Suspicious Blaze Sends Four Firefighters To The Hospital

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A stubborn and suspicious fire sent four firefighters to the hospital.

It happened overnight near the Illinois-Indiana border.

CBS 2's Roseanne Tellez has the story.

This was the seventh fire in the Hegewisch neighborhood since July 6.

Fire lights up the sky early Saturday on South Baltimore, as firefighters try to douse the flames.

Like a string of recent suspicious fires in the Hegewisch neighborhood, it started near the alley. But this one spread to a three-story building and nearby home.

"It was like something from a movie," said Dawn Swiatek. "The flames were just so high."

Also different this time: four firefighters were injured and taken to the hospital, but will be alright.

"In this area there has been a rash of fires," said Assistant Deputy Fire Commissioner Brian Aglmold. "This is the 7th or 8th fire just in this area alone."

All the previous fires also started behind houses. Garage after garage, has gone up in flames since July 6.

10th ward alderman Susan Sadlowski Garza, broom in hand to sweep up glass, was shooed away. Firefighters said their investigation was still active

"(It's been) scary because you don't know if you're going to be the next one," she said. "This week has been really, really raucous and it's scary."

She said Hegewisch residents have banded together to help find the person responsible.

"We've been knocking doors, showing pictures, talking to people and through all the cameras and the videos that people have provided, somebody ID'd the person," she added.

Police will confirm only that someone was questioned, but as of now. no one's been charged.

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.