Fire chief rescues family from balcony during Joliet apartment blaze that injured 7: officials

Fire chief rescues family from balcony during Joliet apartment blaze that injured 7: officials

A fire at a Joliet apartment building Tuesday morning left seven people injured and displaced several residents, officials said.

JOLIET, Ill. - A fire at a Joliet apartment building Tuesday morning left seven people injured and displaced several residents, officials said. 

One fire chief also rescued a mother and her 3-year-old child from a third-floor balcony during the blaze.

What we know:

The blaze broke out around 8:17 a.m. in the 100 block of Essington Road, according to the Joliet Fire Department.

Battalion Chief Dan Berta, who had just cleared the scene of a crash on Interstate 80, was nearby when the fire was reported. He saw a man, woman and 3-year-old child trapped on the balcony of the three-story garden apartment.

As firefighters positioned a ladder, the father tried to lower himself from the balcony by gripping the railing, but lost his hold and fell, officials said.

Berta told the mother to stay put, climbed the ladder to rescue the child, then returned to help the woman down. All three were evaluated at the scene and declined further medical treatment.

Crews found heavy fire in an upper apartment unit and the attic. After a search, firefighters transitioned to a defensive operation and extinguished the flames.

Fifteen people were inside the building at the time of the fire. The other occupants were able to evacuate on their own.

Seven people were treated for minor injuries at the scene. 

What we don't know:

Officials said the building had 12 units and housed 39 residents total, but the number of people displaced was not immediately clear.

The fire was brought under control by 9:23 a.m., though crews remained on the scene into the afternoon.

What's next:

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.