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Huge Oak Park Fire Destroys Home, Damages Apartment Building

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A large fire on Wednesday morning in Oak Park left one home destroyed and damaged a nearby apartment building.

The three-story Victorian home in the 500 block of North Humphrey was being rehabbed with the fire broke out around 4:30 a.m. and spread to the apartment building next door.

A total of 65 fire fighters from nine agencies fought the blaze, which was finally put out around 7 a.m.

About 12 units at an apartment building sustained damage, and the American Red Cross was assisting up to 60 people in the neighborhood.

Roof tiles initially kept the fire from shooting through the roof, and instead directed the fire across the third floor.

Vehicles parked under an awning were also damaged.

No injuries had been reported as of 8:15 a.m. Crews were still on scene putting out hot spots.

Longtime Oak Park residents Tom Sheehan and Stacey Previn had been rehabbing the house since April and were about to move in with their two high-school-age sons, according to the Sun-Times Media wire.

They said they had been working last night, sanding floors and hoped to move into the home later this week; they had been staying in the coach house.

Sheehan and Previn also worried about all the neighbors next door, hoping they had renter's insurance.

"We just feel so bad for everyone," Previn said as she sat across the street, staring at the gutted house.

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