Authorities say a dozen families were left homeless after a fire caused $250,000 in damage, leaving half of the units in an apartment building uninhabitable in Grayslake Thursday morning.
The Grayslake Fire Protection District and Grayslake Police Department responded around 6:54 a.m. Thursday to the Grays Pointe Apartments in the 1900 block of Country Drive in Grayslake.
The incident was initially dispatched as a smoke investigation for smoke reported in the building.
The incident was upgraded to a reported structure fire response after a 911 caller reported heavy smoke on the third floor.
Firefighters arrived in seven minutes and found smoke showing from the roof of the three-story apartment building, according to Grayslake Fire Protection District Battalion Chief James Weidman.
The incident was upgraded to a confirmed structure fire to bring additional fire crews to the scene.
Firefighters pulled the ceiling on the third floor to expose the fire and were able to quickly bring it under control.
The fire was stopped before it could spread throughout the attic space.
Firefighters searched and evacuated all 24 apartments in the building. 12 of the apartments were deemed uninhabitable, forcing the occupants to relocate.
The American Red Cross was contacted to assist five of the 12 families with alternative housing arrangements.
Seven families did not require Red Cross assistance as they are able to stay with relatives.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation and $250,000 in damage was estimated.
The Grayslake Fire District was assisted at the scene by the Round Lake, Libertyville and Gurnee fire departments.
The Newport and Antioch fire departments provided coverage at Grayslake’s fire station during the incident.
The fire occurred at the same apartment complex and on the same block as another fire that left six apartments uninhabitable on April 17.
A lightning strike was suspected to have started that fire. It is unclear whether the Thursday fire was also from lightning.