Several families displaced after large fire in Harvey, fire officials say: 'They lost everything'

HARVEY, Ill. (WLS) -- Several people were displaced after a large fire Sunday morning in the south suburbs.

The fire broke out in an abandoned home that is attached to two others in the 15000 block of Center Avenue in Harvey. Because of that, there was significant damage sustained by the adjacent structure, and there are at least six families that have been displaced as a result of the blaze.

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According to fire officials, the first 911 call came in just after 11:30 a.m. The fire department is actually at the end of this block, but that did not appear to help firefighters as it was a fire that took a long time to bring under control with several hotspots that kept popping up.

A spokesperson for the village said at least 15 fire engines from surrounding communities were called out at one point to help as there was some fear that because of the attached nature of the structures, the blaze had the potential to quickly spread.

Residents told ABC7 while the home where the fire broke out is abandoned, the home is not boarded up and is often used by squatters.

"It's people who come around there. I don't know who all be in there, but I know it's abandoned so anybody can go in there," said Deja Burnette, who was displaced by the fire. "It's not boarded up, it's not nothing. It's just free."

Other residents said they were counting their blessings.

"They weren't home when it started. They were leaving my house, but they lost everything," said Margaret Shelton, whose son and daughter were displaced by the fire. "I guess the fire kept sparking back up, but their living room was on fire. When I talked to the deputy chief, he said it kind of shot down from the first unit and it just shot down real fast and they weren't able to control it."

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According to neighbors, an older woman who lives in one of the structures was taken to the hospital after suffering an asthma attack while trying to get out of the home, but she is expected to be okay.

Representatives from the Red Cross arrived Sunday afternoon to see how they can help the displaced. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.