This photo of the fire at VIP Occasions on York Road in Elmhurst was taken at about 9 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 26, when firefighters were still fighting the blaze that broke out sometime around 1 p.m. that afternoon. According to Elmhurst Fire Chief Thomas Freeman, there were a number of ceiling pockets, where trapped fires continued to burn into the night. In this photo, a firefighter points a hose directly at one of the ceiling fires seemingly to no avail. The fire chief also said the gowns inside made for an inordinate amount of combustible material, which further added to the difficulty in controlling the flames.[/caption]
VIP Occasions fire draws attention across Chicagoland
Fire rages all day, most of night; other salons step up to help brides
By Dee Longfellow
For The Elmhurst Independent
Elmhurst firefighters were still battling a blaze at VIP Occasions on north York Rd. late into the night on Thursday, Jan. 26. The fire began at about 1:30 p.m., according to one eye witness who said the second window of the building apparently just burst into flame and then spread to the rest of the building.
“I heard there was no one inside at the time, so there were likely no injuries,” said Steve Koch, a witness at the scene. “I saw paramedics on the scene, but they were not involved in any activity.
Orange flames continued shooting through the air for about an hour and billowed with dense black smoke that appeared to fill almost the entire block.
“Every time they thought they had the fire under control, it spread further,” Koch said. “You could see the orange blaze from a half a block away.”
Koch said about 2 or 2:30 p.m., the gas and electricity to the building was cut off. About 2:52 p.m., fire officials on the scene sent up a second ladder to continue fighting the fire.
The building, located at 351 No. York, opened in 1932 as a grocery store, according to the Elmhurst History Museum. After that it was a store for bridal gowns and formalwear ever since, purchased by two sisters who have owned the business since 1991.
“It’s sad, it’s a small business, lots of wedding gowns were lost,” said a nearby resident who was at the scene. “We’re a small town really, it’s a small business, it’s really sad.”
Firefighters were dousing the house to the east of the building with water to avoid spreading.
More details reported Friday
As of 9 p.m., the Independent observed the fire substantially reduced but still burning as firefighters aimed a steady stream from a hose directly at the orange flames. According to Elmhurst Fire Chief Thomas Freeman, crews were there most of the night.
Freeman said the building design as well as the gowns inside the store actually made the fire grow faster.
“There was an inordinate amount of combustibles inside the building,” he said.
He said there were a number of ceiling pockets, where the fires kept burning.
“When the ceiling collapsed, it ‘pancaked’ and as a result, trapped and hidden fires kept us on the scene all night long,” Freeman said.
The fire chief confirmed no one was inside the building when the fire broke out. The building is very close to the north firehouse in Elmhurst and officials at that site were reportedly passing by and noticed the flames about 1 p.m. on Thursday afternoon. It is unknown exactly when the fire broke out.
The shop owners have vowed to keep their promises to the brides whose gowns were ruined in the fire. They have already set up a temporary location two doors down from the building.
Freeman emphasised the need for all local businesses to have a documented fire strategy in place – to ensure that this never happens again.
Other bridal houses throughout the Chicago area have stepped up to help, offering free gowns to brides who find themselves without a wedding dress due to the fire. One in particular was Eva’s Bridal in Oak Lawn, which suffered a similar fate in 2010, when it was virtually destroyed in a fire.
“Our hearts go out to those brides who had a dress there,” said Elmhurst resident Julie Miller Sheehan who was interviewed at the scene. “I got my wedding dress there and have bought other formal gowns [at VIP Occasions] and their employees were just fabulous to work with.”
Sheehan tearfully said she was planning to donate her own wedding dress to anyone who might need it.
Freeman said it would likely take at least two days before the scene would be secure enough for an investigation into the cause could begin.
