Fire leaves Wheaton apartment building uninhabitable

Improper use of a grill appears to have caused a Wheaton fire that broke out about 4:22 p.m. Friday in the 1000 block of Briarbrook Drive. The blaze left the 30-unit apartment building uninhabitable.

Wheaton fire department crews arrived to find an active fire on a second-floor balcony. The fire spread to the third floor and attic space, according to authorities.

No residents or firefighters were injured. Firefighters also rescued multiple pets from the building, fire department officials said in a prepared statement.

Firefighters brought the fire under control within 30 minutes, according to a news release.

The American Red Cross and DuPage County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management worked with the fire department and apartment managers to assist displaced residents, authorities said.

Damage estimates were not available at press time.