Story by Jeff Kolkey, Rockford Register Star
It could be weeks before residents can return to the Luther Center, 111 W. State St., after an accidental fire Saturday afternoon on the ninth floor of the 15-story building.
One firefighter suffered minor injuries during the fire, but fire crews were able to bring the fire under control in about 20 minutes. The electrical system of the building was badly damaged, leaving the building temporarily uninhabitable.
Damage to the building was estimated at $500,000.
Eighty-five residents and their pets were placed in temporary shelter with the assistance of the Salvation Army, American Red Cross, the Winnebago County Emergency Management Agency, and the Forest City Church, a Rockford Fire Department news release said.
More than 100 residents stayed with friends or family.
It could take weeks for the damage to be repaired and for residents to be able to return to the building, according to information the city of Rockford posted on Facebook.
Although the fire was listed as accidental, what caused the fire was not provided in information from the Rockford Fire Department.
The Luther Center is a 200-unit, 16-story affordable senior housing apartment building in downtown Rockford, It has one- and two-bedroom apartments for people 60 and over and was building in 1979
Jeff Kolkey writes about government, economic development and other issues for the Rockford Register Star. He can be reached at (815) 987-1374, via email at jkolkey@rrstar.com and on Twitter @jeffkolkey.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Senior housing residents could be displaced for weeks after fire in downtown Rockford
