Two South Jacksonville firefighters work to contain a fire at an apartment building just south of Interstate 72, at Lakeside Apartments, 1931 Woods Drive, in South Jacksonville.
/ Nick Turner, Jacksonville Journal Courier
SOUTH JACKSONVILLE, ILL. -- An apartment building in South Jacksonville went up in flames Tuesday night due to a chimney fire on the second floor.
According to the Jacksonville Journal Courier, a family living on the first floor spotted the initial flames above the ceiling tiles near the chimney.
South Jacksonville Assistant Fire Chief Richard Evans says at least four families living inside the five-unit residence at Lakeside Apartments all escaped without injury. Evans says the center of the building had "burned out" on all three floors preventing fire crews from fighting the fire from inside. The damage to the building also caused the roof to collapse.
The Jacksonville Fire Department was called in to assist South Jacksonville crews. Both were on scene for about eight hours containing the fire.
Evans says the building is a total loss and that all the families were displaced and looking to stay the night in hotel rooms.
South Jacksonville fire crews were called back on scene Wednesday for a fire in the same apartment complex. Evens says an area of Tuesday night's fire rekindled in the early morning hours catching onto a neighboring apartment.
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