Overnight, the Champaign Fire Department responded to two apartment fires that resulted in significant property damage and the displacement of residents from their homes.

The first fire occurred at 11:36 p.m. on Monday, at an eight-unit apartment building in the 500 block of E. Columbia Ave. The fire was reported by a passerby. Firefighters arrived to find a growing fire and went inside to investigate, where they encountered a fast-moving attic fire.

Firefighters used aerial ladders to reach the appropriate height and then utilized their hoses to bring the flames under control. The cause was determined to be accidental and related to electrical equipment. No injuries were reported, but the occupants of the apartment were displaced.

Just three hours later, at 3:00 a.m. on Tuesday, a separate fire broke out at a three-story apartment building in the 600 block of Crescent Drive. The fire was reported by an occupant. Firefighters arrived to find heavy fire on the second and third-floor balconies and quickly escalated the response to a second alarm.

Crews deployed multiple hoses to control the blaze. No injuries were reported, but the building’s residents were forced to relocate. The cause of this fire remains under investigation.

In a press release, the CFD reminded everyone to maintain working smoke alarms and to practice a home escape plan. 

“Smoke alarms can provide early notification when seconds count,” the CFD wrote. 

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