THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 2008

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Strip Mall Fire Damages: $5 Million

By TOM ROBB

Journal Reporter

The only thing not utterly destroyed by a fire in unincorporated Elk Grove Township Saturday was the beer in a charred cooler.

The cardboard cases were not even darkened by the flames.

Fire devoured a retail strip mall at 2501 W. Oakton St., west of Elmhurst Road early Saturday morning. Damage is estimated at $5 million.

After the fire was extinguished, only a shell of the building remained.

A large pile of charred debris filled the parking lot. The front of the mall was all but eradicated. A back wall remained intact with one side crumbling and the other side remaining partially in place.

Edward Simon, the property's landlord and owner of Rite Storage, said several of the 14 small businesses had been in the strip mall for as many as 25 years. All, he said, were small mostly family run operations.

Eng's Chop Suey and S&S Food and Liquors had been operating there for 25 years and Gayatri Foods for 15 years.

Though it had changed hands several times, Simon said, a Mexican Restaurant, now called Pupuseria Y Taqueria, had been in the mall for 25 years under various names.

Most of the other small businesses, including a Western wear clothing store, insurance and travel agencies and a shoe repair shop, were at the mall for between three and five years.

Simon does not know who, if any, had insurance against a fire. Insurance adjusters were at the site on Saturday assessing the damage.

Fire officials said 100 firefighters from 16 area fire departments battled the blaze for over two hours.

Elk Grove Rural Fire Protection Dist. Chief Michael Nelson said the blaze that fully involved the Jujuani Electronics store in the mall and spread through the common attic space, quickly engulfed the entire building. The roof caved in. Cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Simon owns storage units behind the strip mall building that were not damaged in the fire.

According to fire department officials no injuries were reported.