3 die in apartment fire

An apartment building fire killed three people, and authorities said Sunday they were investigating the blaze as a possible case of arson.

The fire at the 36-unit Le Claire Station Apartments started late Saturday and it took about three hours for firefighters to extinguish it, authorities said. Fire departments from several surrounding communities in the Chicago suburbs helped fight the blaze.

"The volume of fire that we had and the amount of damage" prompted the arson investigation, said Oak Forest Fire Chief Jim Berger. "There had to be something to get that fire going that fast and spread so quickly."

The bodies of the three victims were charred and identifications will require comparisons with dental records, the Cook County Medical Examiner's office said.

The fire displaced dozens of residents, and the Red Cross said it was opening a shelter for them and providing clothing and medications.