A firefighter carries a chainsaw down the ladder on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2019, on Hannah Avenue at the corner of Roosevelt Road in Forest Park, Ill. | ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer
Forest Park firefighters carry a ladder over to the building on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2019, on Hannah Avenue at the corner of Roosevelt Road in Forest Park, Ill. | ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer
A firefighter pokes his head out of a busted window on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2019, on Hannah Avenue at the corner of Roosevelt Road in Forest Park, Ill. | ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer
Berwyn firefighters climb to the roof of the apartment building on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2019, on Hannah Avenue at the corner of Roosevelt Road in Forest Park, Ill. | ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer
Firefighters gear up before entering the apartment building fire on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2019, on Hannah Avenue at the corner of Roosevelt Road in Forest Park, Ill. | ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer
Firefighters gather around the opening to see inside the apartment building on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2019, on Hannah Avenue at the corner of Roosevelt Road in Forest Park, Ill. | ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer
A Forest Park firefighter climbs to the roof with a chainsaw on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2019, on Hannah Avenue at the corner of Roosevelt Road in Forest Park, Ill. | ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer
Firefighters from surrounding towns assist with the apartment building fire on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2019, on Hannah Avenue at the corner of Roosevelt Road in Forest Park, Ill. | ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer
Firefighters gear up before entering the apartment building fire on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2019, on Hannah Avenue at the corner of Roosevelt Road in Forest Park, Ill. | ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer
Firefighters make their way into the apartment building by busting through the roof on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2019, on Hannah Avenue at the corner of Roosevelt Road in Forest Park, Ill. | ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer
A firefighter pokes his head through a window and takes a look out on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2019, on Hannah Avenue at the corner of Roosevelt Road in Forest Park, Ill. | ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer
Berwyn firefighters assist with an apartment building fire on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2019, on Hannah Avenue at the corner of Roosevelt Road in Forest Park, Ill. | ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer
A fire occurred about 1:30 p.m. in a three-story apartment building at 1141 Hannah Ave. on Jan. 10.
River Forest Fire Chief Kurt Bohlmann said he had “no idea” what caused the fire and that investigators were still working to identify its cause and the extent of damage. He said 11 fire departments showed up to extinguish the flames. Forest Park officials were too busy to comment on the matter.
All of the approximately 20 tenants of the 12-unit building were evacuated safely, and many were transported to the Howard Mohr Community Center to keep warm. Emergency personnel provided those who remained outside the building with hot chocolate, cookies, jackets and more.
Building manager Pali Melani said he was outside the building when he saw smoke coming from the building’s first floor. He went inside and saw a “small fire” in the first-floor stairwell. Melani rushed up from the basement, used a fire extinguisher to douse the flames and “all of a sudden it caught fire again,” he said.
Melani said he had no idea what caused the fire. Building owner John Serritella likewise said he had no idea what caused the fire.
“As quick as we can safely get everyone back in, we will,” Serritella said.
The Red Cross arrived about 2 p.m. to connect tenants with temporary housing.
Tenant Parmander Kumar said he was watching TV with his wife and son in their third-floor unit when he saw smoke and “just left” through the downstairs fire exit at about 1:45 p.m.
Kumar, an Indian immigrant, said he didn’t know what caused the fire but felt worried about recovering “my TV, passport, green card, my family’s green card” from inside.
Tenant Jessica Ellison said she was asleep when she heard firefighters banging on her second-floor apartment door. She said she inhaled “a ton” of smoke and that firefighters wanted to transport her to the hospital but, “I don’t have time for that right now,” she said. Ellison was evacuated safely in her pajamas.
“I’m traumatized,” Ellison said. “I was asleep, to wake up to something like that was terrible. I’m still in shock.”
Nona Tepper
D91 social workers raise funds for displaced family
District 91 schools are collecting clothing, gift cards and monetary donations to help a family displaced following a fire at a three-story apartment building on Jan. 10. The fire occurred about 1:30 p.m. at 1141 Hannah Ave. in the rear three units of the building, which were “heavily damaged,” according to Fire Chief Bob McDermott.
“We will be conducting an ongoing collection for as long as people are willing to donate,” Tiffany Brunson, principal of Field-Stevenson Intermediate Elementary School, said via email. A family enrolled at Field-Stevenson “lost everything” from the fire and is currently being housed by the Red Cross at a hotel in the area.
Field-Stevenson social workers are collecting clothing for a fourth-grade girl, who is a size 8 or 9; a seventh-grade girl, who is a size medium for shirts and size 28 for pants; father, who is a 42-44 pants size and 4X or 5X shirt; and mother, who is a size 38 in pants and extra-large or 1X for shirts. All donations can be dropped off at the front office of Field-Stevenson during school hours. The South Parent Teach Organization is also helping raise awareness and connecting the family with local businesses.
“We have a wonderfully generous community, and the family is very grateful for the support,” Brunson wrote in an email.
Nona Tepper
Related
