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6 hurt, including children, in early morning South Austin apartment fire
Six people — including four children — were taken to Stroger Hospital after a fire broke out just after 5:30 a.m. in a South Austin apartment building. Firefighters rescued residents from windows, performed CPR at the scene, and say the fire was contained to a top-floor unit.
CHICAGO - A fire that broke out early this morning in the South Austin neighborhood left six people hurt — four of them critically — after flames tore through a top-floor apartment on the West Side.
What we know:
The fire started just after 5:30 a.m. in a three-story apartment building in the 5600 block of West Adams Street. Fire officials say the fire was contained to a top-floor unit, where all six victims were located. Most other residents were able to remain in their apartments because the fire did not spread beyond that unit.
Several rescues were made as firefighters arrived, including at least two people who were hanging out of a window. One adult was given CPR at the scene before being transported to the hospital.
All six victims were taken to Stroger Hospital. Two children and two adults are in critical condition. Two other children are listed in fair to good condition.
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6 people, including 4 children, hurt in early morning South Austin apartment fire
A fire that broke out early Thursday morning in the South Austin neighborhood sent six people — including four children — to the hospital and forced residents from their homes on a cold morning.
Warming buses were brought in as crews stayed on scene. Ambulances were still leaving the area as firefighters continued assisting residents. Within the past hour, a man was seen at the scene in tears, trying to get information about where the children were taken. He told reporters he is the father of one of the injured children.
What they're saying:
Chicago Fire Department District Chief Scott Hawaluk described the scene when crews arrived.
"There was two people hanging out the window," Hawaluk said. "The members from Truck 39 did affect a ladder rescue and did an amazing job. The fire is under investigation at this time. You know, when we see people hanging out the window we just go right to work. We call it our training. We go right to work. This is what we’re trained to do and this is obviously it worked here. Again, these guys did an amazing job. I think if it wasn’t for their quick actions, we may have had more victims and possibly severe fatalities."
The building manager says special features in the building, including concrete floors, likely helped keep the fire from spreading. He added that the family impacted by the fire will need to be relocated while repairs are made.
What we don't know:
The fire has been knocked down, but investigators are still working to determine what caused it. There’s no word yet on when an update on the victims’ conditions will be released.
The Source: Details for this story were provided by Fox 32's Roseanne Tellez, who was on the scene and spoke with Chicago Fire Department officials and witnesses.