Deadly Chicago house fire: 2 adults, 2 children killed; arson suspected

CHICAGO - Two children and two adults were killed, and two other children are hospitalized after an overnight house fire in Chicago’s West Englewood neighborhood that investigators are treating as arson, officials said.

What we know:

The fire was reported around 2 a.m. in the 6200 block of South Paulina Street in the West Englewood neighborhood.

Chicago fire officials said the blaze involved a residential building, prompting a large emergency response with additional ambulances and personnel.

Numerous rescues were made as crews worked to get people out of the building, CFD reported. Six people, including children, were taken to area hospitals.

By about 2:45 a.m., officials said the fire had been extinguished and the scene secured.

Details on victims:

Chicago police said a man and woman suffered severe burns and were taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition. Both later died.

The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office identified the pair as 57-year-old Reginald Lee Wilson and 57-year-old Lisa Brown.

Four children — ages 8, 14, 15 and 16 — were also injured and transported to Comer Children’s Hospital, police said. An 8-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy later died. Their identities are still unknown.

The two surviving children remained in stable condition.

What they're saying:

Eduardo, who lives and works nearby, says he was working late when he saw the flames and smoke coming from South Paulina. He and his brother ran over to help the people trapped inside.

"We ran to the back and knocked the gate back. I had to pull the gate down to get back through the alley cause I couldn't get in through the front," he said. "It was burning the whole block with smoked up. I did what I could do and I helped them jump from the building from the third window. I told him jumped down and I helped them catch them."

He says he helped several children escape the blaze.

Many other neighbors describe what they witnessed at the scene.

"Like a BBQ. It smell like a barbecue, and it was a lot of black smoke. It was a lot of flames," one neighbor said.

Another neighbor says she was woken up by the screams and evacuated her family, unsure if the fire would spread.

She was horrified by what she saw.

"It was scary. I was crying because I knew that," she said. "There were very small children in both of those homes when they started bringing the bodies out. I couldn't even look. You just see burnt small fragile bodies.

Eduardo says his brother, who helped him save the children, was injured in the process, but he’s thankful to have been at the right place at the right time.

"It's a tragedy. It's a tragedy," Eduardo says. "I was glad that I was able to be there to just help a little bit. I helped the kids. I was their first responder."

What's next:

Police are investigating the incident as arson.

West EnglewoodNews