5 Families Displaced By Fire At Elgin Apartment Building

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Five families were in need of shelter Wednesday afternoon after a fire broke out at an apartment building in northwest suburban Elgin.

Firefighters responded shortly before 3 p.m. and found smoke in a basement laundry room of the building in the 300 block of Kathleen Drive, according to the Elgin Fire Department.

Fire inside the walls and ceiling spread to second floor apartments, but was extinguished and contained to units on the first and second floors, fire officials said. The blaze caused damage to the electrical system and water pipes, causing extensive water damage to the basement. No injuries were reported.

All utilities were shut off, rendering the building uninhabitable, fire officials said. The American Red Cross was called to the scene to assist five families with housing.

Damage to the building's structural components, including studs and floor joists, and mechanical systems was estimated at up to $100,000. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.

Elgin
Fire