In Skokie, a family with a two-month-old baby is suddenly without a home after a fire tore through their house on Saturday, a relative said. The parents escaped with their newborn and only a few grabbed bags, while one family member was taken to a hospital to be treated for burns. With their home gutted, the family is now confronting the urgent task of finding warmth and shelter in the winter cold.
The fire broke out around 1:30 p.m. Saturday in the 7500 block of North Kostner Avenue and reportedly began in the living room before thick smoke poured through the house, according to ABC7 Chicago. Father Mohammed Fayyaz told the station he and his wife grabbed their baby and ran from the home, saying the few bags he managed to carry out are all that is left after the blaze.
“It's terrible,” Fayyaz said, later adding, “I just thought our life would end,” in an interview with ABC7 Chicago. He said his uncle was being treated at a hospital for burns and that he does not yet know how the couch, which he says caught fire, first ignited.
What We Know About the Blaze
According to the family, everyone inside the home was able to get out alive, although one relative required hospital care for burns. Officials have not released a public determination on the cause of the fire, and investigators are still working to learn how it started and how it spread through the house.
Where to Get Help After a House Fire
Families displaced by home fires can turn to disaster relief groups and local government resources for immediate support. The American Red Cross provides information on shelters and recovery assistance, and the Skokie Fire Department shares fire prevention tips along with contact details for local services.
Fayyaz said friends are helping his family for now while they look for longer term housing. This story will be updated if officials release more details or the family shares additional information about their recovery efforts.
