Several families displaced but no injuries reported after fire ravages Niles apartment building

Several families were displaced when an early morning fire tore through the upper floors of a three-story residential building in Niles, according to fire officials.

In a Niles Police Department news release and the Niles Fire Department Facebook page, authorities explained that firefighters responded around 2:30 a.m. on Nov. 12 to the 8200 block of Dempster Street on a call of a structure fire.

Several area fire department assisted the Niles Fire Department in putting out a destructive fire in the 8200 block of Dempster Street Nov. 12, 2025 in Niles. (Courtesy Niles Fire Department)

Upon arriving on the scene, emergency responders encountered a second-floor apartment that was “fully engulfed in flames,” according to the police department. Police officers entered the building and safely evacuated residents. No injuries were reported.

The fire department was assisted by multiple mutual aid departments in extinguishing the blaze.

The cause of the fire was not immediately determined, and officials said an investigation continues. The building was declared uninhabitable, according to authorities.

Emergency responders reported that at least four families were displaced, and the police department worked with the American Red Cross to find temporary housing for the families, as well as help them with other supports.

The Niles Fire Department was aided by departments from Winnetka, Park Ridge, Morton Grove, Des Plaines, Glenview, Evanston, Lincolnwood, Skokie, Mount Prospect, Wheeling, Northbook and the North Maine Fire Protection District.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/11/red-cross-aided-after-dempster-street-fire-in-niles/