No one hurt in Lakemoor apartment blaze; residents seeking shelter.
Homeless residents picked through scorched belongings Friday, and efforts to assist them ramped up, in the wake of a fire that swept through their apartment building in Lakemoor.
No serious injuries were reported as the fast-moving Thursday night fire severely damaged the 12-unit, three-story apartment building in The Meadows complex and displaced all the residents.
The remainder of the building was bulldozed Friday morning. Fire investigators said the blaze seemed to have sparked on the first floor, though they are still trying to determine a cause.
Fox Lake Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Larry VanHoorelbeke said the Red Cross was called in to help the displaced families, but he added it's unclear how many occupants were left homeless by the fire.
Stevi Worley, assistant manager for the complex, would not disclose the number of residents affected.
“Every action is being taken to provide for everybody, any way we can, she said Friday.
Offers of assistance have been continuous.
“We had a resident who worked at a hotel offer hotel rooms, Worley said. “The phone calls have not stopped. By later in the day, the leasing office was filled with donated food, furniture, clothing, toys and toiletries, she said.
Neighbors said they noticed the fire around 10:30 p.m., and an unidentified person was knocking on doors to alert residents in the building at 561 Summer Boulevard. The building is one of many in the 496-unit complex.
“I heard yelling and screaming. I looked out and the whole left side of the building was on fire you could hear the propane from the gas grills. It went fast. Very fast, said Shawna Carney, who lives in a building nearby.
The Briseno family was returning home and thought someone had made a bonfire. They never made it to their apartment.
“We didn't see anything. We smelled it first, Lynette Briseno said Friday as the family looked through donated clothing at The Meadows leasing office.
The building was fully ablaze when firefighters arrived at 10:41 p.m. Firefighters from Fox Lake, Mundelein, Antioch and McHenry Township were on the scene for most of the night.
Neighbors said the fire was showing from the building's roof at 11 p.m., and it caved onto the third floor about 30 minutes later.
Nicole Lemerand said she was sleeping about 10:30 p.m. when she heard a faint beeping noise. She found the entire back of the building in flames and ran outside.
“Some woman gave me a blanket. She said, `You have no clothes on.' I said, `I had no choice,' Lemerand said.
Heide Oravetz surveyed the damage Friday as a backhoe finished the job the fire had started. She had just turned off the television Thursday night and was getting ready for bed.
“All of a sudden, I heard someone banging on the door, `Fire! Fire' she recalled. “I got my dog and cat out.
What she didn't find after the fact was a rental renewal notice she had intended to sign. Her lease is up Oct. 23. She intends to resign.
Some displaced residents stayed with friends and family. The Briseno family, Oravetz and others met with representatives of Jupiter Communities LLC, which manages the complex.
Anyone interested in helping can call (815) 385-8600.