24 Families Displaced in Glen Ellyn Apartment Fire

A fire at an apartment complex near west suburban Glen Ellyn blazed through much of the building and left 24 families displaced, officials said.

Fire crews were alerted to the scene at 2100 Lynn Road around 1:53 a.m. Saturday after reports that the Willow Lakes apartment complex was in flames.

The blaze was upgraded to a box alarm after a fire department chief arrived at the scene and saw flames shooting through part of the roof, according to Lt. Craig Eldridge, a Public Information Officer for the Glen Ellyn Volunteer Fire Company.

The three-floor building houses 24 units, but the building is separated by a fire wall with 12 units on each side.

Eldridge said the blaze did extensive damage to 12 units on the north side of the building, where the roof eventually collapses, but the other 12 units were spared, outside of water damage, and no one was hurt.

The entire building has been evacuated, however, because utilities were cut off.

It remained unclear exactly how many people were effected in the blaze, but Eldridge said “24 families were displaced.”

The Red Cross was on the scene helping the families.

Roughly 14 west suburban fire assisted with the fire, with 50-60 firefighters at the scene, but the fire was difficult to handle due to low water pressure in the area.

Eldridge said the DuPage County fire investigation task force was at the scene Saturday to attempt to find the cause and origin of the flames.
 

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