Demolition begins on building destroyed by fire

A demolition crew removes the top two floors of a building at 126-128 Vine St., which was damaged by fire over the winter, Wednesday. The crew said plans were to remove the top floors and gut the first floor of the structure at the corner of Lake and Vine streets. The Feb. 9 fire reached five-alarms, displacing 30 people and creating clouds of dark smoke that could be seen for miles. More than 125 firefighters battled the blaze for more than three hours, as flames quickly spread from the first story to rooftop and then stubbornly burned in almost every spot of the old building. No one was injured, but 17 apartments and two street-level stores were left uninhabitable.