Investigators call Glendale Heights fire suspicious

One day after two people were found dead inside a fire-ravaged condominium building in Glendale Heights, authorities said the blaze appears suspicious.

Some eyewitness accounts and the rapid spread of the fire Monday at the Waters Edge condo complex led authorities to suspect suspicious circumstances, though investigators are working to determine an exact cause, Bloomingdale acting Fire Chief Richard Kurka said Tuesday.

"It was a large body of fire stretching from the ground to the third floor," Kurka said.

The investigation is being treated as a "police matter," with the assistance of the Bloomingdale Fire Protection District, Kurka said.

Police and firefighters responded around 10 a.m. Monday to the scene on the 100 block of South Waters Edge Drive. Bloomingdale firefighters extinguished the blaze with the help of neighboring departments.

Authorities are not releasing the identities of the two people who died, pending identification by the DuPage County coroner's office. Autopsies were set for Tuesday.

A juvenile injured in the fire was taken to an area hospital, treated and released, police said.

Four police officers and four firefighters were taken to hospitals due to injuries they received responding to the fire. All four were treated and released, police said.

Three firefighters were sent to the hospital with symptoms of heat exhaustion. A firefighter who suffered a shoulder injury will need a month off work for rehabilitation, Kurka said.

The fire extended to the roof and an adjacent condo building, displacing residents in 12 units. Damage is estimated at $750,000, Kurka said.

So far, the American Red Cross has helped 21 people uprooted by the blaze while volunteers continue to offer assistance. The Greater Chicago chapter of the relief agency has provided 19 people with temporary emergency housing in hotels, along with health and mental health services, spokeswoman Hannah Allton said.

Volunteers will help residents replace prescriptions and check to see if they need any new medical devices. Volunteers have responded to the efforts both in-person and virtually amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We're also providing some financial assistance to help people really get on their feet," Allton said.

Community outreach specialists with the Glendale Heights Police Department also are helping residents secure temporary housing.

Firefighters brought the blaze under control within about 20 to 30 minutes but remained at the scene for hours to put out any hot spots.

Police won't disclose the ages of the people who died until authorities receive confirmation from the DuPage County coroner's office. Officials declined to say where the deceased were found in the building, citing the ongoing probe.

The DuPage County Fire Investigation Task Force and the state's attorney's office also are investigating.