No injuries were reported after a fire engulfed several structures Wednesday at a homeless encampment off Route 31 in Elgin, fire Chief Robb Cagann said.
The fire started around 4:48 p.m., and fire officials said the cold and high winds created a challenge for firefighters battling the blaze. The site being near a Metra commuter rail station was also an issue.
“This is not the typical type of fire,” Cagann said, describing the the blaze as a “wind-driven” one.
Authorities have not determined how the fire started. Generators were found within the tent city, but Cagann wasn’t sure if heaters were being used.
Wind changes a fire’s dynamics and makes it difficult to identify the origins, the fire chief said.
Upon arriving on the scene, firefighters found two to three structures in flames, but crews worked quickly to bring the fire under control. Heavy winds caused embers to go flying, but firefighters were able to stay ahead of the blaze, cutting it off and averting further damage, Cagann said.
Authorities closed off Route 31 from Wing Street to Kimball Street.
Metra service was suspended because the encampment is close to the train tracks, according to authorities. Service resumed around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Seventeen Elgin Fire Department firefighters, Elgin Police Department and Hanover Township Emergency Services responded to the scene. While no damage estimate was immediately available, officials said several structures were lost.
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“We estimate that we have approximately four to five structures of some sort that were lost,” Cagann said. “When I talk about structures in this environment, (some) are made of tarps, and some are substantial wooden structures with doors and windows.”
No residents of the outdoor tent city were around when firefighters arrived at the scene. But fire officials said Thursday that five people were affected by the fire.
The blaze started around dinnertime and residents of the encampment may have been at a local soup kitchen getting meals, Cagann said.
Firefighters said someone arrived at the scene with coats to distribute — in light of the weather — but no one was there, Cagann said.
Assistant City Manager Karina Nava said the city is working with its community partners that work with people who are homeless to coordinate help for those affected by the fire.
“We just need to figure out the needs first,” she said.
Elgin’s emergency warming center was open Wednesday, so those affected could seek shelter for the night.
“We’re just going to be taking it day by day,” Nava said.
Gloria Casas is a freelancer.