Fire ravages Lombard store

An early morning Monday fire caused an estimated $1 million or more in damage to a business owned by a former Chicago Bulls player.

Due to safety risks, demolition crews spent the afternoon knocking down some sections of Appliance Outlet, 403 S. Main Street, hours after fire burned and collapsed the building's roof.

Although the cause of the fire remains under investigation, Lombard fire spokesman James Plunket said it likely started in the rear of the building.

Doug Adams, who's lived behind the appliance store for 28 years, said his wife awoke smelling smoke at 3:15 a.m. Monday.

"We thought our house was on fire," said Adams, describing thick smoke coming through the couple's bedroom window.

Adams called 911. Lombard police and fire teams arrived right away, Adams said.

The outlet store, a half-mile away from Lombard Fire Station One, held refrigerators, stoves and washer and dryers repaired mainly for commercial use, said store owner Dave Corzine.

Corzine, of Palatine, played center for the Bulls from 1982 to 1989.

Sitting outside, unable to enter the building, Corzine said, "I don't know if there is much salvageable inside."

The shape of the building's roof made entering it dangerous, said Fire Battalion Chief Chuck Ralis, who led crews that battled the blaze.

"Bowl string tress roofs historically have been hazardous because one bad burn that causes a crack can cause them to collapse," Ralis said.

Since the outlet is similar to a warehouse in Charleston, S.C., where nine firefighters were killed after the roof collapsed in a June fire, Ralis kept crews out the building.

The outlet's roof eventually caved in and buckled a north wall, Ralis said.

Firefighters from Villa Park, York Center, Westchester, Darien, Woodridge and Itasca were among those responding to the blaze. Plunket said it took about 90 minutes to put out the fire.