Neighbors Rescue Disabled Woman From Burning Home in Skokie

CBS (CHICAGO)--Neighbors of a disabled woman are credited with pulling her out of her burning home Wednesday morning in Skokie before firefighters arrived.

Skokie firefighters noticed smoke coming from the 8200 block of Monticello Avenue shortly before 9 a.m. June 20.

The fire station is just a few blocks away, and firefighters sped toward the direction of the smoke, said Skokie fire battalion chief Gabe Millard.

They found a disabled resident outside the front of her burning single-story home along with a mother and daughter who live next door.

"We were alerted to (the fire) because we saw the smoke passing by the firehouse," Millard said. "We found an involved structure fire upon arrival."

Neighbor Roxanna Citu said she saw smoke coming from the house and rushed next door with her mother to help the woman.

They found her standing in her kitchen as the flames and smoke started closing in.

"She said she couldn't walk at all, and I said please come with me—you can't die here," City said. "She was trying to get her slippers, but we pulled her outside."
Fire engines arrived moments later and carried her into an ambulance. She was not seriously injured.

"Thanks to the attentive neighbors, they were able to help get the resident out," Millard said.

Millard said the woman inside the house attempted to call 911, but was having difficulty calling out on her landline phone.

"The resident was very fortunate (to have the) helpful hands of her neighbors," he said

It's unclear whether she had working smoke detectors.

"I was really scared," Citu said. "I'm just happy she's safe and we're safe."