Fire Displaces A Dozen Evanston Residents, 2 Dogs, 2 Cats Rescued

EVANSTON, IL — A dozen Evanston residents were displaced by a fire in an apartment building Monday, authorities said.

Fire crews were called to a four-story building in the 1600 block of Monroe Street shortly after 12:30 p.m.

Firefighters found a heavy fire at the back of the building and immediately called in multiple other agencies for assistance.

The blaze was under control within 30 minutes of the arrival of fire personnel, fire officials said.

Two cats and two dogs were also rescued from the burning building, according to Evanston Fire Department Division Chief Kim Kull.

No residents were injured, Kull said. One firefighter suffered a minor injury but declined a ride to the emergency room.

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Kull said the American Red Cross has offered assistance to the 12 displaced residents and their pets and helped arrange housing for about 10 of them.

A resident of the building told the Evanston RoundTable her family lost all their belongings in the fire, which appeared to have begun in a second-floor unit. She said her two children fled the building after hearing the sound of the fire alarm and seeing smoke coming from the kitchen.

Emergency personnel shut down a portion of Monroe Street briefly Monday afternoon to allow for fire vehicles to stage in the area. Kull said Wednesday that the cause of the fire remained under investigation.