Huntley Man Killed in Early Morning Apartment Fire

Allen R. Jacobs, 47, was killed in the fire at Woodcreek Apartments in Huntley.

  Huntley resident Allen R. Jacobs, 47, was killed this morning in a two-alarm fire at the Woodcreek Apartments complex in Huntley, the Northwest Herald reports. Twelve other residents have also been left without a home because of the fire, which started at about 6:15 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 3. Firefighters arrived to find smoke and flames coming from a first-floor unit, which soon spread to two other units, the Herald reports.  Huntley Fire Protection District was assisted by 15 area firefighting agencies. One Huntley fire suffered minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital, where he was treated and released. The fire is under investigation, but no foul play is suspected, the Herald reports. Woodcreek Apartments are located east of Route …

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Fire Damages Vacant Huntley Home

Huntley Fire Protection District estimates damage at $50,000, the Northwest Herald reports.

  A fire caused major damage to a home at 13517 Harmony Road Monday afternoon, the Northwest Herald reports. The home was vacant while it being remodeled. Huntley Fire Protection District firefighters were assisted by area fire departments in fighting the fire, which took about an hour and a half, according to the newspaper.

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Next Huntley Fire Chief Chosen

Huntley Fire Protection District Deputy Chief Ken Caudle will step into current Chief James Saletta's role come November.

  Huntley Fire Protection District's next fire chief will be a familiar face. Deputy Chief Ken Caudle was named as retiring Chief James Saletta's replacement. The Huntley Fire Protection District Board of Trustees has announced Caudle's appointment Tuesday, according to a press release. Caudle is a 25-year fire service veteran who has been with the district for 13 years. During his tenure, he has filled every rank and leadership role in Huntley including the role of accreditation manager. The district obtained accreditation in 2009. He also served as project manager for the district’s fourth fire station which opened last year. It is McHenry County’s first Green fire station and is LEED certified. Caudle will take office on November 3 when…

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Huntley Fire Chief Saletta Set to Retire

Chief James Saletta will bid farewell to the Huntley Fire Protection District this fall, the Northwest Herald reports.

  Huntley Fire Protection District Chief James Saletta is ending a long career in firefighting come November, the Northwest Herald reports. Saletta has been with the district for 11 years, following a long tenure with the Elgin Fire Department. The Huntley fire district achieved many goals under Saletta's leadership including building a fourth fire station in Algonquin.

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Huntley Fire District Urges Residents to Check Dishwasher Recall List

Small fire in Sun City on May 17 was caused by a faulty dishwasherm authorities say.

A recent fire in a Sun City home has Huntley Fire Protection District authorities reiterating the need to check for recall notices on GE dishwashers. The May 17 kitchen fire started in a GE dishwasher, Fire Marshall Ernest Link said. Firefighters were able to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher and the homeowner did not have to file a claim, Link said. “It was good they ran the dishwasher while they were there, not just when they went to bed,” he said. “If they went to bed (with the dishwasher running) it would have been totally different.” The dishwasher was on a recall list that the fire district publicized in 2009, he said. Fire officials sent out mailings to all residents within the district that year, he said. However, …

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Single Car Accident Injures Driver

Man taken to Sherman Hospital in Elgin for his injuries.

  Huntley firefighters transported a man to Sherman Hospital Tuesday evening following a single-car accident on Kreutzer Road, authorities said. The driver, whose identity was not release, was injured but his injuries were not life threatening, Huntley Fire Protection District Captain David Eeg said. The man was driving a pick-up truck westbound on Kreutzer, near Smith Drive, when the accident occurred around 5:30 p.m., Eeg said. No further details were available. Huntley police were investigating the accident.

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A Farewell to Capt. Winky

Huntley firefighters, joined by firefighters from around the area, paid their respects to Capt. John "Winky" Winkelman.

A family friend asked Huntley Fire Chief James Saletta how many lives Capt. John “Winky” Winkelman saved. Saletta told her that firefighters don’t keep track. The girl asked if Winkelman was a hero. He recalled the time he was at a baseball game and Winkelman saw a man who had fallen to the ground. Winkelman jumped into action, giving the man CPR until an ambulance arrived. The man lived. “Yes, John was a hero,” Saletta said told Winkelman’s family, friends and firefighters who came Wednesday to St. John’s Lutheran Church in Union to bid goodbye. Winkelman received a hero’s farewell with an honor guard, a crossed aerial ladder, the ringing of a silver bell indicating his last alarm and a procession of fire engines from surrounding fire …

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Area Firefighters Join Together to Say Goodbye to Huntley Captain

The wake of Captain John Winkelman drew firefighters from dozens of fire departments. Firefighters did a procession outside the Cosman Cultural Center where more friends and family gathered.

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Huntley Fire Captain Killed in Accident Remembered as Good Guy

Huntley firefighters lose one of their own.

Updated 5:15 p.m.: Funeral services listed below. Huntley Fire District firefighters are holding their own, trying to do their jobs in the wake of the death of one of their captains, John Winkelman, Thursday in a motorcycle accident. “John was an easy going, level headed, laid back guy who liked to have a good time,” Deputy Chief Ken Caudle said. “He was a practical jokester, he was just a fun guy to be around. He was loved by everybody.” Winkelman, 54, of Margeno, died from the injuries he sustained in the accident on Route 176. He joined the Huntley fire district in January 1988 as a firefighter. He was made captain in June 2001. As a captain, he was a shift commander in charge of everyone on duty in the district’s four stations and …

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Huntley Fire Station Earns LEED Certification

Station 4 earns kudos for green building.

  Huntley Fire Protection District’s new station on Algonquin Road was built to be a model of green building design. The district’s efforts were recently rewarded with a LEED green building certificate. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) issued the certificate which is the agency’s leading rating system for buildings designed using strategies aimed at achieving high performance in areas of human and environmental health; sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality, according to USGBC’s website. Huntley’s station, the fourth in the district, was designed by Williams Architects and opened last year. It is the first LEED fire station in McHenry County and the first …

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