Chicago firefighter seriously hurt in extra-alarm apartment building fire in Rogers Park
A Chicago firefighter was seriously injured fighting an extra-alarm fire Monday afternoon in an apartment building in Rogers Park.
The fire started shortly before 11:30 a.m. in a four-story apartment building at 1757 W. North Shore Ave., just east of Ravenswood Avenue and the Metra Union Pacific-North embankment. When firefighters arrived at the scene, flames were coming from two floors of the building.
The Chicago Fire Department raised a 2-11 alarm, bringing at least eight engines, four trucks, two tower ladders, five battalion chiefs, a district chief, a deputy district chief, a squad company, an ambulance, and a CFD Command Van to the scene, with around 100 firefighters responding.
Chicago Fire Department Deputy District Chief Kelly Burns said most of the fire was contained to the rear of the building. One firefighter was injured when he fell from the first floor to the basement and was rescued within one minute.
"He was there one second. He was in the basement the next. Fortunately, the lieutenant on Squad 2 and the members of Engine 70 were in the basement with a line, actively fighting that fire, and our firefighter landed close to the officer of Squad 2," Burns said. "If I was in trouble at a fire, Squad 2 is who I would want coming to get me. The members there did a tremendous job getting our firefighter out."
A Chicago Fire Department spokesman said the injured firefighter was taken to Stroger Hospital of Cook County in serious-to-critical condition. Sources said the firefighter suffered extensive burns all over his body, including second and third degree.
Several firefighters, Fire Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt, and a representative from the mayor's office visited the hospital on Monday afternoon.
Burns said fires in the Rogers Park neighborhood often pose an extra challenge because of how close buildings are to each other, and because they're often long and deep buildings, but crews are trained for these kinds of situations.
Seven people who live inside the apartment were left temporarily homeless because of the fire, and were receiving help from the American Red Cross.
Neighbor Jessica Horvath said she was dog-sitting at the time and saw a lot of smoke coming from the back of the building.
"It was very startling, yeah," she said. "We were just hanging out in the other area of the house, and the power kind of flickered a bit, and then we heard fire trucks, and when I went to the kitchen, yeah, I saw all this smoke, and I was like, 'Oh my gosh, what is going on?' It was very unbelievable."
CBS News Chicago learned that the injured firefighter comes from a family of firefighters and is the grandson of a former fire commissioner.
Officials with Union Local 2 said they are praying for this firefighter and his family.