30 Evacuated During Hotel Plaza Fire In Downtown Joliet

JOLIET, IL — At 5:15 p.m. on Monday, the Joliet Fire Department responded to a structure fire at Hotel Plaza located at 22 West Clinton in downtown Joliet, resulting in the evacuation of 30 people

Monday evening's fire left three of the tenants without a place to stay, according to Joliet Fire Battalion Chief Jim Batusich.

According to Batusich:

Company 1, which is located two blocks from the downtown Joliet hotel, arrived within 45 seconds of the 911 call and firefighters saw people exiting the structure.

Attack crews entered the apartment complex and found the second floor hallway completely filled with smoke. Attack crews made their way down the smokey hallway and extinguished the fire in one of the second floor apartments.

The fire was confined to the apartment where the fire started.

Crews also aided in the evacuation of 30 residents attempting to exit the building as firefighters were entering. The fire was declared under control at 5:45 p.m.

Three residents were displaced from their apartments and were provided temporary shelter through the American Red Cross, Batusich noted. Fire crews from stations 1,4,5 and 6 responded to the blaze.

There were no injuries, and the cause remains under investigation.