Investigation Continues into Fire at Vacant Apartment in...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — Although the flames have been extinguished, the search for the cause of a significant blaze at a Champaign apartment complex over the weekend continues.

According to fire officials, extensive resources were employed to combat the inferno at the Champaign Park Apartments on Saturday. Firefighters remained on the scene for more than 12 hours, starting their efforts around 10:20 a.m. Due to the large number of Champaign firefighters engaged, backup support was provided by the Savoy and Urbana Fire Departments, along with the Cornbelt Fire Protection District, all stationed at Champaign Fire Stations one and six.

Previously: Many still reside in a condemned apartment complex in Champaign.

The Champaign crews weren’t the only ones involved in the firefighting efforts.

“At the scene, we had assistance from numerous entities that supported the firefighters and safeguarded nearby structures,” shared Randy Smith, the Public Information Officer for the Champaign Fire Department.

“We had Red Cross there. They provide snacks and it doesn’t seem like much, but on an eight-hour or 12-hour incident, sometimes just having a cup of coffee, or a donut, or a bag of chips, really makes a difference,” Smith added.

Champaign Public Works was also helping.

“They brought barricades. So, we had hoses across Springfield Avenue. Having them protect the fire hose and make sure they don’t get damaged, so firefighters don’t run the risk of getting hurt if somebody tears up one of the hoses,” Smith said.

Champaign Police officers were on-scene directing traffic. Country Fair Drive was closed until around 4:30 p.m. on Saturday because crews were still putting water on the building, making sure all of the hotspots were out. However, firefighters had to call in back up; a construction company responded to make sure there were no hidden flames.

“Some of the best things you can do is, actually what happened over the weekend, and they started to pull that building down so you could actually get in and apply water and make sure the fire’s out,” Smith said.

The Champaign Park Apartment complex as a whole was already slated for demolition in a settlement last month.

“You know, the fire was unanticipated and doesn’t really impact that agreement,” Rob Kowalski, Champaign’s neighborhood services director, said.

He added that demolition is set to start at the end of this year. There were 30 total buildings on the 20-acre property — now one fewer — but the city’s demolition plans aren’t changing.

“Eventually, you know, the demolition project will be slightly smaller, but it’s a very large property. There are a lot of buildings, so it’s it’s still going to be a pretty large endeavor to clear the site,” Kowalski shared.

Smith said that investigators had to take a different approach to investigating the fire because of the unsafe conditions and because the building is now rubble. He shared that they will proceed a little differently, like doing interviews and using any sort of video footage close by.

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Investigation Continues into Fire at Vacant Apartment in Champaign

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