Fire destroys six townhomes in Buffalo Grove, Illinois
Strong winds fueled a fire that destroyed several homes Saturday afternoon in Buffalo Grove, Illinois.
Firefighters were called to Le Park condo complex in Buffalo Grove around 1:45 p.m. to find a fire had already overtaken a six-unit townhouse, fanned by strong winds. Tenants and neighbors were shocked by how quickly it went up.
"I was crying, like, I don't know what happened. What should I do then? ... Where should I go?" said Shashidhar Kallur, who has lived there for eight years.
Kallur said he's still processing the idea that his home is gone. After the blaze, he directed firefighters to some of his important documents. Firefighters were able to pull passports, but little else, from the wreckage. Kallur said he hopes the paperwork is still in good condition.
"If it was good condition, fair enough. Otherwise," he said with a shrug.
Kallur said he's grateful his family was not home when the fire started.
One neighbor who didn't want to be on camera said they've never seen anything like this.
"My wife told me she heard the explosion, so I don't know how big it is, but hopefully everybody is safe. No casualties, you know?" Adil Yakub said.
The Buffalo Grove Fire Department said everyone got out of the building safely, and two cats were rescued. One firefighter suffered a minor injury.
All six units of the townhome were deemed uninhabitable. Kallur said the property managers estimated it would be at least a year before they've rebuilt after a fire that took only minutes to spread.
Fire officials said the fire got so big, and took so much oxygen, it created a vacuum, and when firefighters broke through, the windows exploded out. Some neighbors said it was like a Hollywood movie.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.