Apartment fire displaces Elgin families

Several families were left temporarily homeless after a kitchen fire in a large Elgin apartment building early Wednesday morning, firefighters said.

The fire caused no serious injuries. Three people, including one firefighter, were treated for smoke inhalation at the scene.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, firefighters said.

It started around 2:45 a.m. in the kitchen of a third floor unit in the 1100 block of Fleetwood Drive, just south of Route 20 and McLean Boulevard, according to the fire department.

Emergency crews put the fire out by 3 a.m. but spent another two hours at the scene completing their investigation and securing the property.

"The kitchen was pretty much destroyed," Elgin Fire Capt. Dick Cummings said. "There was smoke and heat damage to both the apartment and the third-floor hallway area."

Firefighters estimated the damage at $30,000, Cummings said.

The city of Elgin shut down the apartment building because of water and electrical damage. Twelve people obtained emergency food or shelter from the American Red Cross, city spokeswoman Sue Olafson said.

Olafson said the occupants of all but two units - the one where the fire broke out and the one directly below it - were to be allowed to return Wednesday evening.