Fire That Destroyed Oak Forest Bowl Was Accidental, Authorities Say

OAK FOREST, IL — The three-alarm fire that consumed the south suburbs’ beloved Oak Forest Bowl early Saturday has been ruled accidental, according to authorities.

The ruling came from the state fire marshal; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and local investigators, and was announced Tuesday by the Oak Forest Fire Department.

The fire started at 2:30 a.m., and was still burning just before 6 a.m. Multiple departments were at the scene fighting the blaze at 15240 S. Cicero Ave. After the hours-long fire, the roof collapsed and little remained of the structure. The main entrance still stood, however, with the walls around it charred.

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• Fire Destroys Oak Forest Bowl, Iconic Business 'A Total Loss'
  
• 'The Park Is Gone, Keith': Staff Crushed By Burning Of Oak Forest Bowl
  
• Owners Of Kenootz, Cooper's Bar Offer Jobs For Oak Forest Bowl Staff

A manager was finishing up work in the business's office around the time the fire started and heard screams from a coworker who smelled smoke and saw flames. Both made it out of the building uninjured.

As firefighters worked, Manager Ed Cubillan and Owner Keith Tadevich stood outside. Initially, the fire seemed to subside. Then they spotted the smoldering on the roof in the rear of the building.

"You could see dark smoke on the roof," Cubillan told Patch. "Smoke was getting bigger and bigger ... the flames were towering 20 to 30 feet above the trees."

Within just an hour, the fire had engulfed the entire building, Cubillan said, flames glowing through the windows of the iconic structure on Cicero. The roof collapsed, walls crumbled and umbrellas on tables melted from the heat.

Tadevich is a fourth-generation owner of the bowling alley. The building has been in his family for decades. In addition to 32 bowling lanes, the business also offers food and drink at Jake's Pub and Grill. Outdoor recreation area The Park hosts sand volleyball leagues six nights a week, as well as several bean bag leagues.

Cubillan was unsure what's next for the business after the fire, he said. He didn't know if Tadevich intends to rebuild.

"We're all just in such shock," he said.

Cooper's Bar and Grill in Oak Forest and Kenootz Pizza in Midlothian, as well as Durbin's in Midlothian, are offering jobs for displaced staff. Other businesses have also stepped up, including At the Office in Crestwood.