EFFINGHAM, Ill. (WCIA) — 22 people in Effingham are without a home after a big apartment complex fire. The fire Effingham firefighters busy for 24 hours, as it rekindled twice on Monday after crews first put out the flames.
“It’s my first fire. It’s like a nightmare,” Mike Greer said.
Mike and Trish Greer live in the apartment right below where the fire began.
“It’s like a nightmare and you’re still in shock,” Trish Greer said.
It all started around 4 p.m. yesterday in the second story of an apartment at Hillside Drive. Officials think it’s a total loss—with around $800,000 worth of damages to the building.
But no lives were lost. Two people were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation, but they’re expected to be okay. Now, some of the displaced people are feeling uneasy as to what comes next.
“We’re just walking around in shock. It’s like, where do you go and what do you do from here?” Trish Greer said.
A late afternoon fire on Sunday in Effingham led to nearly two dozen apartments destroyed at a complex in Effingham. Mike and Trish Greer say their neighbor came to warn them of an out-of-control grease fire.
“Banging on the door… After she banged real hard, she said, ‘There’s a fire. Get out of the building,'” Mike Greer said.
Effingham Fire Chief Brant Yochum said that frantic knock led to an urgent situation.
“It was a high, intense situation,” Yochum said. “Our guys did a great job.”
Flames were coming out of the side of the building, roof and windows. Officials said some people were even still trapped when crews arrived.
“Actually, we had three people trapped. Our firefighters were able to rescue two out of the second-floor apartment that was across from their apartment that was on fire. And then a third person actually jumped outside of the rear of the structure,” Yochum added.
After firefighters put out the flames, the fire department returned to the scene on Monday twice.
“It rekindled at about 5 a.m. this morning,” Yochum said. “We came back and had flames through the roof again. And also this afternoon, we have just a couple of minor hot spots that we had to go and take care of.”
Now, displaced families are relying on help from the Red Cross as they try to navigate what comes next.
“They’re providing shelter and some resources to help get them back on their feet. We also had our program in place that also helped to help get them through the first 24 hours,” Yochum said.
Yochum said a collapsed roof prevented water from reaching some smoldering areas.
That’s what likely caused it to reignite. Officials believe the cause of the fire began in the kitchen and was accidental, But they won’t be able to confirm that until an investigation is complete.
“Just in the process of getting what we can out and putting it in storage. And honestly, I don’t know where we go from there. I’ll be honest,” says Trish Greer.
