A Wednesday afternoon fire in a four-flat building in unincorporated Antioch left 15 people homeless and six pets dead.
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One woman was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation before being taken to a hospital, authorities said.
Fire crews responded at 3:14 p.m. to a report of a fire on the second floor with heavy smoke at 24220 W. North Ave.
“Arriving at the scene, we could see flames coming from a second-floor window, and two occupants were hanging outside on the balconies,” Antioch Fire Chief John Cokefair said. “After a rapid search … all 15 occupants were accounted for.
“There were 12 to 20 pets,” he said. “Some are deceased, while others are being treated by local vets.”
The two-alarm fire brought fire and emergency crews from a number of jurisdictions along the Illinois-Wisconsin border. Tender tanks carrying 5,000 gallon loads of water were trucked to the scene by Fox Lake, Richmond, and Kenosha crews, as no fire hydrants were available in the unincorporated area.
Fire crews fought the blaze in frigid 20-degree temperatures, containing it to the top flat. The other three flats were engulfed in smoke. Crews set up temporary water holding tanks to pump warmed water through the hoses.
“People being trapped is what elevated it to a second alarm,” Cokefair said.
Crews were still working three hours after the initial call.
The American Red Cross was assisting in finding shelter for the residents of the building which was deemed inhabitable. The cause of the fire is unknown, pending further investigation.
