House fire on Chicago's West Side leaves man dead, his 75-year-old mother injured
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A man was found dead, and his 75-year-old mother is in critical condition after escaping a house fire in North Lawndale early Wednesday morning.
Firefighters responded to the fire in the 1200 block of South Kedvale Avenue around 1 a.m.
The woman, Dessie Street, escaped the home on her own but told police and firefighters her son, Carlos, was still inside.
Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said two officers were hurt while trying to get into the home to rescue her son.
"The fire was very intense when crews got here. The mother was fortunately able to get herself out. Two Chicago police officers were injured as they tried to effect a rescue. They got to the front door, were able to knock the front door in, but moments later the porch roof collapsed on the police officers," Langford said.
Street was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition. One police officer was treated and released at a local hospital, and the other officer was hospitalized and his condition was stabilized.
Because the porch had already collapsed, and there were extensive flames inside the home when firefighters arrived, they were unable to go inside to search for Street's missing son.
After nine hours, Carlos's body was recovered from the first floor near the entrance.
"So we had to wait for the Buildings Department to provide heavy equipment to be able to literally take the building apart, starting in the rear. There was some indication he might be in the back. So they started in the rear, started taking the building apart, got to the front, and found the remains in the first floor front of the building," he said.
Carlos was in his 30s and had autism, according to family members.
Joseph Johnson, Carlos' uncle and Dessie's brother, was at the scene and distraught over the tragedy.
"She is like a mother to everyone," Johnson said. "She is a seamstress if anybody wants clothes or anything. That's what she do. She makes prom dresses."
Langford said, due to her injuries, Dessie Street has not been able to talk to fire investigators about the possible cause and origin of the fire. Because crews had to tear apart the building to find her son, investigators might not be able to determine the cause of the fire.
On Friday, firefighters revisited the neighborhood to talk about fire safety and provide smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
