Carroll Towers

A Thursday-night (Feb. 22, 2018) structure fire at the Carroll Towers senior living facility in downtown St. Charles injured one resident and caused about $50,000 in damage, St. Charles fire officials said.

According to a news release from St. Charles Fire Chief Joe Schelstreet, the Fire Department was dispatched at 10:39 p.m. to an activated fire alarm at the Carroll Towers, 200 N. Second St., a six-story building in the heart of downtown St. Charles.

When firefighters arrived at 10:41 p.m., they found a working kitchen fire in the second-floor apartment of a woman who had sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Firefighters removed the victim from the fire apartment, and she was transported to Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital in Geneva.

The incident was immediately upgraded to a General Alarm, bringing additional resources to the scene.

There was a considerable amount of smoke throughout the second floor, so some occupants of the building were evacuated to the lobby and some were sheltered in place. Officials said the building’s sprinkler system held the fire in check in the kitchen, and firefighters were able to extinguish it in about 15 minutes.

There were no other injuries to the occupants or to firefighters.

Firefighters remained on the scene until about 12:15 a.m., evacuating smoke, assisting the occupants of the remaining second floor units back to their apartments and conducting the fire investigation.

The initial investigation indicates that the fire was accidental, attributed to combustible materials being left on a stove top.

Fire loss is estimated at $50,000.

According to the city of St. Charles website, Carroll Towers contains 107 apartments for Section 8 Senior Housing.

The St. Charles Fire Department was assisted by the Geneva, Batavia and Elburn fire separtments at the scene. The North Aurora Fire Department changed quarters to assist with any additional incidents while St. Charles units were operating at the fire.

SOURCE: St. Charles Fire Department news release