Click here to subscribe FREE to Ray Hanania's Columns

Fire damages Sandbox Preschool building in Orland Park prior to re-opening: no one injured

At approximately 8 AM on Friday, October 6th, the Orland Fire District responded to a report of smoke coming out of an upstairs window and water flowing down the wall of a commercial structure in the 14300 block of 82nd Ave in Orland Park.

Officials of the Orland Fire Protection District (OFPD) identified the structure as Sandbox Pre-School, which was preparing for a re-opening in a few weeks after renovations were completed.

On arrival, OFPD crews found smoke coming out of the second floor windows as well as sprinkler activation.

Heavy smoke was found throughout the structure.

Fire was located in the rear stairwell and extended to the second floor of the structure.

Crews deployed hand-lines and extinguished the fire. The building was unoccupied at the time of the fire and  looked to be undergoing renovations.

No one was injured and the fire did not spread beyond the structure. Landscapers working in the area alerted the fire department after seeing smoke. 

The cause of the fire is under investigation at this time. 

The Orland Fire District was assisted by Palos, North Palos, and Palos Heights Fire as well as Tinley Fire. 

• Author
• Recent Posts

Ray Hanania

Ray Hanania is an award-winning opinion columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.  

His award winning columns can be found at www.HANANIA.COM Subscribe FREE today

Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.

Email Ray Hanania at [email protected].

Follow RayHanania at Twitter

Latest posts by Ray Hanania (see all)

• John Harrell condemns Trump racist Lion King depiction of Obamas and Democrats - February 9, 2026
• Hastings champions school safety with mobile panic alert bill - February 6, 2026
• Alderman Silvana Tabares (23) Announces Endorsement of Richard Boykin for 7th Congressional District Seat - February 6, 2026