Oakbrook Terrace apartment complex to be demolished after large fire Saturday, residents displaced

OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. (WLS) -- Authorities have announced an apartment complex in Oak Brook Terrace can not be repaired after a massive fire swept through it over the weekend.

The damage around the apartment complex is visible and devastating, and so is the heartbreak for some residents who are still missing their pets and others who have waited anxiously to find out if their belongings inside can be recovered.

About 300 apartment units in Oakbrook Terrace are dealing with the aftermath of the fire, which investigators believe could have been sparked by a lightning strike.

It started with a small fire late Friday night during the storm, then quickly spread into massive flames causing units to collapse into each other.

"The next day we went up to our apartment, opened the door a little bit and everything just completely gone, caved in," resident Patrick Kopala said.

Kopala and his wife thankfully escaped without injury, but they are now desperate to get back inside to recover meaningful belongings.

Investigators have deemed the building too dangerous to re-enter, with many units missing ceilings and floors.

"It's not the stuff, it's the meaning in the stuff, that's what really matters," Kopala said.

Building management said it has secured some temporary housing on the other side of the complex that is available for people most in need.

"They put us up in an apartment," resident Joe Cimaglia said. "We're gonna go from here one day at a time, try to get everyone back to normal and see what goes on next."

Other residents are trying to navigate renters insurance and find nearby housing as it will take crews months to demolish and rebuild the damaged side of the complex.

In the meantime, a sense of community is holding the residents together.

"The doors open, everyone's walking in," Cimaglia said. "You need anything, come get it by us, we'll help you, we'll do this. It's been good, everybody's been trying to stay together."

Authorities indicated the wing of the complex will be demolished once insurance teams are finished surveying the damage. There's no timetable on the process yet, but building management said they hope to eventually rebuild the units.