A fire in Justice left a 23-unit apartment building uninhabitable Saturday morning, according to Roberts Park Fire Protection District Chief Jeffrey Ketchen.
Fire officials were alerted to a fire alarm at a three-story apartment building in the 8500 block of South 88th Terrace at 11:25 a.m, Ketchen said, finding the building’s roof engulfed in flames.
Firefighters exited the building for safety and fought the fire from the outside as the roof collapsed, followed by the floors, Ketchen said. The north side of the building sustained the most damage, while the south side experienced smoke and water damage with minimal fire impact, he said.
Crews arrived at 11:30 a.m. and continued fighting the blaze until about 5:30 p.m., returning later that evening to extinguish flare-ups, Ketchen said. Although the fire destroyed the 12 units on the north side of the building, a firewall helped protect the south side, he sad.
However, due to the extensive damage, the entire building is considered uninhabitable, Ketchen said.
Red Cross assisted displaced residents, helping them find temporary housing, and a nearby apartment complex offered its rental office as a warming shelter, Ketchen said.
Despite having a central fire alarm system, the building lacked a sprinkler system, he said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, though the extensive damage has made the investigation challenging, Ketchen said.
smoilanen@chicagotribune.com