South Cook News

A disaster declaration was approved for the Park of River Oaks Condominiums in Calumet City, Ill., following a May 30 fire.

The fire resulted in one fatality and seven injuries, including to three firefighters responding to the emergency, according to a July 7 Ready Illinois news release. The fire continues to be a topic of conversation due to its nature and lasting effects.

“And also, just to put this in perspective: I've been getting phone calls already by Fire Engineering and Fire House magazine," Calumet Fire Chief Pete Bendinelli said at a June 9 city council meeting. "This is one that goes out throughout the country and they've already been in contact, they already did a quick scenario of it and they want to do a full article because of the unique nature of this fire, just the way it started, how it spread so fast. It was a wind-driven fire."

The fire chief reported at the city council meeting that it was a unique and devastating fire. It started in the first floor of the apartment building, which was a parking garage, and by the time his crew arrived, it had engulfed balconies on the second through seventh floors floors because of the wind.

The disaster declaration, issued by Gov. JB Pritzker, allows residents,  condominium owners and businesses to apply for low-interest loans for the damages not covered by insurance.

“Last week, I issued a emergency declaration which allowed the city to not only interact with federal officials, but also with state officials who we had a meeting with today. As part of that update, the city council approved supporting residents and placing them in hotels and also providing meals to families affected in the park,” Mayor Thaddeus Jones said at the council meeting.