Fire engulfs 3 homes in Englewood; no injuries reported

No one was injured after a fire spread to several homes Monday in the South Side Englewood neighborhood.

Firefighters were called about 4:15 p.m. for a blaze in the 6800 block of South Lafayette Avenue, Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Merritt said.

The fire was upgraded within minutes as crews worked to keep the flames from spreading to adjacent houses, Merritt said.

Two homes were burned almost completely, Merritt said. One of them was vacant and the other was being renovated.

The fire spread south to a home and burned part of its roof, Merritt said. One home to the north sustained minor surface damage. The fire was extinguished by 5:57 p.m., Merritt said.

ComEd responded to the scene for a downed power line and shut off power to it, Merritt said. No firefighters were injured.

It was unclear how many people were displaced from the fire, Merritt said. The cause of the blaze was under investigation.

Chicago Fire Department