Volunteer disaster responders with the American Red Cross of Illinois responded to 14 fires from July 20 to today in the Chicagoland area. Our volunteers assisted families affected by home fires in Crest Hill, Grayslake, North Chicago and more, with 10 of these fires taking place in Chicago.

Joliet Fire
Since last Tuesday, July 21, our volunteers have been assisting 108 Joliet residents who were displaced by an apartment building fire in the 300 block of North Broadway St. The incident left 47 families homeless, including 42 children. So far, they have provided 820 meals to these residents, including a temporary place to stay, health and mental health services and information about recovery resources.

In this past week, the American Red Cross helped a total of 143 individuals, including 87 adults and 56 children impacted by home fires.

Since this coronavirus pandemic, Red Cross volunteers have been responding virtually to fires whenever possible. If you need assistance, please call our dispatch line: 1-877-597-0747. In Chicagoland, the Red Cross responds to 3 to 4 home fires every day. You can take two easy steps to protect your home and loved ones from a fire: get a smoke alarm and create a fire escape plan. Having a working smoke alarm cuts the risk of dying in a home fire in half.

Building Collapse
This morning, Red Cross volunteers are also providing assistance to three families displaced when a car crashed into their apartment building located on the 8700 block of South Cottage Grove Ave. The Red Cross is helping those affected with temporary housing, health services, mental health services and information about recovery services.

HELP SAVE LIVES THIS SUMMER Give blood, platelets or plasma—we’re all in this together! Visit redcrossblood.org for more information or to schedule your donation.

About the American Red Cross of Illinois

The American Red Cross of Illinois serves 12.4 million people in 88 counties in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri including Adams, Bond, Boone, Brown, Bureau, Carroll, Cass, Champaign, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Cook, Coles, Christian, Crawford, Cumberland, DeKalb, De Witt, Douglas, DuPage, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Franklin, Fulton, Green, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, Iroquois, Jasper, Jefferson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Lake, Lee, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Marion, Marshall, Mason, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Menard, Mercer, Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Piatt, Pike, Putnam, Richland, Rock Island, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, Stark, Stephenson, Tazewell, Vermillion, Warren, Washington, Whiteside, Will, Williamson Winnebago, Woodford. Iowa: Lee, Muscatine, Scott and Van Buren. Missouri: Clark, Lewis, Marion and Ralls. The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit us at Redcross.org/Illinois or visit us on Twitter @RedCrossIL.