5 People, Including 2 Children, Rushed To Hospital From South Shore Apartment Fire
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Two children were among several people who were recovering Saturday afternoon after being rescued from an apartment fire in the South Shore community.
As CBS 2's Steven Graves reported, the fast-moving smoke forced firefighters to make quick rescues.
Nine people were injured in the fire, and five of them were taken to the hospital from the scene of the fire at 7733 S. South Shore Dr., near Rainbow Park and Beach. One woman was in critical condition.
Around 9 a.m. after the fire was out, the Fire Department posted video to Twitter showing the smoke billowing out.
7733 south shore struck out. Two transports one yellow one very critical. pic.twitter.com/n75e5bCGFo
— Chicago Fire Media (@CFDMedia) June 19, 2021
We are told the fire started in a corner of the building on the fourth floor and then went through the roof at one point. Firefighters had to rescue several people by ladder from the smoke-filled top sixth floor.
People inside said the smoke quickly filled up the whole building.
"Water was all over the place. It was smoke-filled. The carpets were all wet - all down the hallway - and I was just trying to get my head wrapped around what was going on," said Karen Posey, who lives on another side of the building. "Where was the fire at - this time?"
Posey said "this time" because from her account, fires have broken out in the building at least three times. She was still waiting for help from the American Red Cross late Saturday.
As of 5 p.m. Saturday, the woman who was most severely injured in the fire remained in "very critical" condition at the University of Chicago Medical Center.
There was no official word on the cause of the fire late Saturday afternoon.