Fire Damages Lakeview Rug Warehouse

A fire raged through a carpet warehouse and two adjoining buildings in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood for more than two hours Friday morning.

No injuries were reported, but the buildings were heavily damaged.

The fire was in the basement of Peerless Rugs warehouse, in the 3000 block of North Lincoln Avenue. It spread to two neighboring buildings.

"They share a basement," explained Fire Media Affairs spokesman Quention Curtis.

The Peerless Rugs showroom and store are across the street, at 3033 N. Lincoln Ave., company spokeswoman Debbie Meador said.

"Our physical store is completely fine. We are open today if you can get in," she said. "But our warehouse, where our pads, the insulation and equipment are stored across the street burned down."

The company said it's trying to rush and place new orders for families wanting installation before the holidays.

The company has been in business at the location since 1938. Owner Phil Liss drew a tear talking about how his father started the company.

"The most important thing is no one is hurt," he said.

One of Liss' three daughters, Linda Liss, expressed sadness and a sense of loss.

"It was our playground down there," she said.

Another daughter contemplated not sharing the news with her 98-year-old grandmother, fearing she'd be heartbroken.

While none of the buildings burned to the ground, all three buildings were seriously damaged. One of the buildings was a 2-1/2 story residential and commercial building, Curtis said. No one was rescued and no evacuations were necessary.

"The fire building is the worst," said Curtis, who said the back wall and the roof collapsed.

The fire started about 7:30 a.m. and was elevated to a second alarm at about 8:15 a.m. and a third alarm about 9:15 a.m., according to Curtis.