Residents mourn loss of Pheasant Run Resort as firefighters continue battling Saint Charles blaze
'Everything has a chapter, and this chapter is now closed in sad way,' said Paige Staroske.
CHICAGO (WLS) -- The fire is still smoldering with smoke still billowing from several buildings at the former Pheasant Run Resort.
Video shows the massive flames coming from the former resort around 5:00 p.m. Saturday. It has been closed since 2020.
"I was in my bedroom around 5:30 and I saw a bunch of dark clouds and smoke everywhere," said Moralee Thakkar.
Firefighters used large handlines, portable monitors and elevated master streams to contain the spread.
The fire came from multiples areas, requiring help from more than 20 area fire departments.
"Everyone up and down the street here is doing the same thing I'm doing. It's the memories. And you still have those memories, you're grateful for those. But to see it like this, it's just sad," said Paige Staroske. "Memories came flooding back of when my parents were still alive. My mom and I would come out here and go to the plays. A lot of the conventions and things were held out here."
It's those memories that have been bringing folks there Sunday to take in the extensive damage.
"Everything has a chapter, and this chapter is now closed in sad way," Staroske said.
Grina Thakkar also weighed in.
"Yeah, it's sad. We had good memories with that resort. We went and stayed the night over there once and there was a Mario Tricoci there that we used to get our haircuts," Grina said.
Residents said they're mourning the loss of this resort and hope it will eventually be turned into another iconic property in St. Charles.
"It's really sad because I actually had my high school prom here, so all those memories are kind of gone now," Moralee said. "Because of COVID, nobody was really getting together but I think this is going to bond everyone again and bring everyone together."
The St. Charles Fire chief said the blaze has been largely contained, but firefighters are still working to extinguish all the fires. Thankfully, no one was injured. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
