Teens in Naperville group home awaiting repairs after fire
Six teenage girls living in a Naperville group home operated by a child and family services organization escaped a bathroom fire without injury and now are awaiting repairs to the damage caused by the blaze.
The fire began shortly before 3 a.m. Friday at the ChildServ group home on the 100 block of North Sleight Street, authorities said.
Firefighters arriving at 3:02 a.m. found the bathroom ceiling was burning and put out the fire within 10 minutes, authorities said. But the building was deemed uninhabitable after suffering "moderate" structural damage.
The six teenagers, who were sleeping in the home along with one staff member when the fire began, now are staying in a Naperville-area hotel, said April Redzic, vice president of resource development for Chicago-based ChildServ. They all escaped the fire without injury before firefighters arrived.
"All of our girls are in a safe place and safe and secure, which was our first priority, and we're really grateful to the fire department and our staff for that," Redzic said.
Redzic said she doesn't yet have a cost estimate for repairs to the house or a timetable for when they will be completed. But ChildServ hopes to have the building inspected and declared safe for the girls and staff to occupy soon, so they can celebrate the holiday, she said.
The Sleight Street house is ChildServ's only group home in Naperville, and it has been in operation for more than 20 years, Redzic said. The organization provides support services to children and teens who are wards of the state before they transition into adulthood. It intervenes to help at-risk children in Cook, DuPage, Kane and Lake counties through family support, adoption, foster home placement or group homes in Naperville, Lisle and Downers Grove.
"These girls are important to us," Redzic said about the displaced residents. "It's nice to see that the community is concerned about their well-being."
The Naperville Fire Department continues to investigate the cause of the fire, authorities said Saturday.