A mayday and tense moments as extra-alarm fire guts Lincoln Square Lanes
When firefighters pulled up to Lincoln Square Lanes, the upstairs windows of the old neighborhood bowling alley were glowing yellow and flames were already shooting through the roof.
Wearing masks, the firefighters grabbed hoses and burst through the front door, then made their way up the stairs around 1 a.m. Monday.
"But then the building became unstable and started to collapse, so they bailed out,’’ Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said. "They took a head count. They were one member short, they were missing a guy. They thought he might be trapped."
A mayday was called, and "everybody started rolling,’’ Langford said.
“Everybody’s moving fast, you have masks on, you’re not exactly sure who is front or who is behind you,’’ Langford recounted. “The natural reaction is, ‘Oh, somebody’s still in there.' "
The tension was clear from radio transmissions from the scene. "Where you at?" a firefighter screamed into his radio.
The missing firefighter was located within minutes. It turned out he was one of the first to enter the building but got out after being hit by some debris, Langford said. He was examined by paramedics on the scene and was not badly hurt.
"There was just a little confusion,’’ Langford said. “But better be safe than sorry.’’
Other firefighters suffered minor burns, but no serious injuries were reported in the extra-alarm fire, which took nearly two hours to get under control and gutted the nearly century-old bowling alley on the second floor of the building at 4874 N. Lincoln Ave.
Langford said the fire appeared to start in the kitchen area of the bowling alley. "They're looking at it," he said. "That's where the windows were lit up when they arrived. It's kind of a clue."
Mike Drehobl, co-owner of Lincoln Square Lanes, stood next to his father in disbelief Monday morning as they watched firefighters hose down the charred remains of their historic bowling alley and sports bar.
“It just doesn’t seem real,” Drehobl said as he looked at the pile of bricks and the business’ sign -- that read “Est. 1918” collapsed on the sidewalk. “My father owned it for the last 30 years.”
Drehobl and his brother, David, who co-own the business, said it was Chicago’s oldest bowling alley still in operation.
Three years ago, the family invested about $1 million to renovate the business, leaving an interesting mix of old and new that included flat-screen TVs and scoring by hand for bowlers.
The brothers knocked out four of its 18 lanes and used the approximately 50-year-old wood from the lanes to expand the bar. They also built a stage for live music, where David and his band regularly played.
In the process of refurbishing, they preserved the building’s original, ornate tile ceiling and a historic mural of Abraham Lincoln they found when they removed some paneling.
“I can’t tell you how many times people say, ‘I went there with my kids years ago,’ ” Mike Drehobl said. “When we renovated it, those people who were the little kids came back and they were like, ‘I can’t believe this!’ ”
Zoran Milos, who owns a decorative painting company in the neighborhood, was on his way to work when he drove past the gray haze of smoke still rising from the bowling lanes. Milos, a native of Paris who moved to Chicago about three years ago, said he visited the establishment almost every day.
“I know every single employee,” he said. “It’s very unfortunate for the whole area. This was the only sports bar in the area that was very comfy and really felt like a second home, you know.”
The building also housed a hardware store, Matty K's, on the ground floor.
“I feel bad for the hardware store because that was our neighborhood hardware store,” said Pooja Vukosavich, who lives two blocks away. “We’d go there all the time for stuff. It’s sad because it was a family-run, small (business).”
Fire crews were called to the building just before 1 a.m. and saw flames shooting through the roof, officials said. Part of the roof collapsed about 20 minutes later. There was a call for additional emergency personnel and equipment.
The fire was brought under control shortly before 3 a.m., but crews were expected to remain on the scene for much of the day.
David Drehobl said he got a call about the fire from his nephew. "He told me the kitchen closed at 10, they closed up at 12 and about 15 minutes after they left, they saw it was on fire."
In a posting on its Facebook page, Lincoln Square Lanes said: "It is with heavy hearts that we bid our customers a saddened farewell. We will cherish the memories you have left us with. It is our hope that this historic alley will remain in your thoughts. The LSL family would like to thank you for your continued love and support as we look forward to the future."
Copyright © 2015, Chicago Tribune
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