Oak Park extra-alarm fire displaces dozens of residents
OAK PARK, Ill. (WLS) -- More than 60 firefighters from nine towns battled an extra-alarm blaze in west suburban Oak Park that spread from an unoccupied home to a large apartment building.
The fire broke out in a two-story house located at 541 North Humphrey Avenue just before 4:30 a.m. Wednesday. Oak Park Fire Chief Tom Ebsen said the unoccupied home was being re-modeled at the time. When firefighters arrived at the scene, the house was fully engulfed.
Oak Park police went door-to-door to evacuate neighbors from their homes.
"I didn't think it was that serious, I heard windows popping, thought it was a burglary," said Andrew Petersen, a fire victim.
Petersen and his family live in the 15-unit apartment building next door. Everyone had to be evacuated when fire spread from the house to the roof of their building, prompting fire officials to upgrade the blaze to a 3-11.
"I grabbed my son and got out and she grabbed my daughter and got out," Petersen said.
Once outside, all residents could do was watch as nine different fire departments helped battle the three-alarm fire.
"You go through denial, acceptance, the five stages of grief in literally 20 minutes. It was crazy," said Nicholas Bennett, a fire victim.
The fire was finally brought under control around 6:30 a.m. The apartment building sustained extensive damage.
"The roof is all gone. The third floor got lots of water damage, collapse on top," said Maria Saldana of the Oak Park Residence Corporation.
Building management worked to place tenants in temporary housing, but let some residents go back inside quickly to grab essentials.
For Petersen, that meant photos.
"All our stuff is wet. Luckily, nothing burned," Petersen said.
Between 30 and 60 residents were displaced. The Red Cross is also helping to find them a place to stay.
No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
