2 Chicago firefighters injured while fighting house fire in Grand Crossing
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Temperatures made it extremely difficult for firefighters battling a blaze in the Grand Crossing neighborhood. Fire hydrants were frozen, and two firefighters were injured trying to save a family inside.
"We have nothing. On the coldest day of the year we have nothing," said Edgar Keys.
He is in disbelief after seeing his house is gone due to a fire.
"With the life we have now, we have to rebuild everything," he said. "Everything. Social security cards, money, IDs."
Chicago firefighters responded Sunday to a house fire in the 7100 block of South University Avenue.
Crews tackled the fire, which they say started in the attic.
District Chief Anthony Frazier said two firefighters were transported to the University of Chicago but would not say if it was due to the fire.
"Right now just precautionary," Frazier said. "They're stable, and we're still checking on them right now."
The fire happened while the city is dealing with dangerous cold temperatures. Frozen helmets and pipes show what kind of elements they had to endure.
Frazier said they ran into some problems.
"We ran into frozen hydrants. We got the snow. People are trying to stay warm. We have a lot of challenges in that respect," he said.
Keys says he, his daughter, his fiancé and his mom were sleeping inside when firefighters busted open their door and woke them up, but this isn't the first time firefighters paid a visit.
"The door that they came through, in '98 we had a fire there and the fire department couldn't get through that door. This time they came through that door with ease."
Keys says he has lived in the house for decades. All of those memories are gone. But he says he is thankful his life and his family's life was spared. He says he has his neighbor to thank.
"It's the lady across the street that I thought hated me," he said. "Trust me, I'm definitely going to go talk to her, give her a hug. I promise you that."
A simple call from a neighobr was a life-saving call.
"She helped save my life, my mother and my daughter's."
Firefighters say there were no working smoke detectors inside. It is unclear how the fire started.
