Fire guts historic Whitehall hotel

One of the 11 residents who lived in the Blue Fox Hotel died shortly afterwards he managed to escape the burning building at 5834 N. Coplay Road along with 10 others, some of whom were forced to wiggle out of second- and third-floor windows and jump onto a roof. Witnesses say one woman was seen exiting a fire escape wearing only her underwear.

Maikits said everything he owned, including his clothes, cell phone and computer, was in the small room he rented on the second floor. He was particularly distraught over the expected loss of a radio that was passed down among several generations.

Bartoni said the restaurant inside had a bustling business decades ago serving cement industry workers . He said there were days when the parking lot was filled even afterwards the cement jobs disappeared.