Chicago firefighters battle extra-alarm fire in Belmont Cragin
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago firefighters spent about three hours battling an extra-alarm fire Thursday afternoon in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood.
The fire started shortly before 12:15 p.m. in a 2 ½-story apartment building in the 5300 block of West Drummond Place. When firefighters arrived, there was heavy smoke and flames coming from the attic, and Chicago Fire Department District Chief Robert Jurewicz said the fire quickly got out of hand, prompting crews to take a defensive approach from outside the building.
The response was later elevated to a 2-11 alarm, which sends at least eight engines, four trucks, two tower ladders, five battalion chiefs, a district chief, a deputy district chief, a squad company, an ambulance, a command van, and approximately 100 firefighters to the scene.
Crews used two tower ladder trucks to attack the flames from above, and firefighters also could be seen standing on the roof of at least one neighboring building to help extinguish the fire, and prevent it from spreading to two neighboring buildings.
Jurewicz said crews ran into problems with low water pressure due to the cold weather, but the Water Department was able to help solve that issue.
Approximately six people lived in the building, and everyone got out safe.
Neither neighboring building was damaged by the fire, but the building where the fire started ended up leaning against one neighboring building. Jurewicz said the Chicago Department of Buildings was sending out crews to shore up the building.
The fire was put out around 3:15 p.m., but crews were expected to remain on the scene for at least a few more hours to make sure it doesn't spark up again.
The blaze left a gaping hole in the roof of the building, which likely will be a total loss.