Formalwear business burns for more than three hours
By Dee Longfellow
For The Elmhurst Independent
Elmhurst firefighters were still battling a blaze at VIP Occasions on north York Rd. as of 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 25. 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 were shooting through the air for about an hour, until the blaze turned to dense black smoke.
“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. As of 4:30 p.m., the smoke was still billowing around the area.
More details will be reported as they become available.
IMG_9159 Video by Steven Koch
