Chicago fire crews battle blaze in Edgewater neighborhood
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Flames shot from the roof of a condo building in the Edgewater neighborhood Monday afternoon.
CBS 2 has learned the fire started because of construction that was being done on the roof of the building at 1054 W. Hollywood Ave. People who live in the building said they were too in shock to talk on camera, but did said they are happy to be safe.
CBS 2's Asal Rezaei reported by the looks of it, everything on the top floor of the building there could be a loss. The roofing company involved was also on scene and said it was very much an accidental fire.
A company spokesperson said they say they were doing routine maintenance on the roof once they were done. They sparked small flames and those quickly spreading to the rest of the roof and top floor. No roofers were up there when the fire began.
People who live there said all residents and their pets managed to get out safely.
The blaze was reported just after 1 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, and the Fire Department called a still-and-box alarm for extra manpower and equipment.
There were no reports of injuries.
The condo building is historic, having been constructed in 1903 as the private Stickney School, founded by Massachusetts-born sisters Julia Noyes Stickney (1870-1951) and Josephine Stickney (1872-1956). The school included a co-ed K-8 program and a high school for girls, which was focused on preparing girls to attend colleges such as Smith, Holyoke, Wellesley, Bryn Mawr, and Vassar, according to the Edgewater Historical Society.
The Stickney School name remains set in stone above the front door of the building, now known as the Stickney School Condominiums.
A historic resources survey for the Redefine the Drive Project noted that the building was designed by architect J.E.O. Pridmore, a native of England who lived in Edgewater. The survey notes the red brick building's architectural significance.
"With prominent historic features such as a crenelated parapet and arched limestone doorway surround, the school building stands in visually pleasing contrast to adjacent 1960s four-plus-one apartment structures that stand on either side of it," the survey notes.
The building is also a familiar sight to many motorists. The stretch of Hollywood Avenue where it is located is in one of the main routes to DuSable Lake Shore Drive in that area, and part of a link between the Drive and the Edens Expressway together with Peterson and Ridge avenues.
