Almost two dozen residents were displaced after an apartment complex fire in Zion Monday afternoon, fire officials said.
The Zion Fire-Rescue Department and Zion Police Department responded around 2:50 p.m. Monday to the 1700 block of Joanna Avenue in Zion for a report of a structure fire.
Crews arrived to find heavy flames coming from a single-story apartment complex, according to Zion Fire Battalion Chief Rocco Campanella.
The active fire was quickly extinguished by fire department personnel, Campanella said. Crews determined that the occupants from the entire complex safely exited the building.
Firefighters opened the ceilings in various units to check for fire extension into the attic, while also securing the utilities.
The Zion Building Department responded to the scene to evaluate the complex for safety.
Campanella said that natural gas to the building had to be shut off because there was damage to the gas service piping in the unit where the fire originated.
The complex was deemed uninhabitable as a result of the gas shut off and 22 people were displaced in total.
The American Red Cross and the Zion Township Government coordinated resources for the displaced residents.
The building’s occupants and the firefighters did not sustain any injuries.
The Winthrop Harbor, Pleasant Prairie, Newport, Beach Park, Gurnee, North Chicago and Libertyville fire departments assisted at the scene and covered calls for Zion.
The cause of the blaze remains under investigation and loss estimates for the structure and its contents were estimated at $50,000.