A call came in to the Champaign fire department at 4:37 p.m. yesterday to report a fire in the apartments at the 100 block of John and Locust streets in Champaign. Police arrived at the scene approximately five minutes later.

Senior in business Katie Boysen, who lives underneath the apartment, was getting ready for work when she said she heard "a ruckus."

"I heard a boom and I thought it was just the person upstairs, then I looked out my window and saw the fire trucks," she said. Boysen said that she would stick around "until I know my apartment's okay, then I'll go to work."

The smoke exited the two windows of the one-bedroom apartment and firemen sprayed the interior with water.

"I haven't been inside but from outside (the damage) looks pretty extensive," said Champaign Fire Deputy Chief Tim Wild. "It's pretty much just overhaul now. We're trying to find any hot spots so we don't have any rekindling but it looks like it's contained to that space."

Wild said he didn't think anyone was injured or inside the apartment at the time of the fire.

— Zachary Campillo