Bensenville fire displaces five families

Plumbers started a fire in a Bensenville six-flat Monday afternoon that left five families displaced, authorities said.

The Bensenville Fire Protection District responded to a call at 1:22 p.m. for a fire on the 1000 block of West Irving Park Road.

Plumbers working in a bathroom in an unoccupied unit on the second floor of the three-story building started a fire that traveled up an interior wall to the third floor, said Battalion Chief Kevin Herrick.

“Three units were damaged by fire,” Herrick said. “We had to open the walls to stop the fire. The guys did a fantastic job.”

Firefighters extinguished the blaze by 2 p.m.; however, burst pipes led to additional water damage to all units of the building. “By the time we put the fire out and then turned the water off, there was water down to the first floor,” Herrick said.

No damage estimates were available, and no injuries occurred.