Extra-Alarm Fire Breaks Out In Chatham Apartment Building
UPDATED 08/22/11 6:28 a.m.
CHICAGO (CBS) -- An extra-alarm fire broke out early Monday in a four-story apartment building in the Chatham neighborhood.
The fire broke out around 4:25 a.m. in the courtyard building at 8244 S. Drexel Ave., Fire Commissioner Bob Hoff said at the scene. The fire started on the rear porches, and eventually swept through all four floors.
A still-and-box alarm was initially called for the fire, which was escalated to a 2-11 alarm.
The fire burned most severely on the third and fourth floors, Hoff said.
Firefighters had to bring people down from the building on ladders, but no one was seriously injured, Hoff said. Only a small child with an asthma attack had to be treated by paramedics at the scene.
But fighting the fire was difficult for a time, Hoff said.
"They had to open the roof. They had to take a lot of seeding down. So they had a good battle for about 25 minutes," Hoff said.
The Fire Department sent out about 25 pieces of equipment, and 100 firefighters and paramedics, Hoff said.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
