Oak Park two-alarm fire destroyed restaurant, displaced residents, damaged Lake Theatre and others
The Oak Park Fire Department will not be able to determine a cause for an extra-alarm fire that nearly destroyed a downtown village building last week and damaged neighboring buildings, according to Fire Chief Ronald Kobyleski.
On Nov. 23, a blaze broke out in the back of Delia’s Kitchen at 1034 Lake Street, causing extensive damage to the restaurant as well as the four apartments above it and to a nail salon at 1036 Lake St. Some neighboring businesses, including the Classic Cinemas Lake Theatre, were damaged to a lesser extent. Kobyleski labeled the apartments “uninhabitable” after the blaze.
How the fire started is not clear, Kobyleski wrote in an e-mail Monday morning.
“We have concluded our investigation and have been unable to determine the cause,” he explained. “The point of origin is the exterior trash storage area under the grease duct that is part of the hood and duct system for the kitchen. This is located on the north side of the building in the alley. This duct ran up the rear porch from the ground floor to the roof.”
Delia’s owner Veronica Ciobotaru could not be reached for comment.
However, Joyce Webster, a patron of Delia’s, has established a GoFundMe page seeking to provide financial assistance to Ciobotaru.
“It’s not really a restaurant, it is a home for people,” said Webster, who spoke glowingly about Delia’s breakfast and brunch. “They know my family’s whole order by heart.”
As of Monday afternoon, there were nearly 300 donations to the GoFundMe campaign, with nearly $29,000 raised.
“We started as customers and became like family,” Webster said of her reasons for starting the campaign. “Delia’s was like our church as we would take our family every Sunday and we were just always so warmly received by Veronica and her whole staff.”
Online fundraisers have started for other businesses affected by the fire.
At the Lake Theatre at 1022 Lake St., owner Chris Johnson said the 85-year-old building sustained damage of anywhere from an estimated $10,000 to $30,000 to the roof and HVAC system as well as some miscellaneous indoor problems. However, they were able to re-open the day before Thanksgiving and have stayed open through the holiday weekend, traditionally a popular time for movies.
“There was damage, but it could have been a lot worse,” Johnson said. “But we are grateful no one was hurt, and the Fire Department definitely saved our building.”
American Red Cross spokesperson Joy Squier said her agency provided assistance to one resident of the apartments that burned, and has reached out to other residents informing them about services, including housing, health services and disaster mental health support such as counseling.
On Nov. 23, fire officials said the fire started around 9:40 a.m., and they closed off a portion of Lake Street for about two hours, effectively shutting much of downtown. Heavy smoke and flames were visible as crews worked to battle the fire, and they put it out by about 1 p.m., Kobyleski said.
Kobyleski said the blaze presented a challenge, as there were two ceilings in the roof area, where the flames were coming from.
“It was a rough fire to get to,” he said.
One firefighter suffered a minor injury, according to Kobyleski.
“There were people in the restaurant and the restaurant staff evacuated them when they smelled the smoke,” Kobyleski said.
Polished Nails and Day Spa at 1036 Lake St. suffered water damage, and neighboring buildings on the other side of Delia’s, including Jerusalem Restaurant at 1030 Lake St., as well as the Lake Theatre, had smoke damage, Kobyleski said.
Another neighboring business, Lou Malnati’s, was not damaged but did close for a few hours as smoke was present in the building.
“We wanted to make sure the customers wouldn’t be bothered by it. There wasn’t any damage, but there was a smell,” Lou Malnati’s spokeswoman Mindy Kaplan said.
She added the restaurant opened later in the afternoon.
Kobyleski said 75 personnel representing 13 communities worked to extinguish the fire, which he said was one of the larger fires the village has experienced in recent history.
Oak Park River Forest Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Liz Holt said Delia’s has been part of the community fabric for many years.
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