Fire in Elgin apartments appears to have been unintentional

A fire that caused about $100,000 in damage to a three-story apartment building Saturday afternoon in Elgin appears to be accidental, authorities said.

No one was injured, but 10 people were displaced in the building, recently remodeled and converted into apartments on the 200 block of Michigan Street, Elgin Fire Battalion Chief Bryan McMahan said.

Investigators believe one of the residents tossed cigarettes out a third-floor window, unintentionally sparking a fire on a porch roof below, McMahan said.

Firefighters were called to the building about 12:53 p.m. Police escorted out of the home a resident who had tried to put out the blaze with a bucket and water, McMahan said.

When firefighters arrived, the fire was contained to the porch roof and part of an exterior wall.

Firefighters upgraded an alarm to bring in additional manpower, noting the potential for the fire to spread to a nearly identical building a few feet away. By 1:19 p.m., the blaze was declared under control.

Crews did manage to prevent the fire from extending to the building's neighbor.

"We went in there and really made an aggressive stop on the fire," McMahan said.

The damage, mostly to an area on the second floor, left the home uninhabitable. The American Red Cross is helping the residents find temporary housing.