2 Families Displaced Following Fire at HighPoint Community Apartment Complex

Two families have been displaced—but no one was hurt—following a fire at the HighPoint Community Apartment complex in Romeoville on Monday afternoon, according to Lockport Township Fire Protection Deputy Chief John Kure.

Kure said firefighters were called to 206 Highpoint Drive at about 3:50 p.m. Monday for the report of a structure fire. He said when firefighters arrived on the scene they first discovered a blaze on the balcony of a second-floor unit.

"And then they did have an extension of the fire into the attic area of the apartment building," Kure said.

He said firefighters worked for 5-10 minutes to extinguish the blaze—but remained on the scene until about 5 p.m. while investigators worked to determine the cause of the fire.

"Our investigators came to the conclusion that discarded, careless smoking materials caused the fire," Kure said.

He estimated that the cost to repair the damage into the apartment building could run between $15,000 and $20,000.

"A lot of drywall work is going to be necessary, so it's hard to say," Kure said.

The Lockport Township Fire Protection District team worked hand-in-hand at the scene with personnel from the Romeoville Fire Department. Kure said the residents of the unit where the fire started were home at the time of the incident.

"And the lower unit—the one below it—has a lot of water damage," Kure said. "So, both families had to be relocated."