Two Police Officers, Woman In Wheelchair Injured In South Chicago Fire

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Two Chicago police sergeants rescued a woman, and firefighters rescued her daughter, who uses a wheelchair, from a house fire in the South Chicago neighborhood early Wednesday.

One of the sergeants and one of the women were critically injured.

The officers were responding to an unrelated call shortly before 3 a.m., when a distraught man flagged them down near 80th and Muskegon, telling them his wife and daughter were trapped inside their burning home.

The two sergeants rushed into the home, and pulled out a woman, but were unable to reach her daughter, who uses a wheelchair.

When firefighters arrived, they were able to reach the daughter. She was taken to University of Chicago Medicine in extremely critical condition.

The two sergeants were taken to the same hospital. One of them later was released, but the other was in critical condition as of 10 a.m., according to Police Department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.

Flames spread to an adjacent home before the fire was extinguished. The neighboring home was evacuated.

Red Cross workers provided assistance with the displaced residents to try and find them temporary shelter.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.

In:
• Chicago Police Department
• Fire
• Mike Puccinelli