Just days before Thanksgiving, a man died and numerous families have been left homeless after a deadly fire ripped through a Bensenville apartment building.
The blaze, which claimed the life of a man and left dozens more displaced, started on the third floor of the building just before 6 a.m. Sunday.
One woman, resident Gena Lovergine, was asleep when the fire alarm went off, and she immediately sprang into action.
“I heard fire alarms and thought I was dreaming,” she said. “I hit my fiancé and grabbed my daughter and ran downstairs.”
Lovergine’s quick thinking saved her family, but she left behind everything else, including her engagement ring, which contained a diamond that her late father had given to her mother.
For hours she waited outside in the cold, hoping that firefighters could find the ring, and after searching through the burnt remains of the building, a firefighter returned with the ring in hand.
“I’m so happy they have it. It’s the only thing I have left from my dad,” she said. “I wanted to give him a big hug.”
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The Red Cross and the Village of Bensenville are helping families that were displaced by the blaze, which is still under investigation.
