An extra-alarm fire decimated a Lakeview supermarket on June 19, casting gray smoke over the immediate area, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The fire started about 5:25 p.m. in Dominick’s Finer Foods, 3012 N. Broadway. The store was open, and it is unclear how the fire started. The fire was extinguished at 7:26 p.m. Two people, including a firefighter, were taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center for treatment of smoke inhalation; their injuries were not life-threatening. More than 150 firefighters, and more than a dozen engines and trucks were on the scene at the height of the fire, officials said.
Officials said the fire spread quickly. They noted that there were many combustible items in the store, such as cardboard and paper products. A member of the Chicago Police bomb and arson unit said the fire started in an aisle where paper products are shelved.
The building also houses a MidAmerica Bank and a Pizza Hut. Those businesses did not appear to receive major damage. The Dominick’s storefront was severely charred; its windows were knocked out and the sign was broken and blackened.
In addition, WBBM-TV reported on the morning of June 20 that residents in adjacent apartment buildings were evacuated on June 19. As of June 20, they still had not been allowed back into their apartments because the residences had no power. Approximately 140 ComEd customers had lost power, the station said.