Updated 9/6/2011
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The cause of a fire that charred a sizeable portion of Skrine Chops, 7230 Madison St., last week is still undetermined, pending several ongoing investigations.
According to Fire Chief Steve Glinke, inspections are being conducted by the fire department, ComEd and various specialists and electrical engineers that have been hired by insurance companies.
“Those guys don’t make decisions quick,” he said, adding that insurance companies are “throwing a lot of weight” behind the investigations.
“It’s a big-dollar loss,” Glinke said, of the fire damage.
The building caught fire in the wee hours of Sept. 2, and though it was put out within an hour, cleanup efforts were ongoing for much of the day.
Glinke said last week that the fire started in the rear of the restaurant.
“It worked its way up the stairs, got underneath the roof and then ran the length of the building,” he said. “The second-floor roof burned through.”
According to Glinke, a police officer noticed the fire at 3:37 a.m. on Sept. 2 while patrolling the area, then notified the fire department.
Skrine Chops owner, Steve Skrine, said he was told by a witness that lightning struck the building, which Skrine also owns.
Skrine Chops is popular for its pork chops and other meat dishes; it has a catering company and another in the South Loop.
When asked if he intended to reopen in Forest Park, Skrine said, “Heck, yeah.”
