Excerpts from WGNTV.com:
The Chicago Police Department’s bomb and arson unit is investigating Monday’s apartment building fire in Rogers Park as arson after an accelerant was found in a stairwell that collapsed with firefighters on it. A mayday was called when one of them didn’t respond right away. He suffered a shoulder injury in the fall. Six other firefighters also received minor injuries from the icy conditions.
No residents were hurt. Alderman Joe Moore says reports about code violations in the building are exaggerated, with the serious ones being addressed before 2010. The owner is a long time owner of several buildings in the area. No code violation caused the fire; it was a person who’s motive is unclear.
Half of the 32 apartments were affected by the fire early. Seven can’t be lived in. That means there are seven families who lost everything. Most of them are refugees who had nothing when they came here and now have to start over a second time.
It should take 2-3 weeks for the official results to come back.
