Fire erupts at suburban apartment complex
LAKE COUNTY, Ill. - A large fire broke out at an apartment complex in unincorporated Cook County on Tuesday evening, leaving at least three people injured.
Now, several Northwest Suburban families are displaced—without a roof over their heads.
The blaze was first reported around 5:30 p.m. near Lake Cook Road and Nichols Road at the Country Glen Apartments, which falls within the Long Grove Fire Protection District.
What we know:
When fire crews were dispatched to the apartment complex, which is situated just south of Lake Cook Road and east of Illinois Route 53, they saw flames engulfing the second and third floors of a building. Officials told FOX 32 Chicago that the fire soon reached the attic and was upgraded to a Box Alarm.
As the fire tore through several units, early reports indicated more than a dozen people have been displaced. American Red Cross volunteers were on-site assisting those individuals.
Five people were evaluated at the scene, and three of them were transported to area hospitals with injuries, according to officials.
Warming buses were also brought to the scene to keep residents out of the extreme cold.
By 8:30 p.m., the fire was extinguished, according to Long Grove Fire Protection District Battalion Chief John Jaworski.
There was a massive scene at the complex late into the night on Tuesday, with first responders from various neighboring departments pitching in to help.
"We’ve had about 50 companies show up, between ambulances, engines, squads, trucks, chiefs—and that’s not even including investigators and the State Fire Marshal," Jaworski said.
Jaworski also shared that the frigid temperatures posed additional challenges for firefighters.
"Well, it caused a lot of challenges with the water freezing on the roadways and in the grass. Ice is forming on the firefighters; it makes it a bit more challenging," Jaworski explained.
What we don't know:
It's unclear at this point how the fire started but investigators were on scene Tuesday night to determine the cause.
Details were not immediately provided about the injuries sustained by the three individuals who were transported to the hospital.
What's next:
The investigation into the blaze is ongoing.
No further information was immediately available.