Restaurant Fire Closes Non-Profit Homeless Agency

An early Thursday fire in a South Loop restaurant that police say is suspicious has forced a non-profit homeless agency to shutter its doors until next week.

The fire was reported about 4:45 a.m. on the 1300 block of South Wabash Avenue, Fire Media Affairs spokesman Quention Curtis.

The fire began on the first floor of the three-story brick building on the east side of Wabash, which sustained “significant damage,’’ Curtis said. It was under control by 5:30 a.m. and no one was hurt, he said.

Anne Bowhay, Dir. of Foundation Relations for the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless said the agency’s second floor office will be closed until Tuesday due to smoke damage.

She said the Ole Hardwood restaurant on the first floor was “burned out” but the coalition’s office was protected by a firewall that protected it, as well as other offices in the building.

It’s the second time within weeks the fire department has been sent to the building. The restaurant recently had a gas leak that forced the building’s evacuation, Bowhay said.

Although some tenants live in the back of the building, it mostly houses small non-profit agencies. Bowhay said. Her office runs legal aid, community organization and shelter projects and does not house homeless people.

A police Bomb & Arson Section sergeant said the blaze appeared to be suspicious, although it was not immediately clear if accelerant was found.

The sergeant said no one was displaced by the fire, and a warming bus that was initially called was canceled.

Central District police Lt. Robert Lajewski said the interior of the building sustained “a lot of of damage.’’ 

At 6:30 a.m. Wabash Avenue was reopened in both directions between Roosevelt and 14th Street, Lajewski said.

The Office of Fire Investigation was on the scene Thursday morning.

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Popular Restaurant Suffers Heavy Damage In Fire

The cause of an early morning fire at a Wilton restaurant is still under investigation, according to Wilton Fire Department Officials. 

Chief Paul Milositz of the Wilton Fire Department said that fire officials were on the scene around 6:20 a.m. after the fire was reported by a construction worker.

"The fire was reported by a construction worker who was working on the bridge next to Porotofino's Restaurant and immediately called the department," said Milositz. "Officials were on scene minutes after the call was made, around 6:20 a.m. and the fire was put out and under control around 7 a.m."

New Canaan and Westport fire crews responded to the mutual aide call. 

According to Milositz there was an extensive amount of damage done to the back of Portofino's, where the kitchen area is located but it is still undetermined if the fire started in the kitchen. 

"There was significant damage to the food preparation and kitchen areas in the building," said Milositz. "Less damage was done to the restaurant area but the business is going to be closed for some time."

Milositz said that the building was unoccupied at the time of the fire. Fire Marshall David Kohn is still on scene and the fire is currently under investigation, he said.

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