On June 1^st, 2017, a horrible fire had left a Chicago furniture store in ruins after blazing for hours in front of a local crowd. As firefighters used all efforts and resources to extinguish the flames, thick smoke rose from the top of the building, exposing it to the risk of collapse at any moment.

Furniture Store Erupted in Flames

This building is not the affected Chicago furniture store

Famsa Furniture, the name of the store, has now been destroyed after the blazes singed the property building materials and content. According to an employee, hundreds of mattresses on the second floor have perished in the flames, even rising to the ceiling and penetrating through the roof.

Although the fire was finally extinguished by 150 firefighters around 11 a.m., the cause of it is still unknown. The building commissioner, Judy Frydland, reported that the 70-year-old building “is pretty much a total loss” and is “in imminent danger of collapse.” She then explained that the only structure holding it up were the two buildings on either sides.

No Injuries

Fortunately, nobody was injured and the building was empty when the fire started. The firefighters even arrived to find the doors locked before turning on the firehoses.

However, it was deemed a “stubborn fire” as the flames were easily able to destroy the mattresses and appliances on all 3 floors, travel through an old elevator shaft, and be contained within the windowless walls. This explained why they were able to spread so quickly throughout the entire building.

Famsa Furniture

This image does not include the affected Chicago building

As mentioned previously, the store was called Famsa Furniture that is one of 4 Chicago area stores that is owned by the Monterrey, Mexico-based chain.  The corporate office is located in Texas and focuses on mattresses, electronics, computers, appliances, and furniture. Julio Martinez, the owner of the building was not able to be reached.

The building also did not pass its last inspection in 2015, due to an elevator that needed repairs. However, it has not been used since the inspection.

Affected Locals

The owner of a restaurant/bar(known as Los Deos Leones) that neighbors the furniture store, Miguel Perez, was affected emotionally, sad to see the building go up in flames. Although fire damage to his building had not been found, he does not feel resentful towards Julio or his employees.

ComEd has also cut off electricity to the entire block, affecting all surrounding residents and businesses. Officials are still unsure of when it will be turned back on.

Next Steps After the Fire

As those affected are still recovering from the severe destruction, the building that is on the verge of collapse will be demolished as soon as possible. It is still unclear what will be rebuilt in its place. In addition, the employees are forced to start looking for new jobs, unsure of the date of their next paycheck.

While the building owner, Julio Martinez, was not available, his next steps are to save as many items as he can. Hiring a local fire damage restoration service is the best option for him as they would sort through the burned materials, find what is able to be salvaged, and have them cleaned right away.

RestorationMaster, a trusted fire and smoke damage cleanup company specializes in disasters as they are able to arrive right away and start the cleanup process. They have years of experience and training in restoring numerous properties from fire and smoke damage using specialized products and equipment. In fact, they can provide some peace of mind in the event of any disaster, including fires, floods, mold infestation, and more.

In conclusion, while the building owner and employees of Famsa Furniture in Chicago are traumatized by this horrible loss, they must focus on the next steps of the recovery process. It is important to keep in mind that they are not alone; there are many resources available that can provide assistance and support through this traumatic experience. As a result, they will be able to slowly recover with the help of restoration services as well as loved ones from this devastating loss.

About Vince Sandri

Vince Sandri is a content writer and blogger with more than 12 years of experience. His expertise is in creating content related to disaster restoration, including information about preventing and reacting to natural disasters like flooding, water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold growth, storm damage and more.
Vince has been the main contributor to RestorationMasterFinder.com since 2014. Over that time, he has written numerous service pages and blogs for disaster restoration providers featured on RestorationMasterFinder.com. Vince has done extensive research and covered a wide range of topics relating to disaster restoration to help homeowners, business owners, and property managers better protect their property. He understands the problems that disasters like flooding, fire, smoke, and mold can cause as well as the best ways to respond to these issues to limit the damage.
Vince completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Aurora University and his master’s degree at DePaul University. He has been writing SEO website pages, blogs, and press releases since 2012. Vince is also a musician and can be seen playing in the Chicago, IL area.