Fire Displaces 2 Families, Cat Rescued in Oak Lawn

Oak Lawn, IL -- A fire that started on the balcony of an Oak Lawn apartment building Tuesday afternoon displaced two families and caused minor injuries to a firefighter, officials said.

Oak Lawn firefighters responded to a fire around 3:15 p.m. in the 10400 block of South Major Avenue.

Assistant Fire Chief Scott Bowman, of the Oak Lawn Fire Department, said flames were showing when firefighters arrived. The fire started on the balcony, where heat from the fire caused a glass patio door to burst and flames to migrate into the second story unity.

The blaze got into the attic and fire crews had to pull the ceiling down from the adjacent unit to make sure the fire did not go into the roof, Bowman said.

“The fire started on the balcony,” the assistant fire chief said. “We’re not sure what took place but it was not a grill.”

Bowman did not know if the unit was occupied when the fire broke out. Several residents from nearby units were standing outside with their pets when the apartment was on fire.

The blaze was struck within 15 minutes after Oak Lawn firefighters’ arrival. A firefighter was treated for a small cut on his hand from debris. Two families were displaced and a cat was rescued.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.