AVONDALE — An extra-alarm fire at a furniture store on the Avondale/Logan Square border shut down Milwaukee Avenue Thursday morning as thick smoke rose and neighbors gathered to watch firefighters battle the blaze for hours.
The blaze destroyed Famsa Furniture, a two-story brick building at 2945 N. Milwaukee Ave. Flames could be seen shooting through the two-story brick building's roof, leading to a roof collapse, according to Chicago Fire Department officials.
"It's going to be totaled, just looking at it. The second floor is all full of mattresses," said Lonnie Berry, a Famsa employee who was assessing the damage.
Some 150 firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze through thick smoke and a maze of flames around 11 a.m. As of 12:30 p.m., the exact cause of the fire was unknown.
Building Commissioner Judy Frydland told reporters that the 70-year-old building "is pretty much a total loss" and that it is "in imminent danger of collapse."
The city is putting out an emergency bid to have it demolished "right away," she said, explaining "the only thing holding it up is the two buildings on either side of it."
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At scene of Famsa fire in Logan Square @DNAinfoCHI pic.twitter.com/RZTnrv1Sz4
— Mina Bloom (@mina_bloom_) June 1, 2017
The fire broke out about 7:30 a.m. and was soon elevated to a 2-11 blaze, sending multiple fire trucks to the scene. It escalated to a third alarm, 3-11 fire around 8:40 a.m.
No injuries were reported and the Fire Department said no one was in the building when the fire started.
Deputy Fire Chief Timothy Sampey said firefighters arrived to find the doors locked. Once inside, they encountered thick smoke and "high heat signatures."
He called it "a stubborn fire" with furniture in the basement, first and second floors. The second floor has no windows. Add to that an old elevator shaft, and there were "many avenues" in which fire could travel, Sampey said.
The Avondale Famsa store is one of four Chicago area stores owned by the Monterrey, Mexico-based chain. It took over the former Grace's Furniture on Milwaukee Avenue in 2013.
The chain, which has corporate offices in Texas, specializes in furniture, mattresses, electronics, computers and appliances. Building owner Julio Martinez could not be reached for comment.
About a year ago, a representative for Famsa met with 35th Ward Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, whose ward includes the furniture store, to request a zoning change. The company wanted to open a payday loan business within the building.
But Ramirez-Rosa ended up rejecting the request.
"I saw the schedule of the interest and fees they charge. At that point, I said, 'This is predatory and exploitative, and I'm not going to support it,'" he said.
Aside from that one encounter, Ramirez-Rosa said he doesn't have a relationship with the company. He said his office hasn't received any complaints from neighbors about the building, which he said he's "quite familiar with" because his political office is only a few storefronts down.
"The exterior of the property has been generally well-maintained and clean," Ramirez-Rosa said.
It's unclear if the alderman's political office, at 2959 N. Milwaukee Ave., was damaged in the fire.
Fire officials told Ramirez-Rosa that they suspect the fire had been burning overnight because it was so large when they arrived. He was also told the store manager closed the shop around 8 p.m. Wednesday.
City records show that the building — believed to date to the 1940s and in the 1950s was home of Bass Brothers Furniture Co. — failed its annual building inspection in December of 2015. City inspectors cited a failure to maintain an electric elevator.
Mimi Simon, a spokeswoman for the Department of Buildings, said while the elevator had not been reinspected since failing the 2015 inspection, the violations were minor.
City records from the inspection show that the elevator lacked proper lighting, and needed a "proper nylon strap" installed on its gate as well as a gate switch on the side gate. The basement elevator door also required repairs so it would properly close.
"It was a freight elevator with little to no passenger activity, likely for moving furniture between floors," she said, adding that reinspections are prioritized by those with the most passenger impact.
Fire thru roof now. pic.twitter.com/3qA05BMTwJ
— Chicago Fire Media (@CFDMedia) June 1, 2017
#BreakingNews: #Chicago firefighters are battling a large fire at a furniture store on Milwaukee Ave. in Logan Square. pic.twitter.com/HFkUnqJy6n
— nwsgrl (@nwsgrl) June 1, 2017
Northwest Side - 2 Alarm fire in a furniture store at Milwaukee & Central Park. Thick, black smoke pouring out of the building pic.twitter.com/VxhAJKOQPE
— Jeanette Hudson (@JHudsontraffic) June 1, 2017
56 Milwaukee buses are temporarily rerouted via Milwaukee, Belmont, Kimball, and Milwaukee.
— cta (@cta) June 1, 2017
Smoke from the blaze could be seen for miles.
Stephen Kaplan, 22, just moved into the apartment building to the north of the fire at 2953 N. Milwaukee Avenue on Wednesday with four friends.
When they woke up around 7:20 a.m., "There was smoke outside and a little smoke in the apartment," Kaplan said.
"When the firefighters were smashing in the windows, all of this smoke would shoot out. It was crazy," Kaplan said.
His roommate, Andrew Jones, 24, said he wasn't afraid when he and his friends were forced to leave the apartment due to smoke, but he will "probably be more shocked later."
"I moved all day yesterday. I'm tired as s---. As long as I have my life, I'm OK," Jones said.
Miguel Perez, 39, who owns a restaurant/bar next to the furniture building, Los Deos Leones, watched as firefighters battled the blaze. It's unclear if the fire damaged the restaurant.
"I'm hoping ...," Perez said, trailing off. "I don't know how to explain to you, but of course it's hard."
Fire officials requested ComEd cut service on the block, which affected about 100 customers in the 2900 block of North Milwaukee Avenue on both sides of the alley, according to Ramirez-Rosa. It's unclear when power will be restored.
Contributing: Linze Rice
