighters also addressed leaning utility poles and lines smoking from tree contact, and on Washington Street, a tree fell onto a vehicle, fortunately, no injuries were reported. In Harvard, a large tree brought down several overhead power lines along Thompson Street. Cary firefighters responded to a tree blocking the roadway at Woodland and Silver Lake Roads, which was initially reported as a wires down call, though no electrical hazard was found.
Throughout the evening, fire crews worked closely with public works and utility providers to secure hazards, clear roads, and restore safe conditions. No injuries or significant damage were reported. As cleanup continues, residents are reminded to treat all downed wires as energized and to report outages directly to their utility provider unless there is an immediate hazard. Special thanks go to our dispatchers and local law enforcement agencies for their continued assistance and coordination during the storm response.
