Six people were injured, including two children and a firefighter, after a fire in Kankakee early Wednesday morning.
The fire started just after 1:30 a.m. inside a suburban storefront on the first floor of a building in the 800 block of West Station Street, fire officials said. The building is also home to eight apartments above the businesses on the first floor.
Nearly two dozen residents lived in the building, many of whom were trapped by flames below, officials said.
The injured include two young boys, ages 2 and 4, who were both airlifted to area hospitals. One boy was transported to Loyola University Medical Center and the other to Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
Other victims include are two women who suffered from burns and smoke inhalation, as well as a 25-year-old man who jumped from a second-story window. He also suffered burns, but was reported to be in stable condition.
Joshua Stevenson, who owns JS Hair Studio on first floor arrived to the scene to see his destroyed barber shop would now be out of business until they rebuild.
Stevenson's business is one of two on the building's first floor. Both storefronts and all eight apartments above were left uninhabitable.
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"Me and my wife, we depend on two incomes," Stevenson said. "Now it's just gonna be one for awhile. It's gonna be hard, but with God, we'll make it."
One firefighter was treated and released for minor burn injuries.
Multiple fire departments remained on the scene hours after the blaze was put out. The cause of the fire is under investigation, but fire officials said they have no reason to believe it was suspicious.
