Neighbors step up to help Humboldt Park fire victims
CHICAGO — Neighbors are rallying together to support three men who lost everything when their Humboldt Park home went up in flames.
Though the fire was classified as non-criminal, tenants want law enforcement to reopen the investigation, pointing fingers at a former roommate.
Ben Talley says he got a call around 6 a.m. Sunday, informing him that his house was in flames.
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“I raced down there. I was back in five minutes, and the fire had taken the house as a total loss,” Talley told WGN News. “If it had spread more and there was more smoke and they were asleep, this could have been fatal.”
Talley lived in the West Humboldt Park home with three roommates. One woke up to the fire alarm and climbed up to the roof. The other tried to put out the flames but collapsed from smoke inhalation.
The fire destroyed the house and everything inside. Talley lost several pets, including cats, a guinea pig, and his frog. However, his two turtles survived.
“I haven’t really been able to feel what I’m going to end up feeling about it all. It’s just a lot of numbness, and then you just start remembering things that are gone,” Talley said.
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Fire officials confirm someone started the fire, but there’s no evidence that it was intentional. But Talley questions the timing of it.
“I don’t want to speculate the cause, but it was just abnormal,” Talley said.
Talley says 30 minutes before the fire started, police served his former roommate with a restraining order – and made him leave the house. Talley said he is urging law enforcement to reopen the investigation.
“I’ve been trying to talk to the right people,” Talley said. “Lots of people have been giving me help and advice, calling organizations, calling the police department.”
Talley has also rallied the community’s support. Neighbors and community groups are chipping in to give the men the necessary resources to get back on their feet.
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“It’s really hard waking up in the morning before any thoughts rush in, and you go to look for what you used to have,” Talley said. “Situations like this, whether they’re good or bad, show who people really are.”
West Loop Community Organization is collecting donations for the men. A GoFundMe account has also been set up to help with the damages.
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