7 hospitalized after South Side Chicago high-rise
CHICAGO -- Seven people were rushed to area hospitals – including a baby who was in critical condition – from the scene of a high-fire in the South Shore neighborhood.Firefighters were called just before 4 p.
m. for the fire in a 1920s-era high-rise at 7144 S. Jeffery Blvd. The fire started in a kitchen in a unit on the second floor of the 14-story building, Chicago Fire Department First District Chief Jim McDonough said at a news conference.The Fire Department called a 2-11 alarm and an Emergency Medical Services Plan 2 for extra equipment and manpower. A 2-11 alarm sends 40 pieces of equipment and about 155 firefighters, while an EMS Plan 2 sends 10 to 12 ambulances.Seven people were rushed to area hospitals, and one of them – a baby – was in critical condition, McDonough said.Firefighters also performed ladder rescues on the outside of the building, as people hung out of windows.On the highest floors – the 12th through the 14th – rescues had to be conducted inside. The elevators in the building were out, so firefighters had to go up the stairs and rescue people on those floors, McDonough said.Some people on those floors had been about to jump, McDonough said. One person did jump from the fourth floor, but was able to walk afterward.The majority of the fire was on the second floor, but the fire did get into the stairwell, and there was a great deal of heat from the second floor up to the fifth floor, McDonough said. There was heavy smoke from the second floor on up.People were seen screaming for help as they found themselves trapped in the burning building and hung out of the windows. The desperation on their faces was palpable as smoke poured out of the building.One woman was seen waving clothing out a window – doing whatever she can to get the attention of firefighters.More dramatic video showed the person who jumped or was dropped from the building. Meanwhile, a firefighter was also seen on video cradling a baby who appeared to be crying, as crews rushed to get other people to safety.A sixth-floor resident, Arnesha Amison, said the fire broke out when she was in her apartment with her mother, and her children were on their way inside the building. She said everyone rushed to the fire escapes.'That's the first instinct – you go to the fire escape. So everybody on the building was on this side first. But then, everybody was trying to rush down – but we couldn't go down because of the fire,' Amison said 'So the Fire Department, they told us to wait – don't come down. I think they were busting something down so we would be able to go down.'Amison was told to stay in her apartment on the sixth floor, but it was very hard to sit there as the smoke kept rising higher and higher.As of 6 p.m., the Fire Department said everyone was out of the building and accounted for.Many gave big props to the Fire Department for how they handled the situation.
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