LAKEVIEW — A fire badly damaged a Lakeview apartment complex early Sunday morning, but authorities said it is likely not linked to a string of arsons that have plagued the neighborhood since the summer.
The fire started in the gangway between two apartment buildings in the 900 block of West Newport Avenue.
Resident Andrew Gambill's roommate smelled smoke around 2:30 a.m.
"My roommate woke me up when he realized it was a fire," said Gambill. "Two fire trucks were out front by the time we made it out."
According to Gambill, the responding firemen were unsure whether the incident was related to the recent arsons in the neighborhood or caused by the homeless people who had been using the space to sleep.
"We've had issues from time to time where homeless people sleep in that alley space," Gambill said.
Town Hall Police District Cmdr. Elias Voulgaris said the blaze was "not arson," and was started by a "homeless person trying to stay warm."
"It's eye opening," Gambill said. "You never think it's going to happen to you."
A number of suspicious fires have rattled neighbors since June, when eight cars were set ablaze in Wrigleyville. Alley debris, such as mattresses, have served as kindling. In September, a coach house in the 800 block of West Roscoe Street was badly damaged.
Detectives have asked residents to be on the lookout for suspicious people in alleys, and have tried to collect surveillance footage from the area, after at least nine fires were reported from June through September.
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