Plumes of smoke filled North Avenue overnight when popular Bucktown barbecue restaurant Lillie's Q caught fire.
Crews say the blaze started in the basement just before midnight, sending smoke into the street. The fire may have started in the hot water heater, firefighters said.
Firefighters surrounded the building early Friday, going in through the alley, the front of the restaurant and cutting a hole in the roof to attack the flames. And it wasn't done yet. They had to return three times as the fire kept reigniting.
There are four apartments above Lillie's Q and fortunately no one was hurt. Those who love the restaurant, though, say it's a big loss for the neighborhood.
"I've been texting and calling my neighbor and he said everyone was OK, so that was great," Mark Mullins, who lives on the second floor, said. "Then you start worrying about property damage and the valuables."
Fire officials continue investigating the cause of the blaze.
