Investigators seek answers in Downers Grove fire
Investigators were working late Monday to pinpoint the cause of an overnight fire at a 16-unit apartment complex in Downers Grove that left all its residents temporarily homeless.
Downers Grove Fire Department spokeswoman Marsha Giesler said officials had to wait to make sure the blaze did not weaken the two-story structure before they could start their on-site investigation.
The fire at the Downers Belmont Apartment complex in the 4900 block of Belmont Road left more than 30 people looking for new shelter. No one was injured in the blaze, which was reported at 12:13 a.m., Giesler said.
Firefighters arrived to find the building engulfed in flames and smoke.
Giesler said the fire was upgraded to a second alarm and eventually a third alarm as firefighters quickly swept through the complex to make sure everyone was out of the building safely.
Crews had to pull back after the sweep because the blaze spread rapidly.
The cause is still under investigation but Giesler said the fire started either on the roof or in the attic.
She said 25 area departments were called to assist. A damage estimate wasn't yet available, but Giesler said the building was destroyed and uninhabitable.
The roof on the south end of the building collapsed onto the second floor, Giesler said, and there was even more damage on the north side, where the entire building was burned out and open.
She said 33 people living in the complex were evacuated to a nearby gymnasium where they met with officials from the American Red Cross.
Three families were put up in a Lombard hotel for the night, while the remaining residents moved into vacant units in a nearby apartment complex. Giesler said some church groups and individuals have contacted the fire department looking for a place to donate money of furniture for the families.
"A lot of them got out of there with just a purse and the clothes on their backs," Giesler said. "We don't have anything organized yet, but the community is certainly trying to rally around these people."
Giesler said the investigation could continue for several weeks.
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